A Jedi prophecy said the chosen one would bring the Force back into balance. Did Anakin fulfill it? If so, how? Obi-Wan thought he would “destroy the Sith, not join them”. But how would that be balance?
The prophecy can be understood, but it requires an unorthodox explanation of the Force, heretical to the Jedi, but true to the films. This even reconciles key tenets of Eastern and Western spirituality and exhorts us to attain a balanced life, while purely good, uncompromising with evil.
In The Dark Knight, the Joker brings people face-to-face with their true selves. In danger and chaos, who will they be? In some ways, the 2016 US presidential election does the same.
While some voters truly support their candidate, many feel that they must choose the lesser of two evils. But The Dark Knight draws a line that we cannot cross, even if it means voting third party or abstaining.
Continue reading How Batman Teaches Us To Vote
In Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro, two characters discuss the nature of the divine. While Euthyphro considers himself an expert in pious living, Socrates dismantles his arguments. In so doing, he not only shows that Greek polytheism is internally inconsistent, but the logical extension of this reasoning gives multiple insights into the identity of God or gods, endorsing and discrediting various religious tenets. We find that the Trinity, perhaps uniquely, remains viable in the face of Socrates’s scrutiny.
Continue reading From Plato to the Trinity
At first glance, it may seem that Independence Day: Resurgence is just another story about saving the world. Not so! For former President Thomas Whitmore, it’s about saving Patty, his daughter. While the original movie focused on saving the world, the sequel gives attention to mature people saving the ones they love.
Twenty years after the events of Independence Day, an alien race returns to our planet to destroy all life. Many of the same people who repelled the first attack now lead the efforts (contains spoilers), along with their children and new heroes.
Continue reading Saving Patty (and the World) from Aliens
Ever wonder what it would be like if Jesus came as a Japanese Anime superhero for children? Well, now you don’t have to. Meet Anpanman, who’s head is made of bread called anpan. Even though he has typical superhero powers such as flying and delivering the incredibly powerful “anpunch”, he often saves hungry children by sacrificially giving them a piece of his head to eat. In so doing, he becomes incredibly weak until his father figure bakes him a new head and his strength returns.
So, are you Team Cap or Team Iron Man? You need to pick a side! Or do you?
In Captain America: Civil War, the heroes must answer a political question: “Should the UN have oversight of the Avengers?” (Spoilers follow.) It would seem that they are forced to pick sides, which quickly leads to violence. Then, the internet lit up with fans deciding if they are on Team Captain America or Team Iron Man. Must we so quickly define allegiances, or could this tendency be a fundamental problem in American politics today?
Continue reading Team Captain America, Team Iron Man, or Independent
Spiritual Thoughts on Doctor Who, Episode “Boom Town”
Contains Spoilers
Having started with the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, I enjoyed watching Doctor Who from my first episode. Great TV makes you feel the tension between opposing ideas and contemplate the nuance found in a complicated world, and the 11th episode, “Boom Town” does exactly this as it considers the question, “How do you treat the guilty?”
Continue reading You Must Be Hatched Again!
Why Story?
Why do we love stories?
Why do they have so much in common with each other?
What if we could learn the deepest truths about reality (and ourselves) from our favorite movies, television, and literature?
Sound absurd? Perhaps our fiction reveals truth in life because God created us to love the Story that He is forging in human history. None argue this better than John Eldredge in his book, Epic, where he breaks all time into a four act play. The following appears in his prologue:
Continue reading Knowing the Larger Story
Contains spoilers for Star Wars Rebels, episode “Twilight of the Apprentice”
The dark side can often appear obvious, even cartoonish. But, in the season two finale of Star Wars Rebels, an actual cartoon, we see a path to the dark side subtly presented, not characterized by overt acts of evil, but by innocent actions and attitudes which can seduce a well-meaning individual. This speaks caution to the viewers, especially as it relates to our political choices.
Continue reading 3 Innocent Paths to the Dark Side… of Politics
Let’s face it, as good as JK is, Peeves just isn’t that funny. If he had been in the movies, he might have stirred up a Jar Jar level of hatred, though that’s a tall order. So why include him in the books? On the surface it seems like comic relief, but all the scenes with Peeves essentially recycle the same jokes over and over and over and over for seven books.
Continue reading Why Peeves?
