Men in Black III

"Let your patience be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:4

In our instant access culture today, we want everything at our fingertips - and we want it now.  The "Google phenomenon" allows us to know all we ever wanted to know about just about anything, and with our various devices and technology, we can connect to that information anytime, anywhere.

At first glance, the story and the experience of watching Men in Black III fits perfectly into that world.  Like its predecessors, MIB3 is fast-paced, quick-witted, and is set in a secret government installation that, because of its work with locating and monitoring extraterrestrial life on earth, can get access to just about anything, anyone, and any place its agents need to find.

First glances, though, can be deceiving... and more often than not, because a "glance" goes by so quickly, those initial impressions lack the depth that lies within.  What's called for, then, is patience.

For fans of this film series, it has taken a lot of patience since the first movie was released in 1997, the second five years later in 2002, and the third ten years after that in 2012.  

In the story of the film itself, the passage of time is acknowledged as Agent J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) talk about the fact that they've been tracking aliens and intergalactic threats as MIB partners for the past 14 years.  In our seemingly disposable and easily bored culture we live in, it's refreshing for a film (albeit a comedy) to feature people who have been consistently working in their field for as long as that.

But the real test of patience in the arc of these three films, it turns out, rests on Agent K.

Quick backstory of the movie:  the latest alien bent on destroying earth, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), has decided to go back in time from 2012 to 1969, so that he can stop a young Agent K from stopping him in his plans to invade the planet.  In a singular moment in the present day, Boris' time travel plot seems to have worked, as the Animal's Boglodite species begins its destruction of the earth and there is no protection since Agent K supposedly died over forty years ago.  It is up to Agent J to save the day.

In short order, Agent J travels back in time and meets up with the younger incarnation of his partner K (played here by Josh Brolin).  Together they work at stopping Boris before he can alter history.

Under all this quick-witted action, though, is the relationship between Agents J and K.  In present day, J has always been annoyed by K's reluctance to engage with him on a personal or even conversational level.  Above and beyond the extraterrestrial menace they must stop, J is most interested in discovering why his partner is so closed-off to him.

"I promised the secrets of the universe, nothing more," Agent K tells J in the present day, indicating (we eventually come to find out) that his silence is based on not revealing secrets that go beyond the facts and intricacies of space and time... or what we of faith might call the secrets of the Kingdom of God.

Because of this (and I won't reveal more for fear of spoiling the movie), Agent K has had to patiently wait over 40 years to reveal those other secrets, and Agent J has come to learn the patience he has rarely had in his work at MIB.  Good things come to those to wait.

Patience can be difficult for all of us, especially in our postmodern culture where, even though we are living longer and have more time available to us due to the conveniences of technology than previous generations had, we want to know everything - and we want to know it all right now.  Because we can quickly access when Men in Black III will be playing at our local theatre on our mobile devices, we think every aspect of our lives should be so accessible and quick.

It would do us well to learn the art of patience.  As St. James says in his letter, "Let your patience be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:4), indicating that the more we learn to wait, the more we will ultimately know - quite opposite of conventional wisdom today.

Agent K could have revealed his inner secrets to J over 14 years ago when they first started working together, but it wouldn't have had the impact necessary when the time was right for J to know those secrets.  We, too, must trust that God knows the plans he has for us (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).

The journey is just as critical as the destination, and if we rush down the road towards the end of the line, we miss all the opportunities along the way.  "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You, too, must be patient.  Make your hearts firm, because of the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:7-8)

What is it that we are anxious about?  Which of God's secrets do we want to know right now?  Perhaps where we will go next?  Who we will meet?  What our purpose or direction in life might be?  When we try to rush those answers, we can find ourselves in a situation later when we wish we could go back in time like Agent J and change things.  More often than not, we might tell our younger selves to be patient and to put aside our anxieties, because good things will come to those who wait.

We need a bit more patience in our lives.  The next Men in Black movie might not come out for another 20 years or more. Maybe never.  We may never know, but what is required is patience and trust.

