Anybody Want a Peanut?

"Mawage. Mawage is what bwings us togethaw today."

Next week, Amber and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary, so in honor of that, I thought I'd write about one of our favorite romantic movies, 1987's The Princess Bride. It's an adventure / comedy / fairytale that shows how "true love" can conquer anything, and it's one of the most quotable movies I've ever seen..

The movie begins when a sick little boy (Fred Savage) receives a visit from his grandfather (Peter Falk), who gives him a present: a book. "That's right. In my day, Television was called Books," the grandfather explains. "Does it have any sports in it?" the boy inquires, to which the grandfather excitedly explains: "Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes...true love...miracles!" While the boy is less than enthusiastic, his grandfather begins reading aloud to him The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, and slowly over the course of the film, the boy comes to be enthralled by the story.

Cary Elwes and Robin Wright in 'The Princess Bride' © 1987 Twentieth Century Fox

Moving to Beverly... Hills, That Is

Do you ever get the feeling like you just don't belong here? If so, maybe you're right!

In the 1960s, some of the funniest TV sitcoms fell into what I call the "fish out of water" category. This genre included shows like The Munsters and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and the humor came from the fact that the main character(s) just didn't fit in with the rest of the world. If you've ever felt weird or outcast, these shows are for you. What they remind me, though, is that we as Christians really don't belong here. We're in this world for a short time, but we should always be looking forward to eternity. Like Abraham and his descendants in the Old Testament, we live for a while in these temporary places, but we look forward to our true home in the city built by God (Hebrews 11:9-10; Revelation 21:1-2).

© 1962 Viacom International Inc.

One of my favorite "fish out of water" shows from the '60s is The Beverly Hillbillies, the story of the Clampett family, as they move from their little cabin home in the Appalachian mountains to the high-society world of Beverly Hills after discovering oil on their property. The new billionaires are catapulted from the lowliest of circumstances into a world where - because they are different - they are neither understood nor accepted. Likewise, Jesus told his followers to expect rejection because the world first hated him, and we are different (John 15:18-19). But don't let rejection steal your joy! Instead, be assured of your eternal reward (Matthew 5:10-12).

Goober Says Hey!

Since this whole blog started, in a way, because of The Andy Griffith Show, I thought it would be appropriate to take some time and comment on the passing of George Lindsey. He played the lovable mechanic, Goober, on The Andy Griffith Show from 1964 until the show ended in 1968, and then he continued the role on the spin-off series, Mayberry RFD, for three more years. George Lindsey passed away this past Sunday, and will be laid to rest this afternoon.

George 'Goober' Lindsey

When I heard the news - like so many others around the world - I was sad. Lindsey joins a long list of others from the show's cast who have gone on to the Great Beyond, and as each one leaves us, we're reminded again of how far removed our world is from the world portrayed in the sleepy town of Mayberry. I don't know if things were ever really as simple as it seemed on the show, but for folks like myself, watching The Andy Griffith Show brings back happy memories of family and friends and a time when life didn't seem so complicated or controversial. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. People cared for one another and helped one another. And some of the best times to be had were just sittin' on the porch, relaxing after a good sermon and a nice Sunday supper. Lindsey's passing is a reminder to me that, while the times are changing, one thing is the same: life is short, and we need to make the most of our lives while we're here.

Living as a Joyful Noise

A few months ago, Amber and I went to the theater to watch the movie Joyful Noise, starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton as church leaders trying to lead their choir to victory in a national competition.

© 2011 Alcon Film Fund, LLC

While, on the surface, this might sound like a goody-two-shoes, family oriented Christian movie, it's not. The choir's opening song proclaims, "There's not enough love in our hearts," and it doesn't take long to find out they're telling the truth. It’s a movie full of back-stabbing, blackmail, judgmentalism, self-centeredness, pride, lying, swearing, and sexual sin - and that's all exhibited by the Christians in the film! Dolly's character even at one point shares her belief that "sometimes a small sin is justified" when you believe you're working for a higher purpose - a stance that is not Biblical at all, though I'm sure there are people who agree with her. Sin is always wrong in God's view, and God never calls us to sin (Psalm 5:4; James 1:13). When we are not sure how to avoid sin, we would do well to consider 1 Corinthians 10:13, pray about it, and remember these words:

Speaking Louder

"Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."

- 1 John 3:18

Have you ever been lied to? Have you ever made a promise and later been unable to do what you vowed? Have you ever said something and wished you could take it back? Have you ever wanted to say something, but just couldn't find the right words?  

Last time, I talked a little about the importance of what we say. Words express ideas and proclaim beliefs, and they can be very powerful. They have the ability to change people's lives in all kinds of ways. But sometimes words aren't enough, sometimes they can be deceptive, and sometimes we don't even mean what we say.

