Welcome to the epic final installment in a series of posts about Manly Men.
Grace, we must learn, is opposed to earning not to effort - Dallas Willard
So far I've rather clumsily tried to point out––as have many others––the crisis of masculinity in the Australian church. Someone suggested post #1 was a bit of a "shot across the bow" to raise the issue. That's pretty much on the money. In post #2, which focused on characteristics of Unmanly Men, I wanted to crush all of us who are blokes with the weight of responsibility that comes with being a masculine man. Every man is essentially an Unmanly Man. Some of us are so through our wilful disobedience and rebellion, others through ignorance––and all of us because we are broken at the core and, in a myriad of ways, we give God the finger and seek to do what we want to do.
So hopefully you fellas were reading #2 and feeling uncomfortable. And at the same time I hope something in you was feeling angry––like you know it's not the whole story and you want to throw the 'grace blanket' over the rough parts. I don't believe it is the whole story but until we sit with our sin, name it and agree with God about our need for him, we get nowhere.
The Vision: Keep Shovelling!
That brokenness is a grace gift that points us continually to Jesus. From that place we cooperate with God who, by the Holy Spirit, works an ongoing transformation in us for an eternity––the very beginning of which is a promise of its completion (Phil 1:6). Our task as aspiring Manly Men is to work with God––to keep shovelling. And in that process of shovelling––of working hard, being courageous, sacrificing ourselves, being others-centered––we discover that the gospel makes sense, we relate more closely with Jesus and we discover our deepest joy.
The vision is a big one: Manly Men who in humble submission to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit shape communities, families and churches into gospel-living, culture-transforming brilliance to the glory of the Father. (I'll take trinitarian for $250 thanks Alex...) This vision takes shovelling. It's not always pretty, it's rarely easy, but I believe it's right––and beautiful.
Some assumptions
At a basic level, men are created in the image of God and find their identity in Him. Men are created as worshippers who, through the fall, are sinners by nature and in need of God's saving grace. Men aren't self-sufficient beings, but created in need of God and others. God created men different to women. Wayne Grudem and John Piper define biblical masculinity like this:
At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships.
I think that's a tidy definition because it focuses on maturing out of sinful distortions and limitations to both act and feel benevolence in ways that are appropriate to different kinds of relationships. The combination of acting responsibly and feeling responsible means that mature masculinity isn't about just ticking the box, which is still immature, but focuses on a quality of heart, a core disposition that shapes concrete actions, attitudes, thoughts and words appropriately according to context. Here's another good one from Stuart Scott:
The possession and pursuit of redeemed perspective and character, enhanced by qualities consistent with the distinguishing male roles of leading, loving, protecting, and providing--all for the glory of God.
Jesus is the Perfect Man
Jesus is the perfect man and our ultimate example. He does the Father's will (not his own), was filled with Spirit (not worldly wisdom), lived a holy and obedient life, gave people the gospel, sought to meet the needs of others, sacrificed himself, sought to be gentle wherever possible (not harsh and demanding), was decisive and not wishy-washy or afraid, led the discples, showed initiative, confronted others when necessary, fulfilled responsibilities, was diligent and not lazy, served and listened to others in his leadership, wasn't proud and lording it over others, sought to glorify another (Father) and not hungry for attention or recognition.
Biblical Qualifcations for Manly Leaders
Above all, Manly Men are to put on Christlikeness and seek to emulate Christ in their lives. Characteristics from the biblical qualifications for church leaders include: being above reproach, a one-woman man, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, gentle, organised, loving good, upright, holy, disciplined and holding firm to the word to teach and rebuke.
Roles for a Manly Man
As you can see there's a huge amount of context and scene-setting that goes before an explicit discussion of roles of a Manly Man. Here are a couple of characteristics that are unique to Manly Men.
Leader
God is the ultimate leader. God appointed Adam to oversee the garden despite the fact that he could do a better job Himself (Gen 2:15, 1:28-30, 2:20). He was given tasks before Eve arrived on the scene. When she was created it was to help Adam in the work God had given them. Adam was to lead, Eve to help and follow. A Manly Man is a leader who is: wise, full of initiative, decisive, humble, courageous and personally involved.