Let us trust in God that the road upon which we walk is worth the destination.  Let us not pester God and others in our lives, as J pestered K all those years, to reveal the secrets of the universe (and beyond) to us right here and now.  Let us, instead, be patient - and in our patience, as St. James says, we will truly be perfect and complete.    

The Avengers

"Where two or more are gathered together..."  Matt. 18:20

The Avengers brings together a unique collection of characters, assembled from Marvel Studios' superhero films over the past few years:  Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner (in this version, Mark Ruffalo), with newcomers Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).

This motley crew is brought together by the secret government agency known as "S.H.I.E.L.D." to defend the planet earth from an alien invasion brought on by the Asgardian Loki (Tom Hiddleson), who also happens to be the brother of Thor.

Because the threat is so severe, no one superhero would be able to contain the invasion; in response, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., assembles the team from across the world.

At first, things don't go so smoothly.  Each of the players of the Avengers collective thinks they have it within them to single-handedly take on Loki and his alien army.  And when they do encounter one another, their personalities clash and verbal and physical fights ensue, further adding to the tension.   With the Avengers at each other's throats and with every superhero lacking all the skills necessary, they face failure early.

Tony Stark finds Steve Rogers to be a naive boyscout, while Rogers thinks Stark is anything but noble. Natasha has unresolved emotional feelings for Barton, but Hawkeye has unfortunately been brainwashed by Loki to work against the Avengers.  Thor thinks all humans are incapable of any effective defense, and they all find him a bit over the top.  Everyone fears the unpredictable ferocity of the Hulk, yet Dr. Banner just wants to keep everything calm and cool so "the other guy" doesn't emerge from within himself.

These tensions mirror any situation where we are forced to interact or work alongside people we don't know or don't consider friends or friendly.  From classrooms to workplaces, neighborhoods to churches, commuter trains to movie theaters, there are so many times when we must rub elbows with strangers and get along with less-than-desirable working partners in order to accomplish a task.

Our initial reaction might look very much like an early meeting of the Avengers.  We bicker and fight, or talk about the others behind their backs.  We form loose alliances with little emotional foundation, and back out when the going gets tough.

Yet for some reason, we were called to come together.  For the Avengers, it was an extraterrestrial threat.  For us, it might be because it's our job or a class.  It might be because we all want to see the Avengers movie in IMAX 3-D and we are stuck for 45 minutes in a line that stretches out the door with fanboys and families on all sides of us.  No matter the reason, sometimes in our lives, God puts us in uncomfortable or awkward situations with people we don't normally know, like, or care for.

"When two or more are gathered together," Jesus said (Matt. 18:20), "there I am in the midst of them."  God is present wherever community occurs, whether that be a loving family, old friends, or... amongst complete strangers and co-workers with irreconcilable differences.

What we must do, then, is put aside our individuality, our wants, and our righteousness, and humble ourselves in service to the greater good - and to one another.  God brings us together because we each possess gifts, but alone those gifts can only take us so far.  Captain America's shield can deflect any weapon or force, but he can't fly like Iron Man into the skies.  Hawkeye's archery has pinpoint accuracy, but he lacks the brute force of the Hulk.   So when we come together, we must be aware of our strengths, our weaknesses, and how we can all work as one team. God brings us together because the combination of His people can be greater than anything we can do alone, isolated, and separate.

From the twelve tribes of Israel and the mixed assembly of men and women who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the College of Cardinals and the people of New York City after 9/11, people have come together over the centuries for a greater cause than themselves.  They haven't always known or liked each other, but they got the job done.

Sadly, in our nation today, we find more solace in being around like-minded people of our religious, political, racial, economic, or social perspective than "crossing the aisle" to network with those who differ from us or have different skills, experiences, or political and religious understanding.  When we choose the route of surrounding ourselves with only those we like or know, we end up looking like our superheroes in the first half of the Avengers movie:  sloppy, irritable, ineffective, and incredibly defenseless in the face of trial, temptation, and evil.

