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Aug 11
2007
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obligated to watch? obligated to see?Posted by steve sherwood in U2, movies, grace, brokenness, Annie Dillard |
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I watched 'Jesus Camp' yesterday. I've been avoiding it for months. I knew it would depress me. Both because it's versions of faith, ministry to kids, interaction with culture and US politics are VERY different than mine AND because these still are 'my people': folks who love Jesus, who care
about kids, who want to make a difference. I knew it would leave me
profoundly conflicted.
I was not disappointed. I found watching it every bit as unpleasant as I expected.
This blog isn't really about 'Jesus Camp', though. It's about these questions. Do we have an obligation, a need to watch or see things that we'll find distasteful? Do we 'need' to feel uncomfortable? Is it 'good for us' to be depressed by what we see?
In many ways, our culture answers with a resounding, 'NO'! We love being comfortable. We build homes in suburban cul-de-sacs so we can only see manicured lawns. Whereas previous generations saw death firsthand, we botox and sanitize our lives to keep 'passing on' at bay. We prefer 'truthiness', versions of events that 'feel' how we'd like truth to be than actual truth.
But, is any of that good for us? Are our lives of beauty and peace illusory whistling in the dark?
The Hebrew prophets write powerfully of the beauty and wonder of God and at moments about the beauty and wonder of life. They also spend a lot of time talking about harsh reality. Often they seem like they would affirm the words of 19th Century philosopher, Bertrand Russell when he said, "The slow sure doom falls, pitiless and dark." They stare relentlessly into the depths of human depravity and suffering and force us to join them.
And then joy, wonder, beauty break in.
Paradox. Tension.
I guess the point of this rambling is this, for us to truly experience 'the art of wonder' it won't do to function as if wonder and beauty is all there is. Wonder, beauty, love, Grace are the miracles they are because they spring forth in a world where they are desperately needed. Disneyworld is cute and fun for awhile, but it is not real.
Matt Browning, on another post , recommended the writing of Annie Dillard. She writes hauntingly of both the beauty and horror of life in our world. She has described her vivid descriptions of suffering as her apologetic for the existence of God. She believes that speaking frankly about suffering gives her a stage to then speak frankly about Wonder to a dis-believing audience. She's on to something. U2's wonderful 'Elevation Tour' DVD ends with two seemingly incongruent songs. The last is the band ending the concert with 'Walk On' and joyously leading the audience in singing over and over the words 'Allelujah'.
Five minutes earlier, Bono had sung the first verse of 'Wake Up Deadman' where he sings, "Jesus, Jesus can you help me? I'm alone in the world, and a fucked up world it is too."
Doesn't his swearing and doubt cancel out or delegitimize the bands worship? I would like to argue that it does exactly the opposite. Having stared into and spoken honestly about life's brokenness, it's Bono's praise that rings true, that doesn't seem naive or contrived.
So, I want to keep watching movies that make me cringe, having conversations with people who don't think like I do, going to places that are not perfect suburban oasis'. Believing that doing so both opens my eyes to engage the needs of the world and to better recognize beauty and grace for the miracles they are. I invite you to join me.
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I know this is not the right venue to do this...So apologies to all, but I just couldn't help myself. Angie, I'm glad you found your way to this website! This is Drew de Jonge, Your Cousin in law:-) What a small world it is that you would be posting on rednow. It's really crazy that two people that I know from two very different parts of my life would be connecting here...how amazing! Cheers!
It was my pleasure to post! I attended the U of I from 2001 to 2005 and then made my way out to Washington, DC. I met and married a boy from Michigan out here and we now reside in Arlington, VA. What are you up to?
Thank you for those very kind and encouraging words! Are you curently at U of I? I've been swamped lately and not checked in at rednow for a few weeks so what a wonderful surprise to come over this morning and find your post. We still miss Iowa City terribly so I'm jealous of all the wonderful folks you mentioned in your post.
you undoubtedly do not remember me, but I was one of many castaway attendees in the summers of 98 and 99, and as a result i was brought into the fold our very gracious God. I never got a chance to really know you and elizabeth, but your leadership at camp and in iowa city had much to do with changing the direction of my life, and it is my pleasure to finally share this with you, if only through a blog comment.
i found my way to your blog with the help of ms katie callaghan (current iowa city young lifer who knows you through ellie and and jj alberhasky), and i am quite glad i did. thank you for such refreshing and necessarily somber words in this post. i too am a proponent of acknowledging the whole of this world, however terrifically ugly it sometimes is.
keep posting, please. i'd like to stay tuned.
On a more tangible, human front, I think of Francis feeling compelled to wash lepors or Mother Theresa being drawn to the streets of Calcutta. Or in much more pedestrian ways, a Young Life leader knowing the kid God wants her to befriend is exactly the kid that drives her crazy. Or the conversation that leader knows she needs to have is the one that will pry open all of the brokenness in a kid's life that will spill out all over the place.
I appreciate the post as I forced myself to See "Sicko" last night (which David so thoughtfully wrote about).
It is really interesting how a documentary in particular forces you to deal with both your interests in fears at the same time. Yeah, I was interested in the conversation; however, I was not convinced my "being" was interested in emotional partaking in the process.
I felt the same about "Jesus Camp". I felt obligated to see it but it was somewhat predictable from the title itself. The fear of "oh no"... but at the same time I found myself so intrigued by the fact that I walk away from each of these films wanting to discuss.... anyway, just an observation.
p.s. I entertained the idea of moving to France after Sicko for what it's worth in this conversation.
