I Wonder As I Wonder

Hello readers!

It has been so long, I may need to reintroduce myself. That may come later. I apologize for the silence; this past year has been incredibly busy and difficult to balance, and I’m not exactly Wonder Woman-- which brings me to today’s topic.

I recently went to see the new Wonder Woman movie, and I’ll spare you a plot summary and movie review, but if you have not seen it, I would highly recommend. The rest of this post will explain why, but if you have not seen it, you might want to see it before you continue reading. I won’t intentionally spoil anything, but little spoilers may slip out.

There was a lot to love about this movie, and also a few things not to love. The dialogue was patchy in some places, and there were some small holes in the plot that were not filled by the end of the movie. However, the action was breathtaking and well presented, characters were developed cleanly and in good detail, and Gal Gadot is absolutely perfect for the role of Wonder Woman. But what really stood out to me in this film was not any good work of cinematography, performance, or effects. The elements of this film that pleasantly surprised me most were the undertones of spirituality and the subtle but effective proclamation of the gospel.

This is not the first time this has been evident in a DC storyline. Batman vs. Superman, the film in which Wonder Woman is reintroduced, explored the storyline of resurrection and of the role of a god (implying a capital G in many places) among his people. These elements of Christianity, though refreshing to observe, were not carried out particularly artfully, but an effort is an effort. However, this effort pales in comparison to the masterful work in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, the second installation of the recent Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight addresses the idea of a hero who saves people despite the fact that they do not, have not, and will never deserve it. This concept was such a dramatic turn from all other hero storylines (at least in recent years) in which the hero takes out the “bad guys” so humanity can be its inherently good self again. The Dark Knight’s premise was that humanity is not inherently good, and is in fact so broken it is beyond self-redemption. Nolan’s Gotham City does not need a helping hand, it needs devastation and destruction, the only way through which it can be truly saved and redeemed. Gotham serves as a symbol for all people. Our only hope for redemption is to be put to death in our sin and be made completely new in Christ. The Dark Knight could just as well have ended with scripture recitation with how accurate a portrayal of the gospel it is.

In all honesty, I never expected another superhero, or any movie, to proclaim the gospel as beautifully or effectively as is done in The Dark Knight. But then I saw Wonder Woman.

Yeah. It’s that good.

Wonder Woman’s character arc is primarily centered around the fact that she is a deity, but no one bothers to tell her this information. However, she thinks like a goddess without knowing she is one. She desires to protect humanity and destroy evil. Her reasoning for this initially is a naive belief that humanity is inherently good, but that people have been corrupted by external forces. The climax of this story occurs when she thinks she has destroyed the external forces, and the war and corruption continues. She soon realizes the external force she sought was actually elsewhere, but as she fights this force, she begins to understand that humanity truly does not deserve her. However, she does not stop fighting. As she fights, she explains to her adversary why she fights-- not because she is required or obligated to, and certainly not because anyone deserves the salvation she is able to deliver, but because of love. She loves people. So though they truly do not deserve a redemptive hero, she carries out her act of redemptive heroism for no other reason than because she wants to. It is her great expression of love for people.

So often we find ourselves watching movies and reading books about great heroes and wishing they were real, and that they could swoop in and save us. And while we can be pretty certain Wonder Woman will not be crossing No Man’s Land for us any time soon, we have a far better and more beautiful reality: our savior Jesus descended into our broken world and even into the grave so he could save us, and he did not do it because we deserved it or because he had to. He sacrificed himself willingly and with joy, for no other reason than because he wanted to. It was his great expression of love for people.

The greatest art is not necessarily that which expresses ideas the most clearly. Great art effectively and beautifully begins conversations about the ideas it expresses, whether these ideas are explicitly stated and elaborated on in that art or not. By this definition, Wonder Woman is a beautiful work of art because it opens up an area of conversation as to its meaning and implications about our world, our philosophy, and our faith. The gospel proclamation may not have even intentional (although it certainly appears to be), but Jesus said if the rest of the world was silent, the rocks would cry out his praise. Sometimes the most effective reflections of the gospel are those that happen unintentionally, because our world exists for the glory of God, and the glory of God is always ultimately achieved.

I look forward to seeing Wonder Woman’s  impact on the superhero movie industry and on viewers everywhere who may or may not have been previously introduced to the truth framed in beauty that is Christianity: that though we do not deserve a hero, our hero already came. And no matter how many plot twists we may come upon, we have something citizens of the superhero universe do not: our hero is already victorious.