Before his death, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for the disciples, who were themselves a motley crew of first-century Galileans:  "...that they may all be one as we are one: as the Father is in me and I am in him and in you..." (John 17:21)   By this passage, we know that Christ rejects divisiveness, especially among those who are brought together for a common cause.

In our jobs, let us pray that we can work together with colleagues and supervisors to do the job well.  In our classrooms, let us pray that we will come together to learn as fellow students on the academic journey with us.  In our neighborhoods, let us pray that we will break down the walls of silence and ignorance and come together around the place we call home.  In our churches, let us pray that we will not be so divisive and angry at other believers, and that we can pray as one, sing as one, and love as one. Finally, in our society, our nation, and our world, let us pray that the political, economic, social, racial, and national boundaries may be softened so that we can come together in peace more often.

We love watching the Avengers when they put aside their differences, when they honor and respect each other, when they extinguish their selfish pride, and when they work as one in service to the greater cause. In the same way, God loves watching us when we do the same with all those He so lovingly created.  

Mirror, Mirror

"Who is the greatest in the kingdom?" (Mt. 18:1)

Mirror, Mirror is just one movie in a string of fantasy films and television projects that have been emerging into the pop culture stratosphere this year.

In addition to this latest film, TV audiences have been caught under the spell of Grimm and Once Upon a Time. And later this summer, we anticipate seeing Snow White and the Huntsman, Brave, Dark Shadows, and the extremely historical fiction piece, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.

What connects all these elements together is the fact that fantasy stories provide us an allegory of our lives - a chance to put ourselves into another character's shoes (or glass slippers, etc.). Fantasy characters reflect who we are, yet at the same time, we enjoy them because they are nothing like who we are.

They exist in another "universe" where the rules are slightly different and the stories can be beyond the bounds of reality... but in some ways, they are still grounded in our everyday experiences: love, betrayal, heroism, danger, and so forth.

Just as the evil queen (Julia Roberts) asks, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?,” we too might try to throw ourselves into the role of the charming prince (in this case, Armie Hammer) or the beautiful Snow White (Lily Collins) – but we find the connection just isn’t there in every scene.

Sometimes the mirror reminds us we’re just plain Dopey.

That's not to insult us. Consider the seven dwarfs here, modeled after the traditional "Disney" seven. Amongst all the fantastical characters in this film, it was the collection of dwarfs that truly caught my attention. It might have also had to do with the fact that, among their number, we could find the some of the best acting in the movie. But I digress.

Mirror, Mirror took some liberties with the naming of the seven, but the characteristics are still the same. These are the ones who might reflect us more than the inhabitants of the castle. These are the ones whose lives are more akin to middle class movie-goers than the story of the aloof Charming or the bitter Queen.

In fact, we might say that it all depends on the day as to which dwarf we're more connected to as we watch the film.

Some days we’re content with the happenings of our day like Happy/Chuckles (Ronald Lee Clark), while other days we’re overwhelmed, lethargic, or tempted to procrastinate like Sleepy/ Grub (Joe Gnoffo). Sometimes we get angry like Grumpy/Burtcher (Martin Klebba), while at other times, we’re ready to take charge like Doc/Grimm (Danny Woodburn).

Seeing how the seven dwarfs interact with one another and the critical role that they play in the story gives us a chance to put a cinematic mirror up to ourselves.

We can get frustrated when we find ourselves more aligned to these supposedly "minor" characters, but we shouldn’t. In these stories, everyone serves a purpose, even Dopey. In fact, with this timeless tale, the story would be flattened without these seven men. In fact, we should be happy (no pun intended) to be counted among their number.

In almost a similar cadence to the queen with her mirror, the disciples also asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Mt. 18:1) Jesus’ answer shocked them as it continues to shock us today: “Whoever humbles themselves like a child is the greatest in the kingdom.” (Mt. 18:4) This echoes another of Jesus’ proclamations; “Blessed are the poor in spirit…the meek…they who are persecuted…” (Mt. 5:3,5,10)

So when we feel humbled like Dopey or Grumpy (or any of the others, in whatever name we choose to give them), Jesus says, “blessed are you!” Even if we fall short of reflecting the hero or heroine of the fairy tale in our lives, God is still there with us and loves us just as much as princes and princesses and queens.

