Padre Complex

Confession is good for the soul, right?

Well – my wife and daughter are out of town and I decided to go to the movies. The criteria for trips to the movies when my wife is out of town are that they have to be movies that she wouldn’t want to see. I normally pick something that has a few redeeming qualities – but is it a genre that she wouldn’t prefer (say sc-fi or fantasy). This time I am afraid I out did myself.

The movie “300” is the story of the battle between Sparta and Persia in ancient Greece. It is directed by Zack Snyder and stars Gerard Butler (who looks strangely like George Clooney).

This movie is not an Academy Award winner and not a date movie. There is an uncomfortable rhythm to the movie that haunted me. The movie seemed to have characters that only shouted, soldiers that only say an ancient form of “Hoo-rah” and long drawn out battle scenes where blood splatters everywhere and from everything. If the blood splatter wasn’t so obviously “computer generated” you would wonder how many buckets of the stuff they made up for each scene. The eerie part of the blood splatter is that unlike every CSI episode on the face of the earth – there was no blood splatter on the Spartan soldiers. Sure they looked disheveled after a battle – dirty, exhausted but never bloody. They had just spent the last ten minutes of footage (and narrative-ly a whole day) killing everything from soldiers and magicians, to elephants and freaky mutant giants that were eight feet tall! But all of this – without a drop of blood getting on them!

It becomes apparent early on that the movie is low on plot. The first fight scene comes early in the movie and I turned to a friend who came with me and remarked that I was hoping for a little more plot.

The plot arc that does come is bare-ly an arc. The story is of a boy that grows into a King. A tyrant who is trying to enslave the world. A small Greek city state of soldier citizens who thumbs there nose at the tyrant and goes to war. A group of mystics and politicians who are part of the Spartan culture limit the military response (Sparta sounds and looks a lot like a Greek version of the American dream – freedom, equal voices for men and women, and violence). Then the plot becomes a series of the tyrant army throwing everything at the Spartan warriors (almost everything but the kitchen sink!). Eventually Sparta is undone by the tyrant through the betrayal of a hunchback who had followed them into battle. The hunchback dreams of being a Spartan warrior – but the King of Sparta has no need for the physical liabilities presented by the Hunchback. Eventually the politicians are defeated at home by the wit and tongue of the king’s wife – but not before the soldiers fall in battle (sacrifice) defending the shores of Sparta against the tyrant.

The rhythm method: sex, violence, dialogue.
Movies should never be predictable – except at a few specific moments. When the shark Jaws blows up in the movie – you almost expect it – and you are so wrapped up in the moment that audiences stood and applauded for the victory and the release of tension in the theater.

Sadly 300, though its plot line is no more complex than a Jaws movie, it pulls off no surprises and is horribly predictable. Within a few scenes the movie establishes its rhythm – violence, sex, dialogue. The story opens with how the Spartans raise their sons to be soldiers (violence), and the coming of the Persian messenger (violence and dialogue), and then moves into a consulting of the oracle and the night before the king leaves for war – making love to his wife (sex). The men encounter the work of the tyrant’s army and go into battle (violence), the men remember back to their sons and their wives (sex), and the queen uses political maneuvering to send reinforcements to the battlefront (dialogue). More battle scenes (violence), the hunchback is rejected by Sparta and visits Xerxes who bribes him with gold, possessions and (you guessed it) a harem of women who will satisfy his every need (sex), while the Spartans have a half-time locker room-esque speech before the next battle (dialogue). And then (you guessed it) more battle scenes (violence), the queen gets raped by the politician who has bribed the counsel (sex and violence), and the council scene where the politician is revealed as a traitor (dialogue).

You get the idea. There is a rhythm to the method of the movie and it is neither creative nor is it enjoyable.

Everything is by force: War, Rape, and Money
The movie must have been written, directed and produced by men. It is one big, phallic allegory. Men use spears, swords, armies, money and their ‘ahems’ to force enemies, tyrants, countries, and women to do their bidding.

Everything is by force. Everything is about invasion.

The tyrant will force them into submission and slavery. The politicians are forcing the king not to go to war. The traitor rapes the queen as a statement of power. The tyrant has bribed the politician and the mystics of the oracle to work behind the scenes to force the honorable king to submit.

