While we need hope to seek a better life for others and ourselves, it can also serve as a tool of oppression. A scene added to The Hunger Games movie, not included in the novel by Suzanne Collins, depicts the type of hope that perpetuates injustice. Applying President Snow’s insight, we can identify false hopes including the prosperity gospel.
Year: 2019
Tevye’s Common Mistake
While not perfect, the audience can respect and root for Tevye in the Fiddler on the Roof. He has many admirable qualities as he does his best to love God and his family. At the same time, a critical blindspot remains. While he never learns his lesson, we can benefit from his mistake. Continue reading Tevye’s Common Mistake
The Gospel According to Good and Evil
Have you heard the Good News, or Gospel, of Jesus before? Did it seem distant and irrelevant? How could some guy from 2000 years ago or an old-fashioned term like “sin” matter today? Looking at the preeminence of good and evil in our favorite stories and in the latest news coverage, we’ll conclude, however, that nothing can be more central to our lives than the message of Jesus.
How Les Misérables Advocates for Nonviolence
Les Misérables powerfully and uncomfortably presents poverty, injustice, and evil. It asks, “What will you do about it?” Inspired by historical data and faith in God’s promises, we can follow the nonviolent, proactive, and sacrificial example of Jean Valjean (and also Jesus).
Continue reading How Les Misérables Advocates for Nonviolence
The Sith, Nietzsche, and the Nature of Reality
With the ever-expanding canon of the Star Wars saga, the writers elucidate Sith philosophy. Comparing this with real world beliefs, especially Friedrich Nietzsche’s master morality, we can draw key conclusions about the nature of morality and of the universe itself.
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Gospel of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
While our favorite stories depict the victory of good over evil, they align most closely to the Good News—or Gospel—of Jesus when this triumph comes through the transformation, not defeat, of the antagonist. In agreement with Christ’s teaching, Mary Poppins musically identifies that the secret to redemption is “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.
Continue reading Gospel of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
How Darth Vader (and You) Need a Father
Ever wonder why so many heroes grow up without parents and why countless stories pivot on the encounter with a father? Focusing on Anakin Skywalker’s life and path to the Dark Side, we find that his quest for a father, central to the hero’s journey, reveals our deepest need.
How Poe Dameron and Jesus Christ Change the Galaxy
I recently watched 13th, a very well made and very depressing film about mass incarceration and racial injustice. I felt powerless to do anything. But believe or not, as I thought about The Last Jedi, the final Poe Dameron comic, and the ministry of Jesus, I found hope. While I don’t have all the answers, these examples provide a critical insight for individuals who desire to address societal and systemic problems. Continue reading How Poe Dameron and Jesus Christ Change the Galaxy