I Want to Be a Genius

Writer's block is real. I've wanted to write a blog ever since Portland, but inspiration has been far from me. Or, something would inspire me, but I could never really grasp hold of it tightly. I couldn't turn an idea into anything more than an idea. Then, today, at work we had an "All Hands Controller's Meeting" which is really just a plain old team meeting.  At the end of the PowerPoint presentation outlining our key performance indicators, there was a quote with a picture of Albert Einstein (genius):

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

I have included a picture of young Albert Einstein because I get tired of seeing just one view of him: disheveled genius. He was young and dashing, as well as a super smarty, at one point.

oh la la

But I digress, a little. In any case, this was a great quote, and though I'm sure I was supposed to apply it to my job: How can I understand derivative valuation and analysis enough to explain it simply? Hmmm. I'm not ashamed to say I'm not there yet.  Every time someone asks me "what is a derivative?" I die a little inside. Not because I don't know, but rather because I can't tell you without using the words "underlying", "notional", and "net settlement" at which point your eyes have glazed over. And if I do tell you without those words, I run into the second quote in the PowerPoint: 

"Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein

I have to say this quote actually blew my mind a little bit. It is an incredibly hard task to make something easier to understand, without removing the complexities or ignoring critical nuances. And that, my friends is the reason for my writer's block. I have wandered into territories (spiritually) where I don't know enough to carelessly toss it in the blog. And if I did know, and from what I think I know...I'm afraid of what I might be losing in the translation from my head/heart to the page!
 

Long story short, I'm worried about my lack of genius.

As I've said before, I'm on the Bible in One Year plan, and we just got around to the "genius" of biblical times: King Solomon. King Solomon comes to the throne as a "man of God" and there's this day where he offers 1000 sacrifices. And in response God says "Ask what you wish me to give you." I immediately stopped reading and thought: genie-in-a-bottle! Like, what do I want most? If I was in Solomon's situation...what would I say? Then I read on:

Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” - 1 Kings 3:7-9

To keep it real, I rolled my eyes. And immediately said to myself "It's EASY to ask for wisdom when you already have everything! You're king!" I wasn't impressed. 

But GOD was.

It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. - 1 Kings 3:10-12

...those were legitimate things he didn't ask for. See, my carnal mind went automatically to ways to discredit his righteousness, so I wouldn't be accountable to it. But, aside from his riches, he had no way of knowing how long he'd live. People with money always want more money, and as far as enemies? Those need to be eliminated. Especially in those days; that was real life Game of Thrones! But he didn't ask for any of that. He didn't ask for what would keep him in his position, but rather for what would make him do well in his position. 

So, I've been praying for wisdom lately. Which is a departure from my usual prayers:

"Dear Lord, where is my husband?...Dear Lord, I'm ready for a promotion at work...Dear Lord, Mega Millions?...Dear Lord, I have this doctor's appointment next week..."

Don't be deceived. The prayer for Wisdom hasn't replaced the others, but it is an add-on. But really, it's the biggest thing.

For if you cry for discernment...

If you seek her as silver

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Then you will discern the fear of the Lord

And discover the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom

- Proverbs 2:3-6 

Wisdom is at the bottom of a lot of values lists, when it should be searched for like a hidden treasure. But the real clincher is this: God gives wisdom!

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

Wisdom, unlike everything else I pray for, is guaranteed. That's a downer to some people, because all the other stuff is SO important (and it's important to me as well). However, to pray for something and KNOW it is God's will for me to have it takes the really hard "faith" part out of it. I can get wisdom. And as my faith grows, I'll get other stuff too. But wisdom is an excellent, awesome, guaranteed starting point. 

I'm kind of geeked about it.  I might not be a genius...but, you'll see. The blog will get wiser. 

Summer of wisdom! 

Portland: No Diversity!

Disclaimer: This article is in no way meant to defame, malign, or otherwise "throw shade" on Portland, Oregon. So far, I'm having a great time. 

Sunday was my first full day in Portland, Oregon. I'm not exactly looking for a new city to settle down in, but every time I take a domestic vacay, I try to take note of potential. What do I like? What do I dislike? Could this be my future home? 

imagine me in the middle of this crowd...