And that is no fantasy.

Titanic 3D

"See I am doing something new. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19

With the re-release of the epic movie Titanic in 3D to coincide with the centennial of the titular ocean liner's voyage and fateful sinking, audiences get a chance to take a new look at a timeless classic. And as moviegoers put on the 3D spectacles, they might notice a few things they never caught before.

For instance, the three-dimensional effect allows viewers to see the bubbles as they rise up from the ship's wreckage on the ocean floor or the trays of fresh fruit laid out before the first class passengers in their terrace cafe. Moviegoers may also notice the new array of stars high above the waters, as this new stellar composite was the only change director James Cameron made to the re-release.

But on a more harrowing note, the 3D also shows more clearly the enormous size of the propellers and the frightening height of the ship's stern as they lift vertically out of the Atlantic - and as the remaining passengers, dwarfed in comparison, plummet to their death in the frigid waters below. There are some moments where we are pleased to have this film in its three-dimensional glory, and there are other moments (like these) that make us cringe and turn away in horror or disgust.

Before we reflect any further, we must stop, pray for, and mourn the tragedy that this story tells. More than a fictional lost love, the true sadness is the loss of so much life one hundred years ago. Perhaps one of the most profound moments of Cameron's epic is the simplicity of the Titanic's band playing "Nearer My God To Thee" while those left behind on the sinking ocean liner courageously face their deaths: the dignity of Benjamin Guggenheim, brandy in hand, looking on as the Grand Staircase floods over; the guilt of Captain John Smith alone on the bridge as the ocean comes crashing in; the nameless mother who puts her children to sleep in a third class cabin, so that they might not feel the pain that awaits them; or Isidore and Ida Straus lying together in bed as the waters close in around them. Regardless of the special effects, music, or the romance of the leads, it is this simple moment that deserves our prayer the most. Rest in peace, all those who died at sea on the Titanic. We pray that, as this tragedy is recalled once again, we will not forget you.

Moments like these are more noticeable when we get the chance like this to re-watch a movie we've probably seen a few times before. When we see a film for the second, third, or twentieth time (as might be the case with Titanic), we can expand our field of vision beyond the love story or the special effects that might have caught our attention on the first viewing. And with 3D, our eyes are even more wide open to new and previously unnoticeable sights.

As Isaiah says, "See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Is. 43:19). Of course the prophet was not foretelling the rise of 3D movie going; he was helping the people of Israel see the new things that were unfolding before their very eyes but never stopped to notice.

In a sense, this is what makes the love story of Titanic so heart-warming. No one but Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) notices the pain and anguish that Rose (Kate Winslet) is experiencing as she copes with the restraints of Victorian culture. And no one but Rose bothers to notice the poor and hapless third-class Jack, let alone his skills in artistry or his adventurous risk-taking spirit.

We can identify with this love because, so often, we wonder if anyone notices us. We might worry that no one would miss us if we were gone. We can fall into a loneliness simply because we feel unheard, unseen, or unappreciated in the busyness of life or the crowdedness of our world today. Jack and Rose notice each other when few others did - and it captures our hearts.

The most precious moments of our own lives come when people do take an interest in us and in what we have to say or contribute. We draw close to friends who have bothered to pay attention to us, and we cling to the relationships where we are valued for who we are inside.

And on the flip side, we can make such an incredible difference in the lives of others by simply taking note. In a society that is constantly looking down and checking their cell phones, what a joy it would be when someone looked up and into another's life.

We are called to do something new, like Isaiah challenges us, and start looking around. Our world is in high def 3D all the time, but when do we take notice of the events occurring in our midst and the people who pass us by every single hour of every single day? Imagine what would happen when we would start paying more attention to one another.

And it's not just a voyeuristic observation of human nature, but a chance to take the time to invest in someone else beyond ourselves and engage with these people at a deeper level than ever before. When we do this, we are engaged in an intimacy with one another that would make Jack and Rose's relationship seem downright mundane. In the Lord's eyes, the greatest love affairs that can happen are the everyday encounters we have with another son or daughter of God.

