Welcome to my corner of the universe to share thoughts, inspirations, and questions that arise while on my journey for Jesus. My goal is to encourage, provoke and relate to others in the body of Christ but since I'm a young, single woman, a good bit of what I say will reflect that perspective. We're all in the same struggle but hopefully some of this Holy Hotness can edify (and entertain) us along the way.
My review for this film can be summed up in one word: EPIC! Oh. My. Crap! I don't know how he does it, but Tom Cruise manages to make the Mission Impossible franchise gooder and gooder with every flick. This is ridiculous! He upped his 'acrobatic insanity' game exponentially, God bless him! But throw Paula Patton into the mix and it's all over. This chick is baaaaad! She definitely tapped into her inner Angelina Jolie for this movie.
The storyline is tight. Action sequences are off the chain. And then there's "the car"... you'll know what I mean when you see it! *faints* Why are you still here?? GO SEE IT!!
I know that today is supposed to be about Jesus--and rightfully so--but I've been thinking about Joseph. Earlier today, while watching The Nativity Story, his character (as portrayed in this film) really jumped out at me. Not to spoil it for those who may not have seen it, but there are a few scenes that really make me admire the [kind of] man Joseph was.
Photo credit: Wikimedia.org
For example, his reaction to Mary's pregnancy was nothing short of remarkable--especially considering that his fiance` was not having his baby! This was even before he was tipped off in a dream, so his true character was one of integrity and compassion. He wasn't tryna be spiteful and drag Mary's name through the mud, even though he had every right to, and more: the law actually called for her to be stoned to death (for the apparent charge of adultery).
Though I couldn't find corresponding illustrations in the Bible, the movie has an extended scene showing the journey Joseph and Mary took from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census ordered by King Herod. He led them through the desert for several days, and he and Mary seemed to bond during that time. But what really impressed me about the journey was how Joseph put his leadership swag on full blast. He walked until his feet bled and never uttered a complaint. While Mary and the donkey carrying her got rest, he prayed. He fed the family--including the donkey--first and took what was left. And when Mary went into labor in Bethlehem, he was her doula... mind you, men weren't allowed anywhere near childbirth activity in those days. If these aren't the characteristics of a true man of God, then I don't what else to say!
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Throughout the movie, I found myself becoming infatuated with Joseph's persona. Don't laugh, I know it sounds corny but it's true! I was thinking things like "No wonder he was chosen to raise the son of God!"; and "Now THAT is the kind of man that I'm holding out for!" Seriously, a man of integrity and Godliness is beyond sexy!! See, for a man like Joseph, the whole wives submit to your husbands* thing immediately becomes a non-issue for me. #truestory I would trust his judgement without hesitation because he would be completely submitted to God. And though he would make mistakes, as we all do, I would still receive his leadership because he consistently demonstrates that our family is his top priority.
All of these considerations show me the importance that God places on the cohesive family unit. Yes, Jesus was God's son but He still ensured that there was a positive father figure in His life on Earth. Mary could have just been a single mother--which wasn't probable for that day and age, but neither was immaculate conception--yet both parents were chosen to raise Him together. It's not always possible to do that nowadays; I know, being the product of a single mom. But thinking about Joseph's role only solidifies my resolve to unite, under the hand of God, with a man who is worthy of starting and raising a family with me.
I have to give this movie thumbs--and toes--all the way up! Unfortunately, I didn't read the book [yet] *hangs head in shame* but if this is any indicator, it must be a real page-turner.
If you know anything about the racism of the "Jim Crow" South, that sets the backdrop of the movie. It takes place in the '60s, amidst civil rights activism and related assassinations. Black women could only find work as housekeepers in white homes and were subject to all sorts of harrowing experiences; all while being entrusted with the care of their children. Talk about a cruel irony, eh?
There were a couple of scenes that tripped my emotions but one in particular definitely sent me over the edge. *SPOILER ALERT* One maid was arrested and subject to brute force in the process. Up until that point, only 2 maids were willing to be interviewed about their experiences but that event drove the lot of them to step forward in order to get the book published. About 15-20 maids were waiting for Skeeter, the white, female author of the composite stories, in one of their homes with sullen looks on their faces. That scene literally took my breath away because--for me, as a black woman--that moment represented the unspeakable things that my ancestors endured so that I could enjoy the freedoms that I do today. It may sound cheesy but I kid you not; silent tears flooded down my face as I thought of the deferred dreams that now rest on my shoulders.