Lover
God is the ultimate lover. Adam and Eve were given to each other as marital companions, an intention that's clarified throughout scripture (Mal 2:14). In the NT husbands are singled out as needing to exemplify this sacrificial love that Christ has for the church (Eph 5:25). This love involves living in an understanding way (1 Pet 3:7). Jesus commanded the men he left behind to love and serve each other (John 13:15). John Benton writes: There is need for repentance. Perhaps single men have used the strength they have to serve themselves rather than other people. Perhaps husbands have used their strength to dominate their wives and children. We need to learn to come back to God, back to his Word of Scripture, and learn again to walk with him. To be a loving sacrificial servant of others, as Jesus Christ was, is not to be namby-pamby. It is to be a true man. A Manly Man is a lover who is: kind, gentle, giving, considerate, a servant and self-sacrificial.
Protector
God is the ultimate protector of his people (2 Thess 3:3). A man makes the same commitment to protect his family, his wife, his children, the church and others around him. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 God commands the peeps at the Corinthian church to protect the faith by saying "act like men" (ie. be courageous, man up). Jesus protected his disciples (John 17:12) and expects church leaders to protect the body of Christ (Acts 20:28). A Manly Man is a protector who is: courageous, bold, strong and watchful.
Provider
God is the ultimate provider (Psalm 34:10). In the NT husbands and fathers are specifically given the role of provider (Eph 5:29, 1 Tim 5:8), as are leaders of God's people (Ezek 34:1-4, John 21:15-17). Manly men should seek to meet the true needs of the folks in their care: both physical and spiritual. A Manly Man is a provider. He needs to work hard, exercise wisdom, be personally involved and have a servant-heart. He needs to do all he can to care well for those he gets to love and lead.
Aspiring Manly Men
How to become a Manly Man? Simply, put off sin and grow in Christlikeness. Sins like fearing man, self-pity, loving pleasure, pride, laziness, selfishness, idolatory, lack of trust in God are pretty obvious impediments to cultivating masculinity. A real man will put off anything that stands in the way, cultivate practical skills and qualities as part of daily living. It's a lifetime journey and the metaphor of a shovel has been a helpful one in my life––some people lean on the shovel (avoid), others swing it at people (abuse) and some pick it up only to throw it away (abandon). The key is to use it to cultivate something greater than yourself and in so doing be transformed.
More...
• You may have come across the biblical qualifications for elders and glossed over them because you're not one or don't see yourself becoming one. But I think they're good criteria to measure yourself against as you seek to grow as Manly Man. Check out 1 Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9.
• Read and study the book of Proverbs, which is basically a book written by men to train younger men.
• You might never intend to plant a church, but this article draws heavily from the qualifications for elder and it's something I read and journal over a few times each year.
• Study the lives of flawed and faithful biblical men.
• Pray and ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)
• Read historical biographies of men of the faith who sought to live life well, fallen as they are.
• Look for men who are older than you––who have kids and grandkids and who have walked faithfully with Jesus for many years––and sit and listen to their wisdom. Ask them lots of questions around the practical application.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Manly Man Part 3 of 3:
Characteristics of a Manly Man
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Calling ye bibliophiles
So, uhh, like... what are you reading?
Garrick made a comment about wanting the down low on books before investing considerable energy in reading them––and the opportunity cost of an alternative selection otherwise foregone. I figured it'd be a good time to take a snapshot of what the Cacophonites are reading right now. So:
• what are you reading?
• give us your take on its merits (but don't spoil it)
• who do you think would dig it?
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Running for Enlightenment?
So a few of us got together—Johnson in Accounting, Jenkins in Dispatch and a couple of the guys in Sales—and we've devised a little test for you to join our club.
It's going to take you about 7 years but here's what we're thinking: run 40km per day for 100 consecutive days in the each year for 3 years, then up it to 40km per day for 200 consecutive days in years 4 and 5, in the 6th year run 60km per day for 100 consecutive days and cap it off with 84km each day for 100 consecutive days in year 7.
Too easy?
Well, if the thought of 900 marathons over 7 years doesn't fatigue you at all, then perhaps you wouldn't mind doing them in straw sandals, on a light vegetarian diet, while carrying books and reciting a mantra?
Meet the Buddhist Tendai Marathon Monks who seek to attain enlightenment through running, alot. Since 1885, only 46 have completed the 1,000 day spiritual challenge.
Is there anything we can learn from the marathon monks?
