B for Barnabas

CJ (15) joins our Barnabas Men's Group. Cj and his Barnabas dad just saw "V for Vandetta" and reported that it was a pretty good movie. Tom reports that the author, Alan Moore, removed himself from the movie, because the original version was about fascism verses anarchists, and the movie made it out to be conservatives against liberals.

What is destruction with a meaning?

Mark 4:11 states:

"He (Jesus) told them 'The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables."

Are movies parables? If so, what is "V for Vendatta" saying about us and our society? Was V a terrorist? Or was he a martyr? Was there an intended reaction that the viewer is asked to take? Or, as the creators of the movies attests, the movie is leaving the interpretation open ended? Or is the movie's whole point that all things should be open ended for people to own and decide.

What about Dietrich Bonhoffer, German Lutherine pastor of early twentieth century, who went back to Nazis Germany, a pastor who felt called to assassinate Hitler. A saint turned into a saint/assassin. And then a martyr.

The Fad generation

What happens to a culture when a generation of people grow up with always looking for the 'new' thing? Is it possible for anything truly good to last? Kevin brought this issue up when he said that he thought Pavarroti was the last of his kind...in superstardom...he also added that a person like Tony Bennett is similar. Both are the some of the best at what they do, both have had public and professional acclaim. And both are old enough that they at least remember, a time when the "super" media culture did not exist. The next generation of these type of performers will not be have the kind of fame and recognition that they did.

(insert Kevin's tyrade against a national pop culture and the globalization of art and the need for greater regional recognition for regional art.)

Tom: Oprah is the consummate cultural curator and... (kevin quickly shouts)
Kevin: Oprah Winfrey is the very antithesis of everything I believe to be good and true in art. (note to the reader: Kevin is an rather quick to reach the most extreme point of view)

"Pop" goes the Christian...

We've run into a consistent idea as Christians connected to the arts, that of what do we think or do about "Pop" culture? How do we interact with the light, sappy, "here and gone" type of art and music that is rif throughout our culture?

Is there a standard for what is beautiful and what is "succesful"? Is this standard such that we can say one piece of work is bad...or ugly (or unsuccesful)...and another is a masterpiece (and therefore successful)? It would seem "Pop" culture falls under that which is not beautiful (and yet succesful) whereas those things that last would be seen, more likely, as beautiful (and as far as success?)?

The only standard that we have concluded is God's character. What is God's definition of success? His character is the only standard for which we should judge beauty and success. But how does one bring to bear God's character on material things of art, and success, here and then judge them as beautiful or not, or successful or not.

Denis Donoghue has some thoughts in regards to this area in his book, "Speaking of Beauty". He surmises that we shouldn't talk about standards of beauty. That if we attempt this we get bogged down and then end up talking very little about the things that are IN FACT beautiful. We need to talk about what is beautiful. Do we talk about the good poems, the good paintings, the good music...from past and present?

Sounds almost like a "sanctification" process for beauty.

(We also suggest reading Betty Spackman's book "A Profound Weakness: Christians & Kitsch" - Piquant Editions www.piquanteditions.com - for even more insight)

We need something more than American Idol and Christian Broadcasting Network as the standards of what stands against and for the Christian perspective. Both are inadequate examples of the breadth of God's reflection of what is good and beautiful.

What are the ways we can raise the mediocrity level of either perspective? Do we ignore the things like American Idol, The Apprentice, etc? Do we put our support behind only what is produced on CBN? Or is there perhaps as some friends in our circles have said a "third way"?

Just a note...most of the past winners of American Idol have apparently been Chrisians...Kelly Clarkson, Ruben, Carrie Underwood...or at least came from a Christian background.

Mako concluded, "I think God may be way ahead of us."

Amen, may it be so...

Peace,
Kirk, Mako, Bryan, and Kevin...