Like a 3D movie, let us open our eyes wider and see more clearly the activities, circumstances, and people around us each and every day of our lives. We don't need special goggles to do this. We simply need to love as God loves and take joy in the wonder that surrounds us. And that, friends, is truly "timeless love."

The Hunger Games

"Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts to be beaten and condemned... But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." Mark 13:9,13

The Hunger Games technically takes place in a post-apocalyptic future amidst the ruins of North America, but the tale is one that could apply to just about any era in human history - from the time of the Roman Empire to the present day.

The premise is this: in punishment for an uprising seventy-five years earlier, the dictatorial government of Panem requires its subject "states" (called districts) to participate in an annual gladiatorial contest by offering up two teenagers (one male, one female) to fight in what is called "the hunger games." In total, 24 young people from 12 districts face off, where 23 of them are expected to die or be killed, and the lone survivor declared the winner. Asked why this pageant is carried out instead of simply rounding up 24 people and killing them outright, Panem's President Snow (Donald Sutherland) simply says, "because hope is stronger than fear" when it comes to controlling a potentially-rebellious populace.

Into this fray comes Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a resourceful 16-year old from District 12, who volunteers for the games so that her younger sister Primrose, who was selected by lottery to compete, would not have to fight: a great example of self-sacrifice which gives us more than a hint as to what type of person that Katniss is in this story.

In short order, she and the district's male selection, Peeta (John Hutcherson), make their way to the Capitol to train and impress the crowds in advance of the competition.

Despite the lavish parties and rituals that the players, called "tributes," must endure, when the games begin, it quickly turns into a bloodbath. Friends and brothers turn into vicious enemies, killing one another in order to survive. Katniss instead chooses to run into the woods, evading the others, hoping that she can make it to the end by simply remaining silent and hidden.

But since the competition is a spectacle televised across the nation, the producers (run by the government) won't allow such a strategy and do what they can to draw her out into the open and face the other teens and their lust for victory. But this turn of events also challenges her to put aside her default tendancy for isolationism and individualism - and to learn that community and support can be a great avenue to success.

The story itself is nothing new. The Hunger Games harks back to the Greek myth of Theseus or to the real-life tales of Roman gladiators forced from their enslaved nations to fight to the death in the Coliseum, the poverty and policies of Reconstruction in post-Civil War America, or the dictatorship and spectacles of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. It reminds us of books and movies like Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949 book), Lord of the Flies (1954 book, 1963 and 1990 films), The Running Man (1987 film), The Truman Show (1998 film), and Gladiator (2000 film).

But most especially, it calls to mind the postmodern obsessions that we, as a culture, have with reality television, endless game shows, violent entertainment and sports, and the real crime, violence, and international wars played out on 24-hour cable news and websites. However, when we read the above sampling of historical precedents and previous literary and cinematic warnings, we see that this is nothing new. We simply have new ways of digesting public spectacles and putting up with injustice and poverty.

Nonetheless, since we haven't seemed to learn the lessons of history, we are once again repeating them - and a story like The Hunger Games is a good reminder for us to pray, reflect, and do a little introspection of our own part in this phenomenon.

As I watched this movie, one of the things that struck me was the representation of the citizens of the Capitol city, dressed in their gaudy decadence. Quite literally, many of them look like clowns. And as I came to understand that these people were reflections of those of us who mindlessly and passively watch as people get humiliated on reality TV or brutally killed on the evening news, it became apparent that this image was an indictment of us all.

Like the bloodthirsty crowds in the Roman Coliseum, are we not clowns in our acquiescence of such spectacle today? When a young teen from District 11 is killed in the film, we are shown the outrage and rebellion of her community. And when we see the dignity of life shaken on television, in social media, or in our news, why do we not feel the same outrage? Why aren't we overturning tables in the Temple like Jesus in the Gospels when we see injustice and corruption? Or are we just as complicit in our eagerness to win one day, living up to President Snow's observation that controlling us is easy because a false hope is more powerful than fear?