Monday, April 30, 2007
Michael Dunjey: The Journey So Far
Michael Dunjey is on his way to becoming the first WA-born climber to summit Mt Everest. Here's what he had to say when he had some time to kill at Base Camp.
The Journey So Far
The trek into Base Camp was amazing––stunningly beautiful. Adventure Consultants had a twenty member team that followed us into Base Camp. As you know, thousands of people hike to Everest BC every year, but very few go on to climb the mountain. The trekkers had a great time but found it very hard going with one of the members needing to be placed in a temporary oxygen chamber––and death may certainly have been possible.
For many of the trekkers making it to Base Camp was the highlight of their physical lives. Once the climbers made it to BC we had four days or so to rest and acclimatise and get ready for our first trip to the Ice Fall. The ice fall is a randomly jumbled block of ice and crevasses that rises 700m into the western cwm. The first time up we only went half way––it was absolutely exhausting for everyone. This was the real dividing line between the climbers and the trekkers––I daresay none of the trekkers could have done it. We are talking the equivalent of a marathon or up and down bluff knoll four times in a row. We were all shattered and disappointed. Apparently this is the norm for all climbers on their first time up.
After that first climb in the ice fall we had two days rest before climbing all the way up to Camp 1. It was easier this time to get to our previous highpoint on the ice fall, but going twice the distance all the way to Camp 1 was still shattering. We crossed about twenty ladders that span the crevasses––very scary at first as the crampons do not stick on the ladder rungs but slide, and the ladders themselves sway in all three directions––but you do get used to them after a while. I learned quickly not to look down (as the crevasses can drop forever) and to concentrate on the rungs and my crampon points. The ice fall moves about four meters per day and so the route up and down constantly changes. There are ice fall doctors who are employed by all the expeditions to keep the ice fall route open––it’s the most dangerous job on the mountain and every year there will be fatalities.
The reward at getting to the top of the ice fall is that you break out into the Western cwm––a massive almost valley that snakes its way up to the Lhotse face––surrounded on all side by either Everest and other mountains, including Nuptse. Edumund Hillary described this as one of the most beautiful sights on earth and most of our climbing team agreed.
The next day we traveled to Camp 2. Once again, from what we had read, this was meant to be an ok day. But now we know that on Everest nothing ever comes easy. Again all the marathoners on the team (ie. Most of the team) agreed that the journey from Camp 1 to Camp 2 was the equivalent of a marathon or more. However, the more we walked and climbed, the more we started to see the upper shores of Mt Everest open up before our eyes before finally, after three long weeks, we actually got to see the summit of the mountain we have all dreamed about climbing.
We stayed at Camp 2 for two nights and then ascended to the base of the Lhotse face. This was an amazing achievement as we arrived at 7000m far earlier than most other teams seeking to climb Everest this season. It was just a day trip for acclimatisation but we were able to see the route to Camp 3. We returned to Camp 2 to sleep before descending to Base Camp in one day. This was, by far, the most exhausting day yet and marked my third vomit of the trip and marked the end of the first third of our time here at Everest.
We’re now resting at Base Camp. On Friday we move back up the mountain with the goal of spending 8 days on the mountain. Our primary goal is to sleep one night at Camp 3 at 7300m. If we can do this then it essentially means we’re ready to go back down to Base Camp to rest for a week before making our summit bid. Many successful Everest climbers have actually said this trip to Camp 3 is the crux of the trip. When you go to Camp 3 for the second time––on the summit bid––you go on to support oxygen straight away. But the first time up you have to prove yourself worthy of the mountain and sleep on your own lungs. I don’t think anyone really sleeps or eats 7300m.
In all honesty, I am scared and nervous about this next trip up as it will be a real test of my acclimatisation and strength. The guides have been extremely diligent and gave us all performance appraisals for our climbing so far. They believe I can summit the mountain, but only if I improve my caloric intake. It’s something I really need to concentrate on. Their goal for me is that whilst I’m climbing I always have something in my mouth––even if it’s just hard candy. The altitude does mess with my appetite. This has probably been the hardest time of my life. It is very easy to get down, agitated, depressed, nervous and home sick. But I always know in the back of my head that there is a job that needs to be done to the best of my ability. In the end, the outcome of this trip is in my Creator’s hands.
