Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Quote from two years ago...

Quote of the week,

Evil as defined by:

(a) Consistent destructive, scapegoating behavior, which may often be quite subtle.
(b) Excessive, albeit usually covert, intolerance to criticism and other forms of narcissistic injury.
(c) Pronounced concern for public image and self-image of respectability, contributing to a stability of lifestyle but also to pretentiousness and denial of hateful feelings or vengeful motives
(d) Intellectual deviousness, with an increased likelihood of a mild schizophrenic like disturbance of thinking at times of stress

- M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie, pg 129

This is an interesting definition.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Who am I?


I never realized the importance of knowing who I am and where I came from as much as I did today.

Today I met 6 people for the first time in 16 years who are probably the closest thing I have to understanding who I am as a person.

When I left High School in 91' I walked away from one of the biggest parts of my life and without realizing it, I walked away from something which has been haunting me for the last 10-15 years.

I cannot explain the emotions I am experiencing meeting up with these 6 classmates from my Highschool after all this time. Seeing their faces, hearing their stories, listening to, and remembering the memories, reliving the laughs and heartaches has really done a job on me.

It started with seeing them on Facebook about 4 months ago and I'm still trying to process what I'm feeling.

Sometimes i have been having this feeling that I never really "Left" school in that I'm still grieving the loss. I have been having this re-occuring dream for the last 10 years where I am back at school finishing my classes and yet scared about the year ahead, scared of the commitment, Scared that I'm going to miss a whole year of my life while I finish school and scared that my friends and life will be long gone when i finish and I will be left behind.

I'm a bit frightened about what has been brought up by this experience and I'm not too sure how to process it???

Quote...

There's "...more to religion then pleasing your imaginary friend..."

Courtesy of The Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua.

Who also gave us this little gem...

[The Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua] ...is a sacred place in cyberspace named after a little old dog with cataracts, who barked sideways at strangers, because he couldn't see where they were. We humans relate to God in the same way, making a more or less joyful noise in God's general direction, and expecting a reward for doing so. Hence our creed:

We can't be right about everything we believe.
Thank God, we don't have to be!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Cloverfield

Saw Cloverfield last night.



Interesting concept, done before with the Blair Witch Project, but where as the Blair Witch Project sacrificed realism for cinematography, the reverse was true in Cloverfield. In this movie, you believe it could be possible that the camera used to capture all the events could really be only the secondary concern for the actors and that it really does capture "accidentally" much of the story.

One of the interesting issues for me is the relationship the movie thereter is playing with other forms of media relating to the story.

Gone are the days of a linear movie where the story begins and ends in the cinema. Now there is part of the story which needs to be experienced on their website. The phrase which sems to describe this experience is "Viral Marketing"

"...Viral campaigns are a great marketing tool that give people a taste of what they want and then pulling back, which really creates a mystique about the project..."

"...By following the viral Web clues, you get a whole, specially-created back story that's not something you would necessarily get if you just see the film..."

Cloverfield has subtle links to "Lost" "Alias" and "Hero's"

The inter-weaving of these subtle links creates this idea that the srory is so much bigger than a movie theater. Are we seeing the evolution of Story which has developed from Oral, to Picture, to written, to Movie, to Gaming and now it's crossing mediums to become Viral storytelling?

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Gutted

A number of years ago someone said to me that my choice to change my studies from and Internship to a full time degree was a big mistake and that it was the only chance I had at getting a job as a minister. It gutted me to hear that from him, but at least he said it to my face. For that I respected his opinion.

A trusted friend of mine shared with me some comments someone said about be behind my back which felt like someone was ripping my still beating heart out of my rib cage. They were unsure of whether to share what was said or not, but thought it better that I knew.

Regardless of whether the comments were true or not, they really hurt and I'm feeling almost physically sick. The main reason I'm so distressed by what he said is that I thought I had thicker skin than that and that the opinion of this person really didn't mean that much to me.

Moving into a new Pastoral position, I know I'm going to cop much more critical and hurtful comments from people who are much more insightful and respected than this person.

I can only pray that whatever insecurity, self doubt or shortcomings that I live with, God can keep me honest and humble enough to be at peace.

"Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Annoyed...

I am annoyed.

If you're still to see the movie "I am Legend" perhaps you might want to stop reading here lest you read something which spoils your view of the movie.


I'm annoyed because i feel that after being drawn into this incredible story with some very engaging acting i have been left hanging with what i see as a story without an end.

Now i realize that good stories without ends allow the reader/viewer to think and explore their possibilities, bit IAL seems to have brought us along this extremely emotional journey and then seems to dump us like some second rate consumer about 2 minutes before the end in order to continue the journey with some character who appears out of nowhere, like some poor attempt at a prophet, who moves us into this happy ending scenario while our hearts are still hanging in shock from the death of Dr Robert Neville (Will Smith) whom we had invested so much emotional energy into.

Bob Marley was brought into the movie as a theme of hope and love, but this was never realized unless Neville's sacrifice at the end was meant to tie this in?

There was so much potential for a great journey into the character of the "alpha" zombie who seemed to have quite a sense of intelligence, but this was sadly lacking.

The death of the dog was as predictable as the Black Caps routing of the Bangladesh cricketers. Even so, this gripped me and drew me into the sorrow and heartache which worked well for the story (even though it was hard to take). Smith played the grieving friend very well.

2 minutes from the end the movie was hanging at high 8's, but with that last couple of minutes, my rating dropped to a very luck 6/10.

I am annoyed.

They had me right there in the palm of their hands, there was potential for an amazing story conclusion/twist/dramatic conclusion ANYTHING!, but I didn't even subtly slip through their fingers, i felt i was unceremoniously "dumped" like some ex-boyfriend without even a casual thought for letting me down easy.

I am sorry Dr Robert Neville, you have been shafted, you have been betrayed, all your hard work and the wonderful character we have bonded with (because how many of us feel all alone and frightened for either ourselves of those closest to us as one time or another...) has been hung out to dry by unimaginative storytellers and short sighted writers.

I am not Legend, I am annoyed.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Theology of the Crash Test Dummies.

"God Shuffled His Feet"

After seven days
He was quite tired so God said:
"Let there be a day
Just for picnics, with wine and bread"
He gathered up some people he had made
Created blankets and laid back in the shade

The people sipped their wine
And what with God there, they asked him questions
Like: do you have to eat
Or get your hair cut in heaven?
And if your eye got poked out in this life
Would it be waiting up in heaven with your wife?

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

So he said:"Once there was a boy
Who woke up with blue hair
To him it was a joy
Until he ran out into the warm air
He thought of how his friends would come to see;
And would they laugh, or had he got some strange disease?

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

The people sat waiting
Out on their blankets in the garden
But God said nothing
So someone asked him: "I beg your pardon:
I'm not quite clear about what you just spoke
Was that a parable, or a very subtle joke?"

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

Kite Runner

Imagine doing something so horrible, so dishonorable, with such betrayal towards someone who loves you so much and would sacrifice everything they have, their dignity, their honor, even their life for you?

Imagine being so guilty all you wanted to do was to get as far away from this person so you could hide this shame, even if it meant lying about them so they would have to leave?

Imagine having to live with that guilt and never being able to repent?