The rape scene really got under my skin. Movie scenes should advance the plot line of the story. This concept is true especially if it is a scene using sex or violence (or in this scene both). When the queen goes to the politician with the intention of using honor and dignity to persuade him to support her request to the city council for reinforcements for her husband who is defending the city – you have been led to believe that it is just a formality. But in actuality the politician berates her, degrades her by telling her that contrary to the spoken narrative of Sparta that all men are not created equal (was that Spartan I thought it was American?) and women are certainly even less… he then asks her what she is willing to negotiate with for him to give her his vote. She asks – what do you want. And at that moment you know that there will be know creativity in this scene – the scene and the plot will be dominated by the force of men. And instead of leaving the rape scene to your imagination the director wastes footage showing you it – for a throwaway laugh later at the climax of the movie.

So on the battlefield, in the council chambers, and even in the queen’s bedroom – everything is taken by force.

Cultural Overtones
I recently listened to an excellent lecture about race, media and the church by a theology professor at Duke Divinity School – so I am a little sensitized about the issue of how the media portrays race and how it clashes with the biblical vision.

The movie plays into all the standard stereotypes. White is good, dark is bad. Beautiful and thin is valued, ugly and deformed is devalued. Males are strong – women are smart but weak.

A variation on the gender theme is played out in the character of Xerxes the invading tyrant who is not the picture of maleness. His figure and his face are very stylized and is gender ambiguous. His eyebrows are ‘penciled’ and sculpted to resemble something less than the uni-brow of the Spartan soldiers. He wears jewelry and is bedecked in gold. But his voice has this deep reverberating quality to it. And his language and vocabulary is that of pomp, power, and prestige. But his general character is certainly written with a mysterious foreign quality.

One more comment about the gender thing. I want to know how much money they spent on computerized special effects – it had to cost big bucks to add in all those wash board stomachs in every shot. Surely not every man in Sparta had a six pack!

The cultural overtones are powerful. Though Sparta is a small city state of free persons (free being the operative word). They are able to stem the tide of millions of Persian soldiers. And I have already noted the variety of components that Xerxes uses in his army (magicians, rhinoceros, elephants, mutants, giants, etc.) The overtone is that known is good (spear, shield, and sword) and the unknown is bad (archers, darkness, foreign weapons, tactics, etc.)

Cheese Factor
Ok… there is this one scene that is heartbreaking. The captain of the Spartan army, (best friend of the King, etc.) who has brought his adult son as a soldier on the journey – watches as his son dies in battle. His son is facing away from an attacker who is on horseback and before the son can be warned he is suddenly decapitated and killed. (I could spend another paragraph or two on the poor special effects – I think they used the same prop for three decapitations).

The father later, clearly in grief, approaches the king and tells his friend that the worst part of the experience wasn’t that his son died in battle – but that he died before he could tell his son that he ‘loved him.’

Ugh.

In text it may seem touching – but in the movement of the movie it is a lame attempt at emotionality. It comes off as a pathetic attempt to humanize people who were never believably human in the first place.

An ad for the War on Terror
The old friend I went to see the movie with made mention that there has been an uproar from Muslim voices in the world that the movie is a propaganda add for the West in general and for Bush’s War on Terror in particular.

I am not so sure I would agree with the claim that it is propaganda for the War. But what it is a convincing display of advertising for the military. Again as I mentioned before – every time the Spartan Army celebrates they shout loudly something that is reminiscent of “Hoo-rah” – the Marines guttural call of the corp.

A number of times the music, dialogue, or scene made reference to the soldier spirit and the powerfully attractive idea to fight for honor, respect and of course – freedom. I looked for the US Military logo and didn’t see it – but I am sure it must have been there…

I wouldn’t agree with critics that say it portrays Muslims as unintelligent or evil – but I would agree that the Spartans are polished up way to much to look like an Ancient world version of the American vision seen through conservative talk radio ideals. The script language just seems to be borrowed from either Rush Limbaugh – or my old Jr. High football coach at half time in the locker room.

Conclusion:
As one commentator said – if you are not captured by reality, and not interested in historical accuracy, if you don’t mind the less than 20 minutes of dialogue in two hours of blood, gore, and sexual tension – then go see it. If you go then prepare for what has been referred to as a tightly choreographed dance of death and dismemberment.

Instead, I think I might go see Amazing Grace tonight. A little redemption may be helpful after ‘300.’

I am a Duke Grad. I did my Masters work at Duke Divinity School and enjoyed the whole experience.