Read More
• Michael's website
• Adventure Consultants website
Friday, April 27, 2007
You're Tops:
Dean Karnazes (Running Banshee)
Dean 'Karno' Karnazes is not a normal person.
Dean, based in San Francisco, left a successful marketing career to go for a bit of a run. It's been a few years now, and he's still running. Plenty. And I'm not talking about your 45 minute gasp around the suburbs. He's done a bunch of crazy runs including the Western States 100 Miler, the Badwater Ultramarathon and last year he ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. He published a book about some of his shenanigans called Ultramarathon Man. It serves to chronicle the fact that he is certifiable. One anecdote from the book pretty much sums him up.
There are a few team-based relay runs out there. Dean entered one, but instead of completing it with all the blokes from the Sales Department, or the golf club, or the myriad of ways running teams are formed, Dean was running by himself: Team Karno. In order to fuel the furnace that drives this running machine he had a pizza company deliver some pizzas to him at an obscure intersection late at night so he could eat them as he ran. Which he did. And if memory serves me right he washed them down with a thermos of coffee...
Most recently, Dean has been nominated as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. You can vote for Dean to be included within the final 100 here. I'm into people who are into their thing––be that spelling, obscenely long runs or geo-politics. There's something about the obsessive and relentless pursuit of mastery and enjoyment in a field that's inspiring. Karno makes me want to have a go, to push things a bit, to turn what can be the suburban-treading-water posture to which I can so easily entropy into an adventure. And he's done it with a pair of shoes and a healthy disregard for self-applied boundaries. Go Karno, go!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Armbars ain't armbars
I've half written a theological reflection on ultimate fighting post in my head but there comes a time when the sheer joy of well-executed flying armbar requires it be shared immediately.
Amen.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
What's a hero?
some-times there's a man--I won't say a hee-ro, 'cause what's a hee-ro?--but sometimes there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Dude here--sometimes there's a man who, wal, he's the man for his time'n place, he fits right in there--and that's the Dude - The Big Lebowski [imdb]
That extended preamble is just to nurture my passion for The Big Lebowski.
But the real issue at hand is an article called The Banality of Heroism which can be found here. It's by Dr Phil Zimbardo (of the Stanford Prison Experiment) and Zeno Franco.
What say ye about their ideas about what makes a hero and how to 'nurture' the heroic imagination? Got any heroes?
Monday, April 2, 2007
Pastor Buck & the Power of Puppetry
Look, it's no Impact World Tour [link] event, but I'm pretty sure it's hard-hitting and challenging to the core.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Buechner on Vocation
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet –– Frederick Buechner
Thoughts?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Manly Men Part 2 of 3:
Characteristics of an Unmanly Man
Just because you have a penis doesn’t mean you’re a Manly Man. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you’re a Manly Man. Just because you consume your own body mass in steak, drive an F250 and work as a lumberjack doesn’t mean you’re a Manly Man. And smashing beer cans against your head simply proves the strength of your forehead––particularly if it’s light beer.
Welcome to the second instalment. I tried to point out in the first post that I am writing in rough caricatures as a means of pointing to an issue and having a bit of fun. Heck I think the use of statistics and catchy generalisations was pretty funny in itself. But in case of a lack in my writing abilities or the challenge of the medium I’ll make it explicit: I’m writing in very, very unfair generalisations––poor guys––and having a bit of fun (a camel through the eye of a needle etc.)
Previously, I suggested there was a problem in the Australian church because only 39% of people in it are males. This episode of the Manlyfesto highlights some of the characteristics of the Unmanly Man. You may know him and you may even be him. The list is in no way exhaustive so please feel free to add your characteristics or one’s you’ve observed below.
Some Characteristics of an Unmanly Man:
He’s an ordinary theologian | This guy’s problems start with theology––he doesn’t know the God of the bible. He thinks theology is something done in abstraction from the world of work, family, relationships and study. He might even take pride in theological illiteracy. Mate, you don’t get a medal for not being able to explain what you believe, why you believe it and how it affects your life…
He thinks sin ain’t so bad | Sin is something to be managed, tolerated, excused... Oh it’s not so bad. And God is a big God of LOVE! Forget the fact that God’s wrath is mentioned easily as much as hs love in the bible. Wait, they’re connected? He’s more comfortable with the idea of ‘institutional’ sin, which is ‘out there’ and doesn’t get too uncomfortable for him.