To stand in opposition to such passivity is the call of the prophet. Consider Amos who said, "Woe to the complacent in Zion and to the overconfident in Samaria... lying upon beds of ivory and stretched comfortably on their couches... but they shall be the first to go into exile and their revelry done away with." (Amos 6:1,4,7) It's easy to blissfully watch, but it is the way of God to take action in the world, righting injustices and standing up in righteous anger against those who would oppress and destroy.

Another thread that spoke to me was what happened to the teenage tributes who are drafted into service into the hunger games arena. Before their selection, most of these young men and women were probably living lives dedicated to work and family - but once they arrive in the Capitol, they begin to fall into vengeful survivalism.

We see this unfold in our reality competitions and game shows (see: the Bachelor, the Apprentice, Survivor, Project Runway, among others). At their core, these are good concepts and could yield healthy competition; yet too often, the participants become a shadow of their former selves, preferring selfish moves and retaliation to working together and forgiveness.

And before we begin pointing fingers at the television set, does not the same thing often happen in our schools, our workplaces, our churches, our political systems, our business networks, and on a global scale, our international community? When we feel we have no option but to compete (either for a promotion, a sale, or for the price of oil), we, too, can turn into a shadow of our true selves - and fall into words and actions unbecoming of our best intentions and most especially, the Gospel we profess.

In The Hunger Games, the tributes are locked into a desperate battle for supremacy. Yet despite this, our heroine Katniss looks for ways to overcome her survivalist instincts by befriending little Rue from District 11 or by offering comfort to Peeta even when he would probably not do the same in return. While she is by no means perfect, she shows glimmers of hope that selfishness and pettiness does not need to have the final say.

Jesus warns the disciples that, once he has ascended to the Father, they would be confronted with their own survivalist experience. They could stand up for the gospel mission in the world or they could succumb to passivity, selfishness, and running away from the way of Christ.

He says, "Nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquake and famine, but these are just the beginnings of labor pains. Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts to be beaten and condemned. But the gospel must be preached and lived to all nations... Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child, children against their parents to have them put to death. You will be hated by all for the message you preach. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." (Mark 13:8-10,12-13)

Each day, we ourselves are faced with competing in our schools, our workplaces, and in our society. We are deeply immersed in a "hunger games" experience of our own. So how will we act? What will we do? Will we revert to the way of the survivalist, selfishly guarding ourselves and plotting our way to the top? Or will we chart the course of Christ, who refused to play by the games of his day - and rewrote the rules by sacrificing himself on the cross for the love of others and the way of peace?

The early Christians adopted this strategy - and when it was their turn in the Roman Coliseum, as bloodthirsty crowds watched in anticipation, they threw out the playbook. Despite the sacrifice of countless Christians, actions like these made the faith more powerful than had they all reverted to survivalism, huddled in the Upper Room, waiting for the pain to pass. Instead, like those martyrs and prophets, and like Katniss in this film, we must also come down from the tree and approach the world with radical love, with unconditional forgiveness, and with justice for the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten.

So whether we find ourselves spectator or participant, we are called to something greater. We can quickly devolve into the worst version of who we were made to be - we can become like clowns or like bloodthirsty tributes - but God has hope in us.

In the arena of our universe, God watches on - not to see who comes out on top - but to see us all work together to build what his son Jesus tirelessly preached about: the Kingdom of God on earth just as it is in heaven. This kingdom is one of forgiveness, nonviolence, compassion, selflessness, justice, faith, hope, love, and abundance for all. This kingdom is one without hunger, without want, and without hatred.

And it is all indeed possible when we begin to learn the lesson that we have been told from ages past - from the streets of Rome to this book and movie series taking the nation by storm. Let us hope that the popularity of The Hunger Games is a telling sign that the lessons it shares will begin to take root in our hearts.

Let us hope. For real victory is at hand.

The Descendants

"To you and to your descendants I give this land..." Gen 15:18

In the Scriptures, there is much written about carving out a place for one's descendants. From the patriarchs like Abraham and Sarah to the royal line of David and Solomon, much is spoken about the promised heritage that is to come.