“He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’” -Luke 19:40

Pray for Paris

No matter what any terrorist has ever said, terrorism does not see religion, ethnicity, culture, values, or crime. Terrorism fires blindly at the human race and destroys lives out of pure malice, and nothing more. With this in mind, I implore you, Pray for Paris.

As of this moment, the death toll still rises and some of the people responsible are still at large. This is not a news report; this is a call to turn on your TV, pick up your phone or computer, and tune in to the worldwide devastation. Do not be deceived in telling yourself it does not pertain to you because you are an ocean away. This affects all of us. Today we weep, mourn, and bleed along with the French and we acknowledge that no man, no organization, and no force has the right to shake us to our core, even in the midst of this tragedy.

We must not be shaken. We must stand strong and support our beloved brothers and sisters, regardless of the miles, years, and experiences between us. We who are not directly affected by this act are now the shoulder to lean on for all who are. Today we acknowledge that the only way we can stand is to stand united.

In recent times, the world has beat to the rhythm of comfort and pleasure. If any action, thought, or word offends someone, it is frowned upon and forbidden. But today the difference has become all too clear between being offended and being broken. Words and thoughts cause people to bend, but not to break. Contrary to how a tweet or headline makes you feel, you keep pressing on. But when a man with a trigger uses it to end lives, we cannot continue in our blind offense to hurtful words and thus ignore powerful weapons. Now is not the time for words of defense. Now is the time for action. Most of all, now is the time for prayer.

Many people turn bitter in the midst of tragedy. The general tendency is to have questions, and who better to direct them to than God? But when there is no immediate response, anger ensues. Make no mistake: anger, among many other things, leads men to pull the trigger to end lives. Today we aim to restore lives that have been shattered. We cannot spare a moment to ask God "why?" or "how?" or "who?" In situations such as this we need only ask for help.

In the midst of the rubble of the fall of mankind, we have only two directions to turn: towards God, or away from him. Regardless of who you are or which way you have gone to this point, I plead with you once more: turn to God. In your hour of need and in the world's hour of need, we can turn to other people if we want to. But people tend to break things. We are currently seeking restoration, and we WILL find it if we lift our eyes beyond the breaking news and to the Heavens. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, drop it and Pray for Paris.

 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." --2 Chronicles 7:14

Thanksgiving Challenge 2014

As you scroll through your Twitter timeline, it's highly likely that you can separate the tweets you see into categories as follows:

1) Countdown to Christmas
2) Black Friday advertisements
3) Complaints about school
4) Complaints about work
5) Complaints about the government
6) Complaints about the constant complaining

There are undoubtedly a few other categories depending on who you are, where you are from, and who you follow, but if you were to pull, say, the 20 most recent tweets from your timeline, a heavy majority of them would fall into one the aforementioned categories.

Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you are doing, I have a challenge for you this Thanksgiving. Let's start a trend so big people all over the world can add a new category to the list. On Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and whatever else the kids are using these days, take a few seconds to post what you are thankful for this year. Spread the word. Tell your friends, family, and co-workers. Share this blog or summarize it. Do whatever you can to get out the message that we are content right here, right now with all that God has given us. We don't need to complain or count down to a better time because in this moment each one of us is blessed beyond belief.

Will you accept the challenge? Tweet, post, and share right now. Let's make God's provision a trend.

What Makes You Beautiful

Beautiful is a very powerful word. It is used to refer to such a wide variety of things; there are beautiful songs, beautiful art, beautiful culture, beautiful clothing... Beautiful people. Naturally, such a strong word has an opposite. Music can be called unappealing. Art can be called unpleasing. Culture can be called grotesque. Clothing can be called unattractive. And people can be called ugly. Words can profoundly affect people, but none are more potent in today's society than these two antonyms: beautiful and ugly.

As a girl in a public high school, I have some personal experiences with these words. Beautiful. It builds people up. It lifts shoulders and corners of the mouth. It inspires people. Ugly. It tears people down. It crushes confidence and lessens laughter. It motivates people to be more or less of certain qualities they have. This doesn't seem so terrible, but consider this: What constitutes true beauty, and who decides?

Girls years younger than I am are dealing with self-esteem problems because they don't think they are beautiful in society's eyes. By the time they reach my age, some girls have given up. Boys and girls alike try to change their identities to fit in with this mold society has for them. If that's you, I say to you: Break the mold. Society's definition of beauty is so drastically twisted and wrong, and you will never be satisfied while you pursue it. There is a better beauty to pursue.