He doesn’t pray | Crap theology and a tolerance or obliviousness to sin––no wonder he doesn’t pray. God can’t actually do anything can he? And how can he pray to God when he doesn’t have an accurate picture of what God thinks about him? Does he really need God’s help to fulfil his responsibilities faithfully? Does he really need God to transform his life?
He’s a wimp | There’s not much spine going on with this guy. His default action is always the safe option. Don’t look to him for the courage it takes to fight for a family or the gospel. He could be too busy idolising his feelings to figure out that there are times when he needs to put his balls on the line.
He avoids | Even when the problems are screaming in his face he still manages to turn his head and play dumb. It doesn’t matter if its people who have an issue with him or if there are things within his domain of responsibility that require his attention, he can still avoid it. He doesn’t believe that problems can be addressed, that he can do good things–-that the world needs him to––he’s just looking at the ceiling and waiting for Jesus to take him home.
He abuses | Physical, spiritual, emotional––he’s found creative ways to abuse those around him––especially women. He thinks his life is more frustrating than others’ and so he takes it out on his wife, friend, kids, pet or inanimate objects. He’s like a teenager who is big enough to swing a punch and do damage, and he’s just dump enough to do it. He uses his strength to destroy and not build up.
He abandons | No-one understands just how hard things are for this guy. He’s the special case, the exception to the rule. So don’t you dare judge him if he walks away. You would too if it was you. This guy hasn’t reconciled that he can get help, he’s not alone and that his job is to persevere and struggle regardless.
He’s strong before God and weak before others | This guy is willing to change because someone doesn’t like something about him. It’s very important for him to stay with the herd. But he’ll want to argue and negotiate with God. He’ll be careful not to offend others but in doing so he’s happy to offend God.
He’s lazy | He doesn’t have a job because it interferes with his lifestyle. He knows the bible says that if you don’t work you don’t eat, but by mooching he’s been able to avoid hunger as a motivator. He freaks out when he can’t catch his favourite TV show, he’s particularly adept at computer games and likes to wile his day away doing not much at all.
He doesn’t have a plan | Dating but no end game in mind? Taking 17 years of full-time study to get your Bachelors degree ‘cos you can’t decide on a career? Still tell people you’re “praying about it” when they ask how you see your ministry, service and use of your spiritual gifts to build up the church––and it’s been years? This guy has no plan.
As a bloke I find that it sometimes takes some provocation to get my attention and that’s part of what’s behind the way I’ve approached these first two posts. When someone picks a fight I pay attention. This isn’t meant to be a conclusive list. But it’s my hope that any bloke who reads it will feel some of the weight of Manly Man-ness. Don’t resist it. Don’t ignore it. Let it settle on you, agitate you and call you to study, to pray and to God.
So let's hear your Characteristics of Unmanly Men.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
From the horse's mouth:
Steve Turner's Creed
Steve Turner is a British journalist and author. He's written books on Jack Kerouac, Johnny Cash, and Sir Cliff Richard. He's partial to U2 (co-authored Rattle and Hum), which will appeal to some Cacophonites, he's a poet and he can be seriously satirical.
Creed
by Steve Turner
We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.
We believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy’s OK.
We believe that taboos are taboo.
We believe that everything's getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.
We believe there's something in horoscopes
UFO's and bent spoons.
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha,
Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher though we think
His good morals were bad.
We believe that all religions are basically the same-
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.
We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens
they say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its
compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps
Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn
We believe in Masters and Johnson
What's selected is average.
What's average is normal.
What's normal is good.
We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between warfare and
bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors.
And the Russians would be sure to follow.
We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.
We believe that each man must find the truth that
is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth
that there is no absolute truth.
We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.
If chance be the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky
and when you hear
State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!
It is but the sound of man
worshipping his maker.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Manly Men Part 1 of 3:
Where are the Manly Men?
If William Wallace [or the masculine archetype of your choosing] could take a walk around most evangelical churches today I reckon he’d feel very uncomfortable with the men, despite the fact that he’d be the one wearing the skirt. I’m sure the long line of Biblical Patriarchs would feel similarly. Heck, I suspect Jesus would be more comfortable with a long walk in the desert than another ‘bout of pseudo-religious babble designed to ticke ears and placate another "man's" recalcitrant inner emotional child.