I'll stop there in an attempt to not get too emotional, but I can assure you that there were also plenty of laughs... one in particular was quite 'dirty'. You'll get that one when you watch the movie! ;o) So what are you waiting for?? Help yourself to The Help!
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [John 15:13 NIV]
I'm sure you've heard this verse quoted before and in varying contexts, but most likely it was in reference to the love that Jesus expressed for humanity by offering his life on our behalves. But I'd like to contrast this verse with a scenario that many of us have seen portrayed on-screen: one person takes the life of another as a final act of loyalty, mercy, and ultimately, love.
photo credit: http://media.dvdtown.com
Is a 'mercy killing' ever justified; even if someone asks begs you to do it? I won't try to tackle the topic of medical euthanasia in its entirety but what got me thinking about this was a scene from the film Agora *spoiler alert* The protagonist faces a gory, painful demise by stoning but a friend steps in to 'save' her. While the mob went to look for stones, he asphyxiated her--with her permission--before they returned and told them that she fainted. Whether or not she had actually passed out or was truly dead was irrelevant because the mob still stoned her. But her friend spared her an excruciating experience: the conscious feeling of being pummeled to a bloody pulp by a barrage of stones. After all, what are friends for?
photo credit: http://www.moviegoods.com
I didn't mean to trivialize the situation with that last comment but it wasn't lost on me that he acted in what he thought was the most noble manner. Another similar tear-jerking scene comes to mind from the 1960 classic, Spartacus. [I won't even bother to put up a spoiler alert because if you haven't seen it by now, you should be stoned! :oP] But in it, Spartacus and his faithful follower, Antoninas, found themselves in a similarly perplexing dilemma. Both were pit against each other in a duel in which the loser would die in the fight and the winner(?) would be crucified (yes, as in "Jesus-style"). Knowing that Antoninas was afraid of pain, Spartacus killed him as humanely as he could--considering that he used a sword--and allowed himself the more agonizing death of being strung up to a wooden beam in the blazing sun. Wasn't this truly an act of "love" in its purest form, or is there no exception to the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" [Exodus 20:13]?
Looking at 1 Corinthians 13, a.k.a. the love chapter, we see that love is not self-seeking... it always protects. I would appreciate someone loving me enough to protect me from a harrowing experience. But at the expense of my life? I don't know... I would have to be in such a situation to give an honest answer, but I honestly pray that such a thing never happens. But according to God's 10 commandments, there is no room for compromise. Or is there? Do we think twice about stopping medication to a cancer patient so that they may die in peace? What about having to sign off on a DNR--do not resuscitate order--for a loved one in the hospital who is unable to do so on their own? By not trying to save a loved one's life, are we, in fact, killing them and thus, breaking a commandment? Then again, if you sacrifice your own life for someone else, isn't that suicide--allowing yourself to be killed??
For some, the answers to these questions may be clear-cut but now that 'grace' has replaced the law[s of the Old Testament], the overarching law that is supposed to govern us is to love God and love our neighbors. Can you truly do both if a loved one asks/allows you to take their life? This one definitely requires some time in God's presence to come to a solid answer because I certainly don't have it. But it's worth thinking about, no?
Soooo, in my rant-fest about the latest X-Men movie, I mentioned the ethnicities of certain characters. While I didn't call her out by name, I was referring to the pixie chick with wings that spits fireballs when I said "Latina mutant".
[Image credit: http://media.screened.com/]
Well, it turns out that I was wrong--in 'real' life, anyway... the character officially listed as Tempest/Angel Salvadore is actually "African-American". Zoe Kravitz is the daughter of [literal] rockstar Lenny Kravitz and Cosby Show darling, Lisa Bonet. Who knew?!
Judging by the surname Salvadore, she just may have been cast to play a Latina character. Either way, I just thought this was something worth mentioning.
The hunny mustard-hued bear known as 'Winnie' was one of my best friends growing up. I remained fiercely devoted to him, even into my 20s. "How devoted", you ask? I slept with him through college....no, seriously. He guarded my bed while I was at class and snuggled me off to sleep every night. Still not convinced?
