Well, it's Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when everyone indulges as much they can in whatever they plan to give up for the next 40 days. I must confess, when people ask me "what are you giving up for Lent?" I tense up a bit. I do have unhealthy habits, but I remember one Lent I gave up Skittles and Starbursts and afterward, I didn't want to go back to eating them. Suppose I give up a website that gives me issues from time to time and stop missing it over the next 40 days, do I just say after Easter to my peers there "Sorry, guys, my life is better without you, it just took having a significant break for me to realize this, Bye?"
However, when I struggled with the concept of giving something up and the anxious potential ramifications, my Pastor at my old Church, Bellingham Covenant, had a bit of wisdom. "More than giving something up, you should put something on." Giving up something can be a hollow, empty ritual if we forget we're giving up things so we can better focus on God. Last year, during the Lenten season, I saw three films that helped me feel Lent more.
-Godspell-I already have praised this film quite a bit on this blog, but seeing it during Holy Week last week put it into perspective. The Disciples are joyous in their serene fields, playing with each other. It reminds me of part of the opening of the Led Zeppelin concert film "The Song Remains The Same," where Robert Plant and his wife are smiling as they watch their children play on their farm. It's lighthearted, innocent and makes you smile. Then you get to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is depicted as a junkyard, it doesn't look clean, safe or like anywhere you should be at night. And yet, they must. Jesus must do what God needs him to do. He is crucified, agony ripping through all of his disciples. After he has passed, they gather his body, but they don't mourn. In defiance, they run through the streets, carrying his body, declaring "Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord!" Death didn't win after all.
-The Shack-I read the book when it came out and it put so much into perspective at a time when I desperately needed it. I was incredibly excited to hear of the movie adaption in the middle part of last decade and was amazed that they showed so many plot points I remembered. I always will remember the scene of the main character in the cave on the seat of judgment, being asked to judge an abused small boy.
"I can't."
"You already have, that boy is your father."
I also love that the actor and actresses for the Trinity looked like what I imagined from the book's description and they used the term "I am ESPECIALLY fond of him/her!" In these days, we hear way too much about God's wrath. The New Testament wouldn't exist if God's Love wasn't more powerful.
-Wonder Woman-Okay, this may seem like a weird choice to some, but hear me out. I actually re-watched this last Lent and after (SPOILERS) Diane has killed the German General she thought was Ares, only for the gas to kill the entire village of civilians she had just rescued, she is visited by Ares, the god of war. Ares details how he no longer plays an active role in conflict, he merely gives humans the formulas, blueprints and tools with which to build weapons and plans to let humanity's mistrust of each other take it from there. He then shows Wonder Woman a vision of a world without humans, total paradise with trees blossoming. Wonder Woman shakes it off, violence is no means to achieve this end The two get into a fantastic battle with tanks being tossed like toys and lots of pyrotechnics. Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman's love interest, hands her his match, trying to tell her something she can't hear due to a recent nearby explosion. Steve launches the plane with all the gas bombs on it, taking out both him and the entire arsenal, keeping any more Allies from being exposed. Due to missing the information, Wonder Woman goes on the warpath against Ares, which pleases him, him hoping Wonder Woman will grow in rage and kill them all. However, Wonder Woman recalls what Steve said, "I can save today, but you can save tomorrow." Wonder Woman calms down and states while Ares is right that humanity is cold and destructive, they are so much more than that, full of kindness, compassion and the desire for peace. She finishes Ares, ending World War I. The whole sequence, when I watched it by myself, reminded me heavily of the temptation in the Wilderness. An evil figure asks a God (demigoddess in Wonder Woman's case) to not do what is right, be selfish and listen to their own impulses. They refuse, ultimately banishing the figure from their presence.
This year, I'm also going to try to help out every Wednesday at the Vespers service. Hope you have a safe Lenten season.
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