So yesterday, I'm sitting down by myself, indulging in a little people-watching. June has abandoned me in search of tea and snacks, so I really had a chance to look around and soak in my surroundings. Suddenly,  I began to feel very out-of-place. It was an extremely strange feeling. I liked the vibe of the city with its natural beauty everywhere, the quirky fashion sense of the citizens, and a true foodie culture.  Yet, there was something that I could quite put my finger on...and then it hit me: "where are the black people?!" Perhaps a little  research was in order prior to this trip, so I would not be shocked by the Portland demography. However, I kid you not, I saw more black people in Rome, Italy. So right there, from my perch, I start smartphoning it: "black people in Portland." The results were, to say the least, not ideal. I started to give in to a sinking feeling when, wait! There, in the distance I spotted the one person I didn't think existed here: a black woman! And her daughter! They exist!

Then I immediately started to feel bad. And then sad. For two reasons:

1.  The "Why of it All" - Why is the realization that there are few to no black people the origin of a "sinking feeling"? In 2014, shouldn't I be beyond the pressures and the tensions evoked by race? What's wrong with me?
2. The "Where of it All" - This is bigger than #1. My first point is naive foolishness. Anyone who reads a paper or watches the news has to admit that there are still race-centric issues in the United States of America. But me, yesterday, I was having this disconnected, "I-don't-belong-here", make for the hills feeling...at church. 

I have a group of friends and, on an almost annual basis, we visit West Virginia to hang out in cabins. I go there with an expectation of Confederate flags, and lawn gnomes that really aren't gnomes...just little black men surrounded by grass and tin water cans. I expect to see racist vintage art hung up on the walls of random establishments and I don't waste time looking around for a ton of black people, because I know they're not there. I have an expectation of homogeneity. 

the "ideal" church--per carnal thinking

So Portland merely took me by surprise. And believe me, there are no confederate flags, or "little Sambo" lawn ornaments, or vintage blackface posters, there's simply: no diversity. No big deal. No one has treated me strangely (though someone did try to sell me weed--Normal? Not normal?) or made me feel unwelcome.

But as it came to the church, I started to wonder: am I looking for diversity in the wrong place? Should I expect homogeneity in the church? And I don't mean this in the "Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in Christian America" (a la MLK) way. I mean shouldn't I look for homogeneity in a way that transcends all of that?

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:26-28

There are many who would teach that this is only a theological point, expressing a sort of spiritual/divine equality and unity through the spirit of Christ. It's theological, but not...practical. I find that to be the saddest interpretation of scripture I've ever encountered. We are either all one in Christ Jesus--and are in Christ Jesus all the time; or we can step in and out of Christ Jesus at will, for practical purposes, effectively making racial ("Jew or Greek"), socioeconomic ("slave or free"), and sexual ("male or female") issues both a practical and theological part of corporate worship.

So on Sunday, I was sitting in my folding chair in that huge garage/auditor church thinking these thoughts, and  thinking of that verse. The preacher was preaching, and it was an excellent message (you can check it out here) on the greatest of all the commandments: 

and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

 - Mark 12:30-31

You might think that's completely unrelated to my previous train of thought, but that sermon had me jumping from notion to notion, and scripture to scripture (like the one in Galatians scripture above). But then I started trying to let myself off the hook, telling myself: "I love God, I love people...I'm all good." But is that 100% true? If that were the case, then when I looked around the church, should I have seen (only) a room full of white hipsters? And it brought me to this scripture: 

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. - 1 John 4:20

Clearly, I wasn't in there thinking: "I hate these people." I'm not looking to this scripture to determine whether or not I hated them, but I'm looking to it wondering: have I actually seen them. In the Greek, the word for "seen" here is from a root that means "to stare at properly" and it can mean more than seeing with the eyes, but also perceiving with the mind.

So, I started looking around thinking, who am I really looking at? Who really has their hands up in the air? Who's really singing these praises? Who are they...really?

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

 - 1 John 4:12

Should I see God? 

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Or should I see myself? Someone that I am intricately connected to through Christ? No one looks in a mirror and sees disparate parts. They see themselves. One body. Christ is looking at us, but is seeing Himself.

Isn't that what I should see as well? 

Ugh! Why did I say that?