This past week presented highs and lows for Duke alumni. First the Sunday afternoon Duke-UNC game where we both lossed the game and gave a Tarheel player an elbow to the nose. (Read about it here).

But — then the news came to me through a church member that all might be redeemed. What could possibly erase the smudge of a flagrant foul off the mind of a proud alum? I give you…

Duke grad builds beer tossing fridge

RALEIGH, N.C. - When John Cornwell graduated from Duke University last year, he landed a job as software engineer in Atlanta but soon found himself longing for his college lifestyle. So the engineering graduate built himself a reminder of life on campus: a refrigerator that can toss a can of beer to his couch with the click of a remote control.

“I conceived it right after I got out,” said Cornwell, a May 2006 graduate from Huntington, N.Y. “I missed the college scene. It embodies the college spirit that I didn’t want to let go of.”

For those of you who are more visual than verbal — see the video here. The creator’s website can be found here.

The power of a quality education.

Just makes you tear up at the thought of a Blue Devil changing the world…

How do you get at the idea of providence in a post-911 world?

1 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? 2 No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. 3 He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. 4 Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep. 5 God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you - 6 Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. 7 God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. 8 He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always. (The Message)

Eugene Peterson writes in “A long obedience in the same direction” about the Christian life and discipleship. He begins his chapter on providence this way.

The moment we say no to the world and yes to God, all our problems are solved, all our questions answered, all our troubles over. Nothing can disturb the tranquility of the soul at peace with God. Nothing can interfere with the blessed assurance that all is well between me and my savior. Nothing and no one can upset the enjoyable relationship that has been established by faith in Jesus Christ. We Christians are among that privileged company of persons who don’t have accidents, who don’t have arguments with our spouses, who aren’t misunderstood by our peers, whose children do not disobey us.

If any `of these things should happen – a crushing doubt, a squall of anger, a desperate loneliness, an accident that puts us in the hospital, an argument that puts us in the dog house, a rebellion that puts us on the defensive, a misunderstanding that us in the wrong – it is a sign that something is wrong with our relationship with God. We have, consciously or unconsciously, retracted our yes to God; and God, impatient with our fickle faith, has gone off to take care of someone more deserving of his attention.

Is that what you believe? If it is – I have some incredibly good news. You are wrong.

If we believe once we become a believer our life goes on to easy street – then any mistake is proof against us — it is proof that God must not think we are Christians — surely someone with difficult issues can’t be a Christian.

Light Exegesis
Our scripture today is a Psalm. Psalms you do remember are the hymns of the Israelites. They were sung as songs and prayers in worship and in festivals, and in preparation for worship.

Psalm 121 – our psalm for this morning – is taken from a section entitled ‘Songs of Ascent.’ Scholars believe that the songs of ascent were those songs that were sung as the Israelites journeyed up to Jerusalem. These Psalms recreated for the Israelites the experience of coming up to the holy city and meeting God there.

For the Israelites – faith was viewed as a journey – a trip – a pilgrimage. In the Jewish religion there were a couple of festivals that required believers to journey to the Temple in Jerusalem for the event – sometimes lasting a couple of days. So unlike our day and time – when anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas can go to any number of churches in their hometown to celebrate the same holiday – in that day – you had to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem. Sort of like – if you want to see real country music – you have to go to Nashville to hear it.

In this psalm we get a picture of what it must have been like to travel in the days of the Israelites. The psalmist writes about the towering hills, the dangers of falling, the heat of the sun, and the threat of night. Throughout the whole song the name of God is praised and lifted up – as a creator, a protector and a companion.

This psalm is regularly quoted as a way of understanding providence. Providence is that fancy theological word that describes the ways in which God acts in our lives.

The psalm alludes to the fact that to get to Jerusalem the Israelites would have had to walk up the mountains. Mountains were a fearful place for travelers – the opportunity to fall was greater, the mountains sometimes hid wild animals, or robbers. And for the Israelites the mountains were where pagans would worship their Gods.

Notice that the kind of care that God gives is one that is always there. The psalmist even writes that God does not slumber or sleep. Other faiths that were active in the days of the Israelites were not as confident about their Gods. Scholars tell us that pagans thought that their Gods would rest during winter time and wake in the spring. Followers of Baal – which were the people that the Israelites chased out of what would become the Promised land were often said to have to make a lot of noise to wake up their God who was known to party, get drunk, and pass out. If you remember the story of Elijah and Elisha and the prophets of Baal - where Elijah was going to have a contest with the prophets of Baal. When the prophets of Baal were unable to invoke the power of their God to light the bonfire Elijah asks first if their God is sleeping – and then asks if there God is stuck someplace else using a euphemism for an outhouse.