Maybe its the pastel décor, the My-Jesus-My-Boyfriend songs, the overwhelming number of women or an absence of respectable men in the church calling other men to stop prolonging their adolescence and to start being men themselves. Whatever the reason, the numbers tell the story.
The 2006 Australian National Church Life Survey found that in every denomination, in every age grouping, more women attend church than men. In fact only 39% of people who attend church in Australia are male. And we need to ask the question about the quality of those who do attend. So here are some of the "men" you'll encounter within the 39% of males who are attending a local church service near you:
The Predator: Many of the men who come to churches are there because of the disproportionate number of women present. Basically, your odds are better at church than at the local pub. Plus you don’t have to buy drinks. So they’re not just sexual predators, they’re cheap too.
The Church Boy: You’ll also find within those males who do attend church the nice, soft, eager-to-please church boy. He thinks he’s good because he doesn’t do anything bad, but his problem is that he doesn’t do anything! This is a nice, compliant, confused male. Just the kind of guy you want to marry your daughter / sister, and to lead the church to go charge the gates of hell.
Mr Present-but-absent: This guy comes to church because his wife makes him. She sees it as a good moral influence on the kids (one they're not getting anything explicit from dad) and the kids won't go if dad doesn't go. So she makes life unbearable for him and rather than endure the tyranny, he ticks the box on a Sunday.
So if 39% of church attendees are male and within this demographic there are sexual predators, neutered-nice-boys and absent-box-tickers, I think it’s safe to say there is a crisis in Australian churches.
Yes, I do know that there are some Manly Men in some churches. I'm sure you want to step in and defend them, but I think you'll find they're frustrated about this too. Ask them... And yes I'm well aware that I've written in rough caricatures as a kind of shorthand to describing the problem.
But can we agree there's a problem?
[I need to acknowledge the influence of this man and this book in shaping my thoughts on these issues over the last few years.]
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Leonard Cohen: Anthem
Big kudos to Mr Cohen.
Ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
*from Anthem.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Cacophony Review: Characters in search of an author
I saw Stranger than Fiction recently and it was sensational. It had enough tragedy to make it fly as a comedy and it engaged on all sorts of levels. If you haven’t seen it, you probably want to stop reading right here.
I was a tad skeptical that Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffman could appear in the same film and pull off such a coup. We won’t talk about Queen Latifah...
The film tells the story of Harold Crick (Ferrell), a methodical IRS agent who might have a touch of ye ole OCD. His world starts to fall apart when he's ambushed by a voice in his head, a woman's voice that's narrating his life. Turns out that voice belongs to Kay Eiffel (Thompson), a novelist who hasn’t published in a while and who really needs to kill off her latest protagonist, who happens to be an IRS agent named Harold Crick.
Through a sequence of events Harold hears Kay’s voice and sets out to track her down. In the process of that search Harold changes, embracing the life that’s always been his to pick up and run with. He fights for it. He fights against the cliché that’s been written prescriptively for him. He meets Ana (Gyllenhaal) and fights for her. He fights for other people around him. He learns guitar. And he sets out to figure out what’s going on with the narration in his head. He eventually chases down Kay, the author / narrator, and she is changed because of who Harold is and the trajectory of the story changes. Everyone changes. It’s a change-fest!
Even a couple weeks later I’m still mulling the storyline over in my head. I like a film like that – a persistent one. The biggest deal for me is how Harold’s life changes when he realises that if he cowers passively his life will be narrated to death. It’s when he comes to grips with the reality that his role in this story is crucial, that he needs to get to the author to have any hope of changing things. As a character in search of an author Harold is changed and he lives.
There’s something benign about a death-by-narration, it's so resigned and passive. As banal as Harold’s life seems at first his instinct is not to take his beating he enacts his agency to participate, to co-author his own life. Meditating on your own death helps greatly to pull your finger out and get on with really living your life. I once had a lecturer who encouraged us to pray that God would be glorified in our lives and in our deaths. There’s something so fundamentally challenging and right about such a prayer. It calls into question who you are, who Jesus is and what life on earth is all about. Try it.