The beauty of the gospel is that society has one thing right: we aren't good enough. We aren't flawless. But the gospel refers to flaws in God's eyes. God is not looking at how well we can apply makeup or what clothes we wear; God sees the flaws on the inside: the insecurity and the idolatry of this concept of beauty that we pursue. The Bible says that we were created in the image of God, but the history of mankind up to the life of Christ is us pursuing God in all the wrong ways, and running completely the wrong direction. But then Jesus came. He lived a righteous life, and he died on the cross, trading the sin of those who are in him for his righteousness. So now God looks at us and doesn't see flaws. Instead he sees the righteousness of Christ, which is true beauty by definition because it is flawless.

God himself came down to earth for each of you. Still feel like you aren't worth it? If yes, you're still looking in the wrong place. Proverbs 31 says that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. So rather than looking to be some molded plastic thing created by people's standards, look to Jesus. True beauty is found in Christ alone. So if you are in Christ, know this: You are covered with Jesus' righteousness, and therefore you are beautiful.

In This World...

Where is the line?

As Christians in a broken world, many would say it is completely impossible to be in the world and not of it. And besides, what difference does it make that we try to avoid submerging in sin if we are knee deep in it anyway? Some book makes a mockery of my worldview, but it doesn't change it. Why shouldn't I read it? Some movie is completely inappropriate, but I know what is right and what is wrong, so why shouldn't I watch it? When it seems that no one else in the world cares about holiness, where else can you turn? And why does it matter?

When Jesus first called his disciples, he didn't immediately demand perfection. His first call was for proximity. "Come follow me," he said. It was that simple. Naturally, as we follow Jesus, we should become more like him. But even at the cross, Jesus's message was not that we should be perfect and therefore we might be accepted. The message of the cross is that we are accepted, and therefore we can be perfect. If acceptance required perfection of our own accord, there would be no need for the cross. Jesus willingly went to the cross because we cannot be perfect on our own, and he went knowing even before taking on all of our sin that we would sin anyway, and that the world will not be completely sin-free until he returns for the formation of the new heaven and new earth

 In this world we are not free of sin. That has been established through scripture, through common sense, and through day-to-day struggles with sin. We are not free of sin, but in Christ we are free from it. That is a purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it is the hope we have in him. From the moment Christ said, "It is finished," we have been free from both the power and the penalty of sin. The only thing we are not free from is the presence of sin. This explains the phrase made famous by Martin Luther, Simil iustus et peccator, which, simply put in English, means that we can be simultaneously righteous and sinners. In Christ, we have been made righteous, but we still live in a world full of sin.

So what's the point? If we can't be perfect, why should we try? That's where the fault is. We are free from the power of sin because of Jesus, and he can tell us to go therefore and sin no more. Jesus's first call is for proximity, but he doesn't call us to him so we can live a life of sin. He calls us to him so we can learn from him and truly live out our calling on the earth.

The best example there is for how this ties in to the line is alcohol, of all things. Many people drink without getting drunk. There is nothing wrong with that. But how do they do it? There are only two ways. The either stay far away from their limit, or they know their limit because they have exceeded it before. In the same way, how far can we go with sin before we have gone too far? The only way to find out is to go too far. It is simply wiser to avoid the risk entirely.

Regardless of what you are struggling with, it is important to know that Jesus lived the perfect life we were incapable of living and died the death we deserved. Your sins have been paid for. Don't take that news as an excuse to run from Jesus. The first call, after all, is proximity. To deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Not because you have not sinned, but because you have been drawn near, you may go therefore and sin no more.

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" --Luke 9:23

A Review of The Fault In Our Stars

The following may contain spoilers, okay? Okay.

The Fault In Our Stars is, as you well know, a popular novel and recent film adaptation about two young cancer patients who fall in love, only to find that love extinguished by an untimely, yet predictable death. So why do people love this story so much? What makes it stand out from other stories of cancer and shattered love?

One of the most common answers to such questions is the basic idea that the story is appealing because it's "real life." Whereas most novels portray cancer as a walk in the park, The Fault In Our Stars describes cancer patients as a side effect of a mutation that was supposed to make humans, who happened by chance, more diverse. Excuse me for arguing that neither of those portrayals are correct. I am not speaking from experience because I don't have cancer. But I know from friends and family members who have experienced it that it isn't pretty or easy. This book describes that portrayal as "sugarcoating," which is probably a fair description. But although TFIOS most definitely doesn't sugarcoat anything, I simply don't understand how you could call it honesty. This book incorrectly conveys normal teenagers, cancer patients, and life in general. No such thing should be praised for its reality.