But not only is our God not stuck in the toilet – he is a God that does more than just think nice thoughts about us – he shades us in the sun, lights our way at night – and walks with us as a companion on our way.

Sources for exegetical work:
Peterson, Eugene. (2000) A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Inter Varsity Press.
Creach, Jerome F D. (1996) “Psalm 121.” Interpretation. Vol. 50:1 Jan 1996, p 47-51.
Barker, David , (1995) “The Lord Watches over You” : A Pilgrimage Reading of Psalm 121. Bibliotheca sacra, 152 Ap-Je 1995, p 163-181.

Life Application
So – if the scriptures say that God protects us so well – then why do bad things happen to good people? If God is so ever present to shield us from the sun and guide our way at night – why do we have hurricanes, fires, tornados and death?

If God is so good why do we ever have to attend the funeral of a child or a grandchild?

Our experience is different from what this scripture says.

In the days of the psalmist – it was common practice to consult the Gods and the temples before traveling anywhere. You would visit the priest of the sun god for protection from heat – and you would visit the moon temple for protection from the evil of the dark. You would go to another soothsayer for an amulet against the evil demons that might make you slip or fall. Then having consulted all of the powers that be – you would embark on your way – hoping that you had said everything right, done everything right and paid the right amounts to each temple.

But you and I both know there is something empty in that. Whether you are buying trip insurance for your vacation, the ‘club’™ to protect your car from neighbors or one of those fancy combination tools that will cut your seat belt and smash the window of your car if you were to drive your car off a bridge and into a lake – those things are just things – and they might or might not save us.

Our scripture refers to God by his personal name three times. And it calls God Guardian eight times in as many verses. The God that we serve is not an impersonal executive giving an order from on high – and he is not a con artist selling snake oil to unsuspecting tourists. Our God is a companion, a friend. We don’t need to go see the sun god, the moon god, or get an amulet of protection – because we serve a God who created the sun, the moon, and the rocks that we walk on.

If becoming a Christian meant that we wouldn’t suffer – then the Bible would be a boring, boring book. But the truth of the matter is that the Bible tells some of the harshest stories about the lives of believers. Paul alone was shipwrecked, chased out of town, put in jail, and starved. And of course Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith was hung on a cross to die.

But the way we tell the story of our faith is not to tell the trials and tribulations that we have endured for God. But rather we tell the story of our faith by naming the God who preserves us, accompanies and rules us.

Eugene Peterson writes this about providence:

All the water in all the oceans cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside. Nor can all the trouble in the world harm us unless it gets within us. That is the promise of Psalm 121. “God guards you from every evil.” Not the demons in the rocks, not the attack of the sun God, nor the fear of the dark from the moon goddess can separate us from the call and purpose of God. None of the things that happen to us, none of the troubles we encounter have any power to get between us and God, it cannot dilute his grace in us, it cannot divert his will from our lives.

The only serious mistake we can make when illness comes, when anxiety threatens, when conflict disturbs our relationships with others is to conclude that God has gotten bored looking after us and has shifted his attention to a more exciting Christian, or that God has become disgusted with our meander obedience and decided to let us fend for ourselves for a while, or that God has gotten too busy fulfilling prophesy in the Middle East to take time now to sort out the complicated mess we have gotten ourselves into. That is the only serious mistake we can make. And it is a mistake that Psalm 121 warns us of – the mistake of supposing that God’s interest waxes and wanes in us in response to our spiritual temperature.

Faith is not a magic shield – faith is a journey. It is a journey to God. And on that journey we travel the same ground that everyone else walks on, breathe the same air drink the same water, shop in the same stores, read the same newspapers, are citizens under the same governments, pay the same process for groceries and gasoline, fear the same dangers, are subject to the same pressures, get the same distresses and are buried in the same ground.

The difference is that we walk with God, are preserved by God, ruled by God, and therefore no matter what might happen – we are guarded by God. Guarded from not the shipwrecks and the persecution – but guarded from the evil in the shipwrecks and persecutions.

And providence… it isn’t a magical decoder ring — but the evidence of God protecting us from the evil in the world (Romans 8:38-9).