Living a cliché is easy, it’s the line of least resistance. But once you see things can be different it’s pretty hard to derive the meaning from whatever it was you used to call living. Existence. Treading water. That’s not to say life isn’t monotonous and we should live on some fist-pumping AWESOME!-high all the time but that even the quotidian is infused with meaning once we know the Story and the Author. In fact the adventure of our lives takes place as we seek to know the Story is about our search for the Author. We hear Him in the tragedy and the comedy and the monotony alike. If we listen.
I’d love to give credit to whoever came up with this quote but I can’t remember where I picked it up. It goes a little something like this: Our task is to tell Jesus’ story with our lives and His resources. That, to me, sums up what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Living the gospel is not telling a new story – it’s telling a story that’s as old as history. It’s telling a whole story as well: with our bodies, minds, emotions in the comedic and tragic. It’s collaborating to tell a story – there’s no sense of white-knuckling it as we’re using Jesus’ resources.
Our key responsibility is to be a character in search of the Author. In that journey we’re changed and we impact those around us. It's in a Story that's bigger than us that we find freedom to live beyond ourselves. And when you get a community of people who together want to search out the Author... Well, that's just crazy talk! And the best part? The Author speaks.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
666
The Burnside Writers Collective just published their Anti-Christ Watch, a list of folks who may be frontin' for the dark side of the Force. And no, I didn't make the list. But hey, if you're going to fail at something...
I was a little disappointed that Oprah didn't dominate (514,000 google pages can't be wrong, right?), they had some interesting contenders. Bono figured, as did Coldplay's Chris Martin ("Bono-lite") and possibly one of the funniest men in the world, Jon Stewart. 
Apart from a few chuckles that the religiously self-righteous won't get (it made me laugh like I do when I think about people with End Times Flip Charts and the whole collection of Left Behind books), it was all pretty tame. That is until I came across a Florida preacher who has a 666 tattoo and says he is God. He claims to have followers in over 30 countries and says there's no such thing as the devil or sin. Here's some of what he says:
"Antichrist is the best person in the world," he says. "Antichrist means don't put your eyes on Jesus because Jesus of Nazareth wasn't a Christian. Antichrist means do not put your eyes on Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Put it on Jesus after the cross."
And de Jesus says that means him.
That's a set of nuggets, but I wouldn't be talkin' like that in a thunderstorm.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Valentines Cards
Missed out on expressing your generally positive disposition towards someone in your life this Valentines Day?
Then make sure you check out a selection of HR-approved eCards from The Onion. They've created a bunch of cards that comply with the "strongly worded wishes" of their legal department. It's a good way to get your message across in a way that complies with the most stringent of company policies. And with recent findings from The Vault revealing that 47% of people have been involved in an office romance and only 10% of managers willing to ignore them, these cards will help you go under the radar. If you do get fired there are always the Smoove B cards, which are a little more forward.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Shut Your Snack Hole?
A picture might tell a thousand words, but the one below seems to take the temperature of much of contemporary western culture in a crispy chicken wrap. I'm lovin' it!
I'm a bit unsure of what kind or rant should follow. Perhaps something about:
• the vaccuousness of some corporate advertising?
• the sexualisation of fast food?
• our culture of consumption?
Ahh forget it. All this thinking has made me hungry.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Top 5: Single Malt Scotches
My father-in-law thoroughly corrupted me when I was attempting to woo his daughter by introducing me to the world of single-malt scotches. It's an expensive habit, but, in my estimation, one worth a gentle cultivation.
So here they are folks, Letterman style:
5. Oban, 14yo: It's a great beginners brew - a west highland malt without the set of nuggets on the Islay malts. Even so, it's by no means light.
4. Glenlivet, 12yo: Oh hello to our Speyside posse here. Look... there are some sherry notes in there, which gives it a butterscotch undertone. Still I wouldn't feed it to a 4-year-old.
3. Highland Park, 12yo: Hailing from the Orkneys, this is rich whiskey with a bit o' smoke but not much peat. It's made in the Northernmost distillery in Scotland. That has to be good...
2. Laphroaig, 10yo: Some peeps reckon this is the most richly flavoured of all the single malts and that's a mistake many beginners make. Peaty? Yes. Warm? You betcha. Sweet? Darn tootin'. Heck it's even a bit peppery. More shiraz than merlot, more sandpaper than tissue...
1. Lagavulin, 16yo: It's an Islay malt and it's one bad mutha. Serving suggestions include seatbelts because it's peaty, smoky and mediciney. Very naughty.