Tag: movie

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I needed closure. (spoiler alert)

Posted on by Wick

(This is fictional, as if written by the lead character from a recent movie, “God’s Not Dead“.)

Dear Journal,

Where do I even begin?  I know it’s been a while since I last wrote, but I just couldn’t find the time to sit down or the words to say.  But I feel like God is challenging me to think about all that’s happened.  Putting these thoughts into words will help me grow in my faith, and give wisdom for my future.  So here we go…godsnotdead

Last time I wrote, I was about to start my courses for the November-December semester.  I was a little intimidated by one in particular and sure enough, it proved to be worth concern.  The first day of class, Professor Radisson asked us to write “God is Dead”, in order to skip all of the theological conversations in the study of Philosophy.  I couldn’t do it, and he required me to defend my position in front of the class over the next 3 sessions.  Looking back, I’m not sure what I would have changed…but I think I would’ve done something different.

I became consumed with proving I was right.  I wanted to win, no matter what the cost.  My highschool sweetheart dumped me (admittedly, she was a bit crazy anyway), and I spent so much time stressing over compiling the best one-liners and offensive arguments I could come up with.  I could think of nothing else but showing this class the God could triumph over any atheistic-influenced logic Professor Radisson had up his sleeve.  I might have begun the process motivated by a love for my classmates, but at some point I must have lost focus.

That’s when it began to happen.  As Professor Radisson and I shared a couple of “impromptu” moments outside of class hours, I realized he was searching for something more than my agreeing to his position in class.  But instead of responding to his scars with the love of God, I was like a shark smelling blood.  I saw the weak areas, the places he’d been disappointed by God, losing his own mother to a battle with cancer, and I went in for the kill.  In what I thought was my proudest moment –  proving that he was mad at a creator he’d formerly declared didn’t exist – as the class applauded, I felt sick to my stomach.  The tears in his eyes hinted that perhaps I should’ve taken a different route.  But with the enthusiasm of my peers (and tickets to Newsboys in my pocket), I was off to celebrate.  With Kara out of the picture, I ended up taking my new friend Martin.  That’s a confusing and humbling addition to all of this:  Even in the midst of me losing focus, God was using everything to reach out and touch the lives of others.  Martin gave his life to Jesus.  I’m so glad God can bring redemption to anything we offer Him.

Even as Michael Tait gave me props from on stage, when I should have been feeling on top of the world, I was uncomfortable.  I couldn’t shake the image of pain on Professor Radisson’s face as I “won” in the middle of class.  Somewhere in the midst of worship that night, I heard God’s voice almost plain as day.  He was asking me if I would show love to Jeffrey.  I had no idea who Jeffrey was, but I responded to God that night….whatever it meant, I would show His love to Jeffrey.  I left the concert that night, excited to see who God might bring into my life.  I had no idea what was coming my way.

Before bed, I checked my e-mail, only to find an urgent campus-wide announcement.  Classes would be cancelled the next schoolday, because of “Professor Jeffrey Radisson” dying that night after being struck by a car.  Jeffrey.  God was asking me if I’d be willing to show love to someone I’d only considered my enemy this whole time.  Even as I headed out late that night to talk with Pastor Dave, a friend patted me on the back saying, “Looks like God added an exclamation mark to your argument, eh?”  I cried all the way to the church.

Pastor Dave shared how Jeffrey had apparently had a change of heart after our class that day.  Once again I was humbled that God could move even in the midst of my approach.  Pastor was making arrangements for the services to be held later that week, and I asked if I could speak.  He agreed, and I put even more time into preparing my words for that service than I did for the 3 sessions defending God’s existence.  I learned so much about this man, and the pain he’d been through.  I regretted not knowing him, and I knew that God was calling me to confess in front of all my peers who stood with me that day in class.

The truth is, as I was caught up in proving God’s existence as a viable logical option, I forgot to reveal one of the most powerful ways He’s alive today is through the loving presence of His body…which includes me.  As I shared these words at his memorial service, a student I’d met at the concert felt God stirring something.   Ayisha came to me afterward, and together with Pastor Dave we decided to start a ministry to the hungry & homeless right there near campus.  What began as a Christmas dinner, has turned into something more consistent and thriving.  It’s been incredible seeing the faces of children receiving food or clothing, the smiles that testify louder than any factual statement – God is alive.  Several of the students in my philosophy class have joined, and in memory of the events with Professor Radisson, we’re naming it “De Vita Dei” (latin for “The Life of God”).

All in all, I’m continually thankful that no matter what I offer God, he can take it and bring redemption for Kingdom purposes.  I look forward to how I can help Ayisha show love to her brother and father, even though it may be a long road.  Our hope is that someday they will know the love of God, and look back to see how it has been poured out to them for years through her actions and words.

Whew.  That’s it for now.  Although I suppose I should add: Martin recently began dating Kara, which works great as she’s replaced his dad as decision maker.  Professor Radisson’s friend Mina began dating Pastor Dave, which is kinda weird but we’re getting used to it.  A woman named Amy Ryan has become a huge help in getting the word out about “De Vita Dei”, and giving herself to serve others, even as she struggles through treatments for cancer.  Pastor Dave has a friend from Africa who decided to work at Disney for a year…so we get free tickets if we ever want to head that way.  Oh…and I also heard that the Newsboys are working the sounds of Willie Robertson and his duck-calls into their next album…it’s sure to be a hit!!!