From ancient times, the concept of family has been integral to one's experiences of faith and spirituality. However, times have changed - and this concept has slowly eroded.

This is the backdrop to the characters in The Descendants, the story of a Honolulu family with a rich Hawaiian heritage that stretches back hundreds of years. The King family, appropriately named for their connection to Hawaiian royalty, is about to make a decision regarding ownership of their land on the island of Kaua'i - and the impact of such a sale would not only affect the Kings, but the citizens of the whole state.

Immediately prior to this deal, the wife of Matt King (George Clooney), sole trustee of the family and its assets, is left comatose after a horrible boating accident. The bulk of the film revolves around how he and his family handle this developing situation in light of the major decisions that must take place.

Several problems begin to unfold: first, Matt must become a full-time parent to his two troublesome daughters who cause havoc in their schools; second, Matt must face the reality that, due to her living will, his wife will need to be pulled from life support; and third, Matt begins to discover that his wife was actually having an affair when she had the accident.

Like Job in the Scriptures, as his world becomes unraveled, Matt begins to doubt everything he thought he knew and held sacred. But also like Job, he has a choice: either wallow in denial and self-pity - or chart a new course and take action in that direction.

Family life is never easy. It is full of pitfalls and craziness. Many people today just accept the reality of dysfunction in their homes, choosing to let the prevailing wind rule the day. That was the path along which Matt King was journeying at the start of the story - and perhaps it was a path that caused his kids to misbehave, his wife to stray, and his priorities to be out of line with what really mattered.

This film also shows us another common misconception about family: that it's a private matter. Many of us feel that marriage, children, and heritage are issues that are deeply personal and involve no one but our blood relatives. But as we see in The Descendants, the family decisions of the Kings impact the lives and fortunes of the other citizens of Hawaii.

This reminds us that no family decision is truly individualistic - and that our family unit are social institutions, affecting circumstances beyond our immediate circles.

In the Scriptures, God spoke to Abraham about the future of his family, saying "To you and to your descendants I give this land..." - knowing full-well that such a gift would impact not only forthcoming generations, but also the other people, families, and nations around those people. This family unit would produce the likes of Joseph and his brothers, Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, and ultimately Jesus of Nazareth. This family unit would find itself in slavery, in their own kingdom, in exile, and eventually be scattered across the globe and become the Jewish People we know today. As history tells us, this family has had a profound impact on the world around them.

As we look to our own situation, we realize that we are the descendants of a family, no matter how mixed or convoluted our heritage might be. How are we carrying on the traditions passed onto us? How are we honoring our past by the actions of the present? How are we, inspired by our heritage, making an impact on our world?

In a similar way, we also realize that there will be descendants to follow us. How are we passing the lessons of our family's past to our children and grandchildren? How are we ensuring a positive and life-giving future for future generations?

And in our global age, is it possible that the definitions of family and heritage are changing? Even Jesus challenged the traditional definition of family: "Jesus asked, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.'" (Mt. 12:48-50)

In a digital era such as ours, the concept of family does not need to be eroded, but expanded. With the realization that family is not a private matter, but a social experience, we can expand our family life to include our friends, our teachers and students, our parish and community, our colleagues and neighbors. And with that new understanding of heritage, we again ask ourselves: what has been passed onto us - and how will we pass this onto others? So whether we speak of blood ties or not, the responsibility falls to us to, as the prophet says, "not make our heritage a reproach." (Joel 2:17)

Like Abraham and Moses after him, Matt King was physically able to look out on his land and upon his descendants - and with that view, make the best decision not just for himself and his personal finances, but for the community beyond himself.

Let us pray that our own decisions are not seen as private matters for the few people closest to us - but instead are carried out with a larger picture in mind and for the benefit of a world greater than ourselves. Then, like the descendants of Abraham, we can truly change the world.