Apparently, my Pooh was a cross-dresser... who knew??
Case closed! So now that I've proven my ride-or-die WtP fan status, it's a given that someone like me would get completely geeked when trailers were released for the official movie... right? Ummm, I dunno. I'm just not feelin' it [yet]. For some odd reason, something about it just doesn't strike me as "Pooh-y" enough. Of course, you know I can hear you snickering, right?
I remember singing this song back in Sunday School as a child and it just came to mind after many, MANY years as I'm thinking about how to start this post. For those who don't know it, it's simple:
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see (x2)
For the Father up above is looking down in tender love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
And it goes on with "ears/hear" and "hands/do (or touch)".
Even now that I'm "grown", this song provides crucial directions for stayin' saved in this here world we're livin' in... especially now that it's summer blockbuster movie season. I've not been going to the movies much in the last several months and that's [somewhat] intentional. I'm sure you feel me when I say that most of the offerings on the big screen are not exactly Christian-friendly, so the only option to safeguard my "little eyes (and ears)" is usually to skip it altogether.
My [personal] general rule of thumb is no R-rated flicks; but I make rare exceptions for the sake of history or culture (i.e. Gladiator, Troy, For Colored Girls, etc). Why? Well, it may not be that obvious to some but movies in that category are there for pretty much 3 reasons: profanity, sexually explicit content or brutal violence (the real hum-dingers have all 3). So that makes my main concern intentionally exposing myself to "spiritual toxins". The Word tells us to avoid evil in all its forms, AND to keep our minds on spiritual things. Call me super spiritual if ya wanna, but I'm not really seeing how a Christian can consciously do that while watching stuff like The Hangover, any of the Saw series, or Love and Other Drugs. (Yes, I know these scriptures should be applied to all facets of our lives but I'll just stay focused on movies for the sake of this post.)
This is an active battle for me, because I've had to pass up several movies with friends--saved and unsaved--who didn't understand why I wouldn't go. I have a tendency to internalize things mentally so when I can't get a song outta my head, I mean it literally. The same goes for movies in that a scene will replay itself involuntarily in my mind's eye, with surround sound. For that reason, I have taken to heart God's commandments about guarding my 'gates' and this has forced me to be extra vigilant about my entertainment choices.
For example, whether I'm in a theater or having a Blockbuster night, I will not watch a make-out/sex scene. Even romantic comedies get the side eye from me. Why? I'm SO glad you asked, so I'll ask you a question in return: Let's say you've been wanting to travel to an exotic place for years but the status of your visa application was indefinitely in-process. Would you taunt yourself intentionally to test your willpower? Well, that's kinda how hot-and-heavy scenes on-screen play out for saved, single, ol' me. And in case ya missed it, I'm using the "visa application" metaphor to represent my prayerful petition to God to unite me with the husband that He has for me, but apparently He's still "processing" my request... and me, for that matter. So for me to watch others [kinda sorta but not actually] doing it on screen is like me being a mouse and setting up a nice, cheesy trap for myself. Seriously, who does that?! After all, I'd hate to have something like this happen:
The same goes for violence and profanity. Cursing is not part of my vocabulary--except for those rare occasions in rush-hour traffic (help me, Jesus!!), so why would I pay to hear someone else do it?! Although I have heard one Christian woman admit to dropping f-bombs because she's not 'religious', yet she assured me that she doesn't go around cursing like a sailor, I see no way to justify a child of God using nor consciously entertaining such language. And then there are your die-hard fans of slasher [and Quentin Tarantino] flicks. How do you guys sleep at night?? No, really?! The last horror movie I saw was the very first Final Destination and I could barely keep my seat. Is it not pure evil for human beings to devise horrific ways to dismember each other, and equally so to be entertained by such? (That's not a rhetorical question, I really want to know!) A Christian friend invited me to go see 300 and I was interested in the actual storyline, but I punked-out because of the gory war scenes.
So as we're making our lineups of summer flicks, let's stay mindful that the impact of our entertainment doesn't stop when the lights come back on in the theater. I'll be posting my list soon and you all are welcome to share your 'must-sees' with me, as well.