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

"Seeing is believing."

"You've got to practice what you preach." 

"Actions speak louder than words."

Words of Life

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits."

- Proverbs 18:21

Last month, Amber and I went to see the new movie, A Thousand Words. Eddie Murphy plays Jack McCall, a literary agent who will say anything to get what he wants. But after an encounter with a spiritual guru, Jack's life is forever changed when a magic tree springs up in his yard. This tree loses one leaf for every word Jack speaks, and the fear is that when all the leaves have fallen, both characters will die. Despite being a light-hearted comedy most of the way, there are several great truths for us to explore.

Eddie Murphy in 'A Thousand Words' © 2012 DW Studios LLC

First, and most obvious, is the truth that what we say is important. Words help us express ideas. The power of words can influence people. We can deceive people or enlighten them. We can bring hurt or we can bring encouragement. And the way we choose to use our words is a reflection of who we are. Whether we lie or tell the truth, it says something about our character. Whether we show contempt or love, that says something about who we are. Consider these words of Jesus from Matthew 12:33-37:

All the Lonely People

I have to admit, I've never watched Pulp Fiction, but for years, I've heard people quoting Uma Thurman from one of the film's deleted scenes:

"[T]here's two kinds of people in this world, Beatles people and Elvis people. Now Beatles people can like Elvis, and Elvis people can like the Beatles, but nobody likes them both equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice, and that choice tells you who you are."

Anyone who knows me very well knows I'm more of an Elvis person, but today I want to talk a little about The Beatles. The Beatles have been controversial at times, but whether you love them or hate them, there's no denying the influence they've had on the world of popular music, and sometimes they have a way of expressing things beautifully.

Generally, I prefer their earlier music, but in the later years, there were still plenty of great tunes. One of my favorite Beatles tracks came when they were transitioning from being primarily a touring band to being a more experimental, studio-bound group. Forsaking the traditional "guitars and drums" format I loved so much, they brought in a string octet to record Paul McCartney's tragic ballad, "Eleanor Rigby".

I'm the King of the World!

This Sunday will be April 15. When most Americans think of that date, we associate it with tax deadlines, but many this year will be thinking about the RMS Titanic, which sank 100 years ago on April 15, 1912.

When the movie, Titanic, came out back in 1997, I remember people joking that there was no reason to see it since we all knew the boat would sink in the end. Now, because of the 100th anniversary, the film is back in theaters, and I asked Amber last week, "Why would anyone go to see it in theaters again? The boat's still gonna sink! And we've already seen it sink!"

But all joking aside, I admit Titanic is a great film, and if you haven't seen it lately, it's worth the 3 1/2 hours to check out your local theater or - if you're like me - dust off the DVD and give it another look.

RMS Titanic © 1997 Paramount Pictures

Jesus Christ, Superman - Part 2

Since his creation by two Jewish teenagers in 1932, Superman has been an American icon, and - as I mentioned last time - whether it was intentional from the beginning or not, his story serves as a sort of modern-day parallel to the life of Jesus Christ.

Over the years, Superman has appeared in many forms in comic books, radio, television, and film. Perhaps your favorite Superman is in print, but maybe you love the Fleischer cartoons of the '40s, the George Reeves version from the 1950s, the Christopher Reeve version from the '80s, or any of countless other incarnations.

A few years ago, Amber and I discovered the series, Smallville, which focuses on young Clark Kent before he fully became Superman. We didn't watch when it first began, but we've been playing catch-up on DVD, and we just recently watched the Season 9 finale for the first time.

As we watched, I was struck by the strong religious overtones of the episode. Since I talked last time so much about how Superman and Jesus are similar, I'll start with those connections first:

Jesus Christ, Superman - Part 1

"Those who know your name will trust in you, 

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."

- Psalm 9:10 NIV

Sometimes, when we're searching for God, we imagine that he's hard to find, but all too often, he's right in front of us. More than that, when we find him, we often discover he's been there all along - we just didn't know where to look. But those who are seeking the Lord will find him.

Even before Jesus walked the earth, he began revealing the truth about himself in different ways - through the words of the prophets, through events in the history of Israel, and sometimes through the direction of the lives of Biblical characters. Several Biblical figures are what we call "types" for Christ - that is, their lives hinted at what was to come when Jesus would arrive.

Joseph in the book of Genesis is one of the best examples of what I mean. Consider these points:

• Joseph and Jesus were miracle babies (Joseph's mother was barren; Jesus' was a virgin).
• Both were persecuted by jealous men (Joseph by his brothers; Jesus by the chief priests).
• Both suffered for wrongs they had not done (Joseph was falsely accused of rape and sent to prison; Jesus was falsely accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death).