Saturday night I went to a concert in DC. Priscilla Ahn. As you know, I'm a huge Ingrid Michaelson groupie, but I have to say that Priscilla has the purest, most beautiful/organic sound I've ever heard live. Her voice has a sort of ethereal quality that transcends what you hear on the CD. But enough about that, this blog is not about her. The blog is about what happened after Priscilla and I parted ways.

So, it's late night. I'm in the metro. Alone. I have a twenty minute wait for the next train. I see a security guard waiting as well, so I sit by him. Will he protect me if things get rough at Metro Center? Probs not, but women are comforted by fantasies. Anyway, I'm sitting there in imaginary safety when two young men who may or may not be of the thug variety sit next to me. One on each side. I am sandwiched between potential thugs. And then my security guard suddenly catches a blue line train (I'm waiting for orange), and I'm left alone with them. My initial thought: I will now be robbed or harassed. Or both. Le sigh.

Like one minute after security guard leaves one of the guys says: "I like your hair." I say "thank you" politely and resume staring off into space (I dare not pretend to play on my phone as that increases the odds of it being stolen...in my mind). He doesn't say anything for another 2-3 minutes, then this happens:

Potential Thug 1: I was gonna ask you for your number, but I think maybe you think I'm too young for you.
Me: I'm definitely too old for you. I'm pretty sure your mom would slap me if I dated you.
Potential Thug 1: How old are you?
Me: (never so happy to admit this) 31
Thug 1 and 2: (gasp) What? I would have never guessed that.
Thug 2: Yeah, I would say like 27 at most.

Usually, it's about this time--once the old hag reality sinks in--that youngsters go away. But instead of hitting on me, they have now turned to me for life advice.

Thug 1: So, what kind of advice would you have for someone my age? You know life advice.

 I was shocked. For two reasons,

1. Did he really just ask me that? Clearly, this is not your garden variety thug. Most likely not a thug at all. I profiled him based on the way he was dressed.
2. My answers. My answers made me feel like the oldest person on this planet. I said all the cliched things I heard when I was younger: "Stay in school" "Be safe" (in regards to sexual practices). Ahhh! I'm 50! Very practical, yet, in hindsight I felt like I told him all the wrong things. 

♫See you at the metro...so you won't be lonely.♫

First off, he'd already given up on school in his pursuit of a rap career. Which I can't hate on completely b/c what if Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and so many others had given up? So, we talked a little about back-up plans and what not. Practical.

Second, I don't know about safety, but he was already on his way to meet a girl for drinks who, as he put it, was "pressed" and that he had her mind messed up... He said he often gives a girl a compliment, like "I like your hair" and then he's silent. He says the silence messes up their minds. Whaaa? I was confused by that, so I just talked about being nice to girls and more about safety and responsibility. Practical.

But...where was my come-to-Jesus speech? Honestly, it never even crossed my mind. Is that normal? Abnormal? Do we only talk as the Lord leads us, or should our first inclination be to hit them with scriptures?

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

- Colossians 4:5,6

I spent 15 minutes in the train station and then 30 minutes on the train (they were going where I was going), having a lively discussion with these two young men. Yet, I doubt that from the viewpoint of Christ I made the "best use of the time." Why? I don't know. I have to think more about the cause-and-effect of the entire situation. Nothing bad happened. We didn't have a bad talk. I would say, we had a good talk...but at no point was it a god talk either. I'm not like wretchedly convicted or crying my eyes out over here, but next time, I want to be prepared to make better use of the time. At the very least, it'd make for a crazier story. 

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. - 2 Timothy 4:2

If I could do it all over again, and someone said: "what kind of advice would you have for someone my age?" I could tell them that the best thing they could ever do is to develop a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And then just be silent. 

The silence...it messes with their minds.

Do You Love Your Job?

A few days ago, my old boss sent me a link to a sermon, but I didn't really find time to listen to it until today. The sermon was called: How to Get the Most Out of Your Work - Part 1. You might be thinking: "You must be some type of horrible employee to be given that link..."

You might be correct. But I don't think so. Recently, there have been some shake-ups in the workplace that left me feeling a little sad and dejected.  So, I think my old boss tried to cheer me up with a little Charles Stanley.