The Artist

"Be not hasty in your utterance... let your words be few." Eccl. 5:1

The Artist is a unique movie in that almost all it unfolds on screen without dialogue. This is a story of a silent film star struggling with the advent of sound in the movies - which we get to experience through the lens of a virtually silent film.

Without words or sounds to rely on, it is essential to observe the expressions and actions of the characters to truly understand what's going on in this movie.

Since "talkies" became the primary cinematic form in the late 1920s, audiences for decades have been able to sit back and listen - but The Artist takes us back in time, challenging the very way we experience the movies. We are forced, then, to pay close attention to the looks on characters' faces, the way that they move and the emotion that they convey. And in these observations, we learn a valuable lesson: it's not our words, but our actions that matter most.

Whether in the movie theatre or in our everyday life, we too often lean on our words. We say a lot and talk endlessly with each other about a multitude of things - but what do we actually do?

As we step into the world of The Artist, silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the top of his game. His vivid expressions, winning smile, and playful interactions with his loyal dog make him popular with audiences, even though no one hears him utter a single word. And while the "talkies" begin to cut into Valentin's share of the market, he remains committed to letting his actions speak for themselves.

But no matter how firmly Valentin stands his ground, the new era of movie-making is here to stay when dialogue and words will be the foundation upon which films are now made.

Regardless of whether or not the viewer sees this stubbornness as the right course of action, the fact that we, the audience, must still take this journey without sound reminds us how important a person's actions really are.

As the author of Ecclesiastes says, "Be not hasty in your utterance... let your words be few." (Eccl. 5:1) Fools, the biblical author says, rely on their empty words - but the wise don't necessarily jump into every conversation that comes their way. How often do we follow sage advice like this?

Take one look at blogs and social media - and we see how much talking is going on out there. Take another look at the 24-hour news cycle - and we hear how much endless babble takes place. On a more personal note, we also take a look at the discussions at the office and the conversations with our friends and family - and start to realize how, sometimes, we talk in circles without much being done.

On a global level, especially in an election year, public officials promise a whole lot, debate over the most trivial topics, and give too many long speeches - but when the going gets tough (and especially if no one is looking), inaction rules the day. Keeping the status quo is easier than taking risks and following through with real action.

And as each year moves onto the next, we make promises and resolutions to ourselves. We plan for it, we script it out, and we talk to others about it... but temptation and distractions can quickly overwhelm us and the actions that could have affected change in our lives slowly get tossed to the side.

Our world is littered with words. We sometimes fool ourselves by putting all our hopes and dreams on those words. Even in our faith lives, words rule the day. The epistle writer James saw how dangerous this trend could be, even in his own day. He exhorted his readers to put aside his letter and get up off their seats, saying, "What good is it, my friends, if someone SAYS he has faith but does not DO good works?... Faith of itself, if it is not active through works, is simply dead." (James 2:14,17)

Watching The Artist reminds us that we need to go back to how we act and less on what we say. This film will go on to grab awards from Hollywood for the simple reason that it gave us a chance to see what actions, expressions, and body language can do to tell a story.

In our own lives, we will be rewarded by God and those we serve for our own actions - for they tell our story more loudly than a mountain of words could ever do.

When we find ourselves saying, writing, or debating more than taking solid action towards the Gospel, it is time to refocus. When we spend more time discussing our faith and less time serving the less fortunate and marginalized, it is time to refocus. When we tell everyone how much we've been hurt, but spend little time forgiving those who hurt us, it is time to refocus.

As Jesus said, "by your fruits, you will be known" (Mt. 7:16) It is not the speeches we gave, the conversations we had, or the righteousness we felt as we penned a blog entry or facebook post that will define us. In fact, sometimes they can bring us down. Instead, it is the things we do for one another, the actions we take to back up our words, and the impact we made on this world that will ultimately be the epithet that we can courageously claim.

And if we are to use words, let them be words that empower, inspire, encourage, and showcase our Christlike compassion - and never to belittle, hate, insult, or spiral into an endless cycle of nonsense. Let our words be few - and let them be the best words we can use - and furthermore, let them be words that will find a response in the actions we take to fulfill them.