Until next time…

Josh Wheaton

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“Frozen” Thawed…

Posted on by Wick

If you’re like me, you’ve had people fillin’ up your Facebook feed with how incredible this new Disney horror story, “Frozen” is.  Apparently a lot more people are into kids’ growing up without friends, experiencing the death of both parents, and men being intimate with reindeer than I realized.  A little girl realizes she’s a bit of a freak (I realize that’s harsh, but she hasn’t realized she’s a certain race/sexual preference/physically disabled/or whatever symbolism you wanted to give it……she’s realized she magically turns everything/everyone around her to ice.  THAT is freaky.), and to keep her and the world both safe, they’ve locked her up and taught her to keep her talent hidden.

Okay sure, the music is a bit catchy.  Until you realize that song you’re humming (Do you wanna build a snowman?) is the tune that told the story of two sisters being harshly separated, and containing a montage of scenes where their parents are both drowned off by Disney in an effort to force the story forward (such a force returns multiple times throughout the movie), leaving lonely girls in a dreary kingdom.   It’s silly that the credits even say “Based on (or Inspired by) ‘The Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Anderson”.  The story has very little in common, beyond snow.

So I was content to “Let It Go” (pun intended) until this past week I was flooded with “likes” on this particular post, Frozen-movie-posterpraising the “subversive nature” of the movie.  Now I had to speak up.  Subversive?  Messages that teach my daughters how to be strong/healthy young women?  Let’s be honest, our kids aren’t paying attention to the underlying subversive psychologies hidden in the movie.  As my 3 daughters belt out the words from every song off the soundtrack (yup, we’ve got it), it’s obvious what messages they’ll be getting from this movie (beyond wanting freeze superpowers): The Songs.  Let’s take a moment and appreciate, one song at a time, how dangerous those messages are:

1. Frozen Heart – Okay this one is alright.  Although when they dance to it, my girls imagine themselves as masculine ice-cutters, swinging away their giant ice cutting devices to the rhythms.  Once again my point is made.  My daughters aren’t encouraged here to “break through” to any “frozen hearts”.  They’re encouraged to pretend they are ice harvesters.  Perhaps that IS subversive, as we all know how sexist the ice-harvesting industry can be.

2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman? – Point made above. And right when my girls “get into the song”, there comes a musical interlude where our 4 year old says, “This is where the mommy and daddy die, right dad?”  Thanks, Disney.  Nothing lifts spirits like hearing your daughters sing a song about being the sister who’s ignored.

3. For the First Time in Forever – How long before someone uses this song to make fun of homeschooled kids?  I do enjoy the confusion between being “elated or gassy”, though.  But it’s downhill from there, to a girl who can’t wait to meet “The One”, and hoping to be noticed by anyone to affirm her self-worth.  The song closes with her sister joining in, & seeds being planted about a future song bashing on self-control/temperence.  Can’t wait…

4. Love is An Open Door – Subversive indeed.  She meets a guy the first time she leaves the castle, and they fall instantly in love.  Such incredibly well-established love obviously opens the door to a life of bliss together…or at least, enough bliss to last the song.  Do we want daughters who get disappointed every time they leave the house, that they didn’t mean a man who swept them off their feet to music?  To look forward to finally finding the guy who will open up the life they’ve truly been waiting for?  That’s right….being single is nothing but a closed door, girls.

5. Let it Go – A song celebrating a lack of self-control, and celebrating being so far away from people you can do whatever you want without worrying about hurting them by being the horrible person you are.  Zero accountability means I can never do anything wrong, right?  Let my storm loose, and who cares about the consequences?  At least I’m being “who I really am”.

6. Reindeers Are Better Than People – Awkward animal-loving Hans, teaching our kids to distrust every other human being.  ‘Nuff said.

7. In Summer – Okay, so I actually love this song.  But my kids are learning to be horribly dishonest to talking snowmen as they snicker listening to it.  Someday that’ll come back to bite us.

8. For the First Time in Forever (reprise) – A sung dialogue where one sister finally understands her sibling, and offers her loving support.  Her sister refuses the help, and tells her to go away. “Dad, this is where she makes a snow monster, right?”  Once again…not behavior I’m wanting my kids to model.

9. Fixer Upper – Sure he walks funny, gets grumpy, has weird feet, smells gross, has a weird thing for reindeer, runs funny, and is socially impaired…but he’s sensitive and sweet!  And no matter that she’s already engaged to be married, as long as she’s not wearing a ring it’s insignificant.  A “little bit of love” is all you need to become blind to whatever is wrong.  The song even reminds us “people don’t really change”.

10. Let it Go – (Demi Lovatto version) Not even sure why this one was needed.  Perhaps to remind our older daughters who notice the difference, “Do anything you want like the princess, but understand that no matter how you do – they’ll eventually hire someone who can do it better.”  Nice.

So there ya’ go.  The actual soundtrack has a 2nd album with songs that didn’t make the cut, and lots of instrumentals.  But I think there’s enough to mess up our kids right there.  Sure, the story comes around to sisters loving each other, and warming hearts, and saying goodbye to the guy she thought was “The One” instead of gettin’ hitched. But none of those important bits of the movie are important enough to warrant a song….and thus….forgotten until next time they watch it.

Ps.  I mean very little of what I’ve said here.  I got carried away.  I think I just really love “Tangled” too much, although the music for Frozen is pretty darn catchy.  Can’t get it out of my head.  Almost….subliminal, actually.

Hmm…..

(PPS – If you really enjoyed “Frozen”, you may enjoy the post I wrote from the opposite perspective. Same exact approach. :))