I'm not one to turn down help, so I put in my earbuds, and listened to it today at my desk (I multi-task). What's strange is this was also--briefly--the topic of my small group/bible study last night: Should we find purpose, meaning, and significance in our 9 to 5? I was like "I don't know about that."
Stranger still, two weeks ago I was relaxing in the National Mall (not a store, but a grassy are by the Smithsonian) with a friend and we discussed the extent to which a person can be defined by their career. And I said: "I wouldn't define myself that way."

So, this has come up three times! Maybe I need to pay attention a little. Should my thinking concerning work change?

chained to a desk? Break free!

I come from a school of thought that can be summed up in a few different ways:

• Everybody's working for the weekend - the Rock and Roll way
• Working to eat is a tragic, tragic curse (Genesis 3:17-19) -  the take the Bible-out-of-context-to-make-my-point way
• "Look down, look down, you'll always be a slave..." - The Les Miserables way

Clearly, I'm joking (a little bit). I don't, by any means, hate my gig, but the stuff Charles Stanley talked about, the things that we discussed in small group, and the way my friend feels defined by his government contractor career...all felt super foreign to me.

I didn't ask my friend how he came to internalize the career as part of his identity. So, no help there.

I was super skeptical in small group (where David was our comparable) for the following "legit" reasons: 

1. David has been called by God to his position. Anointed even. No oil has been placed on my head to anoint me as a CPA. Therefore I scientifically deduce this to be "apples and oranges."
2. At the height of my career achievement, I think the highest title I could ever have would be something like: "Controller" or "CFO." Yet, none of those sounds as significant as "King." I think it's easier to find meaning, purpose and significance when your title is "King." I'm just saying.



King of Israel, King of Pop...both great titles!

3. We were told to seek meaning...but not all told how to find it.

So, no take aways for me right?

But maybe my thinking is extremely twisted. To the first point, if I'm on the path that God has planned for me--I might not be, but if I am--then aren't I called to the work I'm performing? To my second point, does the significance of the title matter? Lots of teachers view their careers as their identity and there's nothing prestigious about it! "Teacher" is neither royal, nor is it lofty. But the fact that I'd want to only be identified by my job title if it was "Princess of Monaco" just makes--to my third point--the answer offered by Charles Stanley even more of a bitter pill to swallow:

View Yourself As A Servant

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Why Charles, why?

Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. - Colossians 3:22-24

This is the verse he hits me with. My first thought was "technically, I'm not a slave but rather an at-will employee..." but let's not mince words. I have to work somewhere, else I will be hungry. Or cold. Or hungry and cold. So though I'm not forced to work at a specific place, I am forced to work. But I don't have to view work in the ways listed up above. If I view it as a good work that God has prepared for me...won't I reverence it more? Enjoy it more? Love it more?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

And if that's a stretch, like if the good works have to be ministerial kingdom building, then what if I just do what Colossians says and view it "as for the Lord"? That is really key. I work for men. The slaves Paul was addressing worked for men! But if we merely work for men...it will potentially suck. Paul is asking us to look past those people, and to imagine (or even to realize) that everything we do is in the service of the Lord!

I tried it today. And failed miserably. I kept repeating in my mind: "Iamaservant iamaservant iamaservant" to no avail. I kept getting mad at e-mails and auditor requests. But I'm going to pray on it and keep conditioning myself to think this way. Why? Because life would be better if I lived as if I was anointed with oil to do my job: as if a good job for my boss is a good job for Jesus. Whether it's true or not. Though...I think it's true:

...the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. - Luke 22:26

Come As You Are

I had a conversation last week with June that went like this:

Me - I'm thinking of writing a blog called "Come As You Are"
June - Like the song?
Me - Like the scripture...duh!

However, I immediately thought "maybe that's not a scripture..." so I went on a quest for the red letter verse (I'd take black letter as well) that said: "Oh ye sinners, come as ye are...and I will give ye rest" (KJV).  Something along those lines.

RIP Hall of Famer!

But alas, there was no such divinely inspired Word. There's only an old Nirvana song and the memoria of pastors and missionaries saying "come as you are" in sermons and religious conversations when I was a kid/teenager.