Another aspect of the book I have found to be popular is the narrator, Hazel, and her outlook on life, death, and the world. Some of the most quoted lines of the book are about inevitable oblivion, vanity of life, and the question of afterlife. Everything she says is out of an agnostic point of view. Readers find this appealing because it changes the ideas of living, dying, and life after that. But I don't find this healthy for Christians, or for anyone else. I would not encourage anyone to read a book about how life is pointless, worthless, and insignificant, because that simply isn't true. If a book or film started out by saying, "The following content is largely negative and largely false," no one would waste time reading it. But this book claims to be telling the truth about the fact that life means nothing, death is all we amount to, and the world is just a chance happening that will one day end in oblivion. The intended audience of this book (that is to say, teenaged fanatics of emotional roller coaster novels) go into it believing they are reading a variation of the truth, when in fact Romans 1 says it is the opposite of the truth; a suppressing of the truth. Teens are being lied to, as they often are, about the truth in theology. In this book, teens are also being lied to about being lied to. How can one make a positive spin on that?

The Fault In Our Stars was incredibly well-written and dripping with emotional appeal. Isn't that what you want in a good book? Perhaps, but a book this extreme in its worldview and incomplete truth is not healthy for young readers, or for any readers at all. Scripture contradicts this book, and so does every positive moral in the world. Humans are NOT insignificant, cancer patients are NOT side effects, and oblivion is NOT inevitable. Any book that claims otherwise shouldn't be read, recommended, and definitely not praised in the way The Fault In Our Stars has been these past few months.

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Whether you're an avid reader or not, you've probably, at some point in your life, been so consumed in a book or story that you just could not put it down, or so engulfed in a TV show that you couldn't take your eyes off of the screen. But if you are really aware of what you are reading or watching, you might think a little more about doing just that.

If you've ever been to a fun house, you've probably looked into a fun house mirror. If you're like me, those mirrors probably scared you a little bit because of what they do. They reflect just as a normal mirror does, but they distort it. In the article The Case for Good Taste in Children's Books*,  Meghan Cox Gurdon says that adolescent books tend to reflect the world in a similar way. And it seems that the problem affects a much larger group of people than just those adolescents.

The two words 'young' and 'impressionable' always go together pretty well. But the messages that society is sending can affect every individual regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and religion. For example, you might hear of an unspeakable crime and dismiss it as nothing because it's normal. You might be in the midst of tragedy with no hope but you don't look for more because it happens all the time. "That's how it is," you might say, or maybe, "That's real life."

But what makes it real life? It's probably not something you've experienced close to home before, so why should it seem so normal to you? If you think about it, it's probably something you heard in a song or read in a book or seen on TV or in a movie. What you typically don't realize is that that's just a worldly portrayal of 'real life,' and that it is commonly very distorted.

The creators of these distortions have presented several argument. One of the arguments is that these portrayals really are 'real life.' People suffer through similar problems every day. But statistically speaking, the amount of people going through these novel-worthy problems is a lot smaller than you would think. And for the small percentage of people that really do have similar life experiences, why would they want to read a book or watch a show about it? This argument implies not only that it doesn't frighten the majority of people because they have experienced something similar, but also that they would enjoy reading about it or watching it on TV.

Does a foster child want to watch a show about the crazy life of a foster child constantly on the run? Is it beneficial to them? What about a person with a personality disorder or a physical disability? Why would they want to be in constant contact with the exaggerated, sometimes comical portrayals of people similar to themselves? What about you? Is it healthy to fill your mind with such things? The answer should be pretty obvious. You shouldn't have a distorted view of the world or of real life.

So does that mean that literature and television should be completely filtered and clean? Not necessarily. In real life there really are scary things like pornography and violence. They really do exist, and there is no hiding that. The problem comes when you are inferring from what you read or watch that that's all there is. Gurdon compares this issue to Caravaggios' portrait of David and the head of Goliath. The image would be very dark and grotesque if not for the rays of light. Much the same way, we return the distorted portrayal of the real world back to a clear image with light, which comes from God alone. He shines light into our dark world and he is the good we find here. In order to have the light in your mind, you must fill your mind with good, and not with the distortions of the world.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things." -Philippians 4:8


* Imprimis, 42:7/8