Why would you ever listen to anything I had to say?

Why do people read blogs? I guess more importantly, why would you read my blog? What hidden agenda do I have? Can you trust the information and opinions I give?

Honestly, I don’t know, but hopefully this post will give you a little bit of clarity of what to expect. First, I love God and am a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ. Second, I love movies, music, and many other forms of popular media, art, and entertainment. Third, more and more I try to understand and reconcile my opinions and meditations with other believers, because I find that we often don’t share the same opinion on a lot of stuff. It is not necessarily that one is right and one is wrong, we just filter faith and art through different lenses.

For instance, I wasn’t impressed with the film adaptation of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It wasn’t bad, per se, but I saw it once and have not since had any desire to watch it again. Would you trust that guy’s opinion?

No, in 2005, two films stood out to me. The first was Junebug. It is a simple story of a newlywed couple visiting the in-laws. There is nothing grand, epic, or tragic (save one event toward the end) in the entire film. Rather, the film accurately depicts honest human emotions, relationships, misunderstandings, and Christianity as both faith and cultural norm in a small North Carolina town. Some might find it boring. I found it captivating.

The second film of 2005 that still resonates with me is a little independent film called the Squid and the Whale. It deals with the separation of a married couple and how they, along with their two young sons, deal with the impending divorce, some humorously, some in disturbing way, all in an effort to provoke some form of attention or response from the narcissistic parents who are more self-involved than attentive. Many will find it completely inappropriate. I found it to be quite devastating.

Neither film is suitable for children. Neither film overtly addresses “Christian” themes deemed appropriate. Most importantly, neither film has a happy ending or ultimately resolves. And yet, I find that both of these films represent an angle of the “Gospel” message more accurately than most “Christian” films. You see, both of these films accurately depict the lost and hollow existence of most people’s lives. Many of these people are wandering aimlessly in life. They do not have the saving power of Christ to lead and direct them. The challenge of these films is to watch these stories, fall in love with these characters, and be broken by the tortured and aimless lives they lead.

Many films that Christians promote or endorse aren’t so much Christian as they are moral. They often follow the same script, family values, strong moral convictions, and a happy ending. In short, they are safe; safe for family viewing, safe for lock-ins. But they never challenge us, and they are always predictable. It doesn’t necessarily make them bad, it just doesn’t necessarily make them Christian. And not all Christians have to like the same movies or music.

Now, I know I am making some bold statements here, and they are not designed to categorize every single film ever made. However, if you continue to peruse this blog, from time to time you will find reviews and essays on many subject that have important things to say about humanity, about God, and ultimately about our mission on earth – even if the film is not overtly religious. You’ll have to work at it and think about it, which is the ultimate purpose of this blog. I plan to share my thoughts, opinions, and critiques of many different facets of life, faith, film, and music. You may agree with me, you may vehemently oppose my opinion. Hopefully, though, you will be able to understand my logic.