While there is no specific passage that says "come as you are" we know that the concept is biblical. "Come as you are" simply means you don't have to "clean yourself up" prior to coming to Christ. It means there's no prerequisite to salvation (Mark 2:17). Which is awesome!

I went back and forth between titling this post: "Come As You Are" or "Take Me As I Am" (see Faith Hill or Mary J...depending on your musical tastes).  Why? Well, when it comes to relationships, these two phrases speak to the "dream" situation. At one point or another, we've all said that we want someone who "loves me for me." When we want someone to love us and our crap, we have a "Take Me As I Am, don't try to change me" mentality. Additionally, we bask in the idea that our crap is just so darn lovable that the other person is thinking "Come As You Are, because I wouldn't change a thing!" That would be TRUE love. Right?

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us...1 John 3:16

OH, so that's true love. Since true love is most obviously manifested in Christ's finished work on the cross, we have to ask ourselves: what is the intended end result of that love?

Be ye transformed!

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2

 Could we say brainwashed...or is that too hard to handle?

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Could you imagine your face changing into someone else's face in the mirror? 

...in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. - Ephesians 4:22-24

He'll take you as you are right now, but then...Extreme Makeover: Mind, Body, Soul Edition.

How is it that what we expect out of our carnal relationships is not at all what we can expect from a relationship with God? We want someone to accept us as we are instead of trying to force us to fit this image of the perfect girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife/friend.  And though it's true that God wants you to "Come as you are!", He also intends for you to leave totally changed. He plans to conform you to the image of His Son. Isn't it a little freaky to think of it in those terms? We have this idea that a person can love us so much that they never try to change us. But God loves you enough to change you! To change your whole life.

...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  - John 10:10

Why is that so scary?

Easter, Cherry Blossoms, Poison...You Know?

I took (and edited) this picture!

It's a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. On days like today it's hard to write a blog. It's probably even harder for someone to read a blog. Especially when sunshine, blue sky, and cocktails-on-a-patio are beckoning. I've already done the Cherry Blossoms and brunch today, so now I'm literally fighting a nap, so I just have to start typing. I apologize, in advance, if this is senseless drivel.

So, over the past couple of weeks, I've been watching a lot of K-dramas (per usual) and I noticed something: sacrificial death is theatrical gold. Oh, how we cry! Last week I was watching John Q (which was preposterous), and that moment when he says "Take my heart", though ridiculous, is deeply moving. In the movies, I've always thought that it had to be excruciatingly painful for the benefactor. If someone, today, were to voluntarily die in my place...I think I'd lose it. Like, I don't think I would ever stop thinking about that person's death in exchange for my humdrum existence. It would haunt me.

Then I thought: why is the death of Jesus so different?

1. It's not sad. It's cause for celebration. This is the one person I'm glad to know died for me.
2. I'm not all that haunted. I don't go through every day thinking about the fact that Jesus died on the cross for my sins (and those of the whole world).

The first difference is okay, and even biblical:

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” - John 20:11-13

Mary was crying outside of an empty tomb...not understanding why it was empty. If it's empty because marauders have stolen His body to further desecrate it...yeah, that's cause for major tears. But if it's empty because 1) Christ died for her sins, 2) her sins were, in fact, taken but 3) He was powerful enough to overcome the death those sins required?!!? Then it's time to rejoice. That's a big deal.  It's never like that in the movies. In the movies, when someone dies saving someone else, it's kind of a done deal. And that's devastating.

The second difference is not okay, and that's biblical:

...and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

 - 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Holy Communion is your haunt. It's your chance to reflect on (and publicly declare) the fact that Jesus died for you. You remember it so vividly in that moment. I often think: "Jesus died a criminal's death...for me." It gets me every time. Died like a thief. Like a murderer. For what? Let's be honest: I would never expect someone to die for me (except you Mom, sorry). I don't think it's low self-esteem to say that. I just don't think I'm a big enough deal for someone to say: "I volunteer as tribute!" Nah...that type of sacrifice is rare. Very rare. 

In one of my dramas, this chick drank a cup of poison that was meant for her fiance. She KNEW it was poison. She knew it! She saw the drink get poured, but at the last moment, she switched their cups. And I was thinking: "NOOOO! Dummy, just pour the drink out!" Like, why drink it? Because someone had to. "No thanks" wasn't an option in that situation. Someone had to drink. 

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
 - Romans 5:6

I was praying earlier about "drinking my cup." I don't know what it is that God has purposed for my life, but I know I've spent a lot of years being afraid of it. What's in my cup? Is the boogie man in my cup? I feel like I'd be better positioned to drink it if I knew what it was. Jesus knew what was in his cup. I was literally praying this prayer--complaining that JC knew what was in His cup while I am oblivious, when it hit me: It wasn't even His cup. It was mine!

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed about "this" cup. 

...“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”  

...He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” - Matthew 26: 39, 42

I love this. This isn't His cup, but He knows that what's in the cup can only be dealt with by Him drinking it. If He drinks it, I won't have to. If He drinks it, you won't have to! I felt somewhat ashamed for my lame prayer. Like, whatever is in my cup is not nearly as bitter as what Jesus drank. He drank my cup. He drank my poison. And that's Easter dude! I think it's amazing when you think of how fun we've made Easter. I have a whole day planned after church: Easter brunch, maybe a hike, blah, blah, blah. I need to make sure I set aside time to truly ponder my cup. Do I have struggles? Yep. Do I have probs? Of course. But that cup...is empty. 

Rejoice.

Haiku Movie Review: Noah

Biblical account
Drowned in the filmaker's flood
But...lesson still learned

NOAH (2014)


It's hard, as a Christian, to objectively review a movie that is based on a biblical account. When creative license is taken with a book that is the basis of your entire worldview, you can become a little bit "testy." However, since it's billed as a "biblically-inspired fantasy" that is what you should go in expecting. If you go looking for the Bible story you learned in Sunday school, you'll mutter "this is garbage" like the ladies seated behind me in the theater. They experienced an almost-sacrilegious reinterpretation of the story they know and love. However, if you go for a biblically-inspired fantasy, you'll get an interesting twist on an age-old story with some surprises and plot maneuvers that, though not at all scriptural, will ultimately land you in the same spot: Divine destruction with a select group of survivors left to replenish the Earth.

Fun Things: 

1. Noah - I thought Russell Crow did an excellent job portraying an emotionally conflicted-but-spiritually-resolved-to-carry-out-God's-will-no-matter-what version of Noah. He definitely needed to be thrown overboard. 
2. The Rock Monsters - they were fallen angels, punished for helping humans after their ejection from Eden (totally made up - there is only one angelic fall recorded in scripture and it had nothing to do with "good intentions").  The Rock Monsters helped build the ark (cutting down the 100 year production period in the Bible to a few months). They also protected Noah from the onslaught of people desperate to be stow-a ways.
3. Methusaleh - Who doesn't like an Anthony Hopkins sighting? 
4. Miracles - there were a number of miracles performed in the film that definitely pointed towards faith and divine provision. They were good moments. 
5. Shem was a hottie.

Stupid Things: 

1. Jennifer Connelly in JEANS the whole movie. It was...too much. 
2. The super-involvement of God to destroy the place juxtaposed against His hands-off approach to ensuring Noah's understanding of His full will.
3. The movie definitely seemed to have a PETA-inspired* message that animals were innocent and deserving of rescue... well, at least 2 of each. God was clearly fine with killing the rest of the many billions of "innocent" animals (or maybe only two of each happened to be innocent...)? 

I thought the movie did a rather good job of portraying one biblical truth:

Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 

- Genesis 6:11-12

This wasn't just God's opinion (though His is the only one that counts), but Darren Aronofsky made the world seem corrupt to my eyes. The utter depravity of man, and the selfishness with which humans lived out their lives, in response to eviction from the garden was very interesting and (imo) true to the Bible. 

The movie was an action-packed thriller raising evocative points regarding destiny and how much of it God has put in our hands. We like to believe that we direct our own destiny...but do we direct ourselves, inevitably, towards destruction?

All, in all, I was entertained.

Recommended if you don't mind that's it's only a biblically-inspired fantasy full of preposterous, made-up things.
Not recommended if you would mind any of the above; you need your bible movie to be accurate.

*I think animal cruelty is wrong, and as a plus, the movie only used CGI animals.