Everyone Everywhere

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I've become acquainted with many forms of transportation in Istanbul this past week. I've known all things; from buses, planes, trains, and taxis, to buses, subways, elevators, escalators, and did I mention buses? The result of such methods of continual public travel is an acute sense that there are many people in the world, and they are all busy. Who are these people? What's important to them? There are so many: too many to ever know... too many to empathize with, too many to love. 

This morning on the bus, my back was pressed against a woman's shoulder for a straight thirty minutes. She is a person I do not know, yet she touched me. The incident was a physical reminder of this moment documented in Mark's gospel: ...and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse --- after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' 5:24-30

God loves His creation. All of it, for God is love. He made man in His image -- every man. Every woman. Every person on this green Earth is made in God's image. We all bear that likeness.

I've posited before a loosely Platonic idea that every individual is formed uniquely after God. I propose that perhaps a way to understand this is to see every individual as their own ideal form. That is to say, my soul (as well as yours) is a handcrafted thing from which no other thing was made. We are each our own molds. If that were to be true, then it could also perchance stand to reason that each person carries forth within them a specific aspect of God's character that only that person has embedded within the fabric of their soul. 

If I am seeking to know Bob Dylan -- it would be fruitful for me to connect with his creation, that being his music. Then, if my sole purpose is to know Bobby D. as best as possible, every soul has value, every note speaks to his nature unfolded. 

There are nearly 7 billion human beings. That's a hell of a portfolio. 

Knowing that the woman who was pressed against me on the bus is loved by God and formed by Him in a manner to which nothing else in the universe was created brings me to a place of awe... as if contemplating a sunset over the Grand Canyon. It also is a helpful tool in reminding me that I should never forget how much care God has crafted into all people -- that I should never tarry from being compassionate and hospitable to creation of my Wonderful Creator. How can I do anything but tirelessly aim to love my neighbor, to love the crowded bus-full of souls as I love myself. 

Concerning the photos from The Black Stallion:

A few posts back, I spoke of how The Black Stallion should be a Christmas classic. I echo that sentiment here. The story is a simple one about a boy finding passion, love, and purpose through his bond with a horse. The boy is a quiet introvert, and it takes a good while for us to see his mettle in the film, but over time, we see that he is an incredible little soul. It seemed prudent in this post to put up photos of one unique soul, rather than myriads, for I don't reckon God looks at the world as a conglomerate of masses, but as a place chock-full of soulful spirits... each reflecting a different little aspect of God's handiwork.

Glory be to God. Merry Christmas.

Scatterbrained I

Worry not: the Summation of all things is at the bottom of the page. Go there now and save yourself the time. Go.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Okay, so it turns out the Sirens didn't turn Pete into a horny toad. I'm glad about that... but what about the Sirens themselves? Were they just three women out doing there laundry, looking for three wandering fellows to seduce while singing, "You and me and the Devil makes three..."? That seems a bit strange, no? And why is that one lady carrying around a big ol' jug of what I assume is some form of liquor? In the middle of the day? Is that how people act when there's a depression on? Strange. 

2012. Dude, if you want worldwide havoc, just read the last half of the book of Judges. That shit is crazy -- even though everyone did what they thought was good. The last sentence of Judges, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25 

Falling Down. We open on a man stuck in traffic on a hot Los Angeles morning. The world is mean and angry. He alone seems to understand this fact. With this realization in mind, he acts as any man should in such circumstances; he boils down his quest to one thing: he must get home to his child. This is could be a very stereotypical beginning to a hero's journey, but this corky of a film had me from its very first frame, for we are not watching the hero's journey, but the villain's. This our protagonist's last revelation. "I'm the bad guy?" He asks incredulously. How many of us will come to realize the same thing on judgment day?

Silent Light. This Mexican film (though filmed within a Mennonite community that speak a weird hybrid of German/Spanish, I think) ended up as the favorite film of several of my more filmish friends a few years back. I think it's about forgiveness. Or salvation. Or guilt. Come to think of it, I'm not too sure. The method of filmmaking was a series of very long shots. Generally speaking, this is a pleasing format for me, as it allows characters the space to roam about and act human. Such styles can also be characterized and critiqued for being slowwww. Again, this doesn't bother me. That being said, what did bother me in this particular experience, is that the characters underacted. Incredible things happen, and yet people barely move. This was hard to believe, wherein if I were sitting amongst their numbers I'd be banging my drum hollerin' through the countryside making as much noise as possible due to the sights I'd had seen.  I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. The fact that these people did not created a dissonance between me and them.  

Thor. The trailer just came out. I know nothing about this franchise comic book story, but I am already frustrated by it. I don't mind that Thor is an exiled extra-terrestrial. No, it's his weapon of choice that annoys me. He has this giant hammer thing. Let me be clear, as Old Boy taught us, the hammer is indeed a badass piece of armament. However, did you see Thor's hammer? It's so short. I keep looking at it thinking to myself, 'It would be so much more effective if the handle was a good foot longer. You can't get any leverage out of that thing!' Also, apparently Natalie Portman is the heroine in the flick -- see the proceeding paragraph for why that's troublesome.

Black Swan. I have yet to see this film. I do not believe I will see it. I believe I shouldn't see it. This is a point of discouragement for me, as it is being lauded as a potential frontrunner in the Oscar race this year. My friends are singing its praises. I have seen and intimately appreciated every single previous film by the director Darren Aronofsky. The film contains erotic lesbian behavior. Those images will stay with me if I let them in. Images can kill. They will leak into my thought life. And there, in that place, that's where my soul lies! Such thoughts lead to obsessions. And an obsession is a god. I will be burned by such a fire as that. A venomous, sinful fire. 

Pi. Darren Aronofsky's first film was about a guy who discovers God's true name. This code was like some sort of bite from the tree of knowledge, for it gave this little man the capacity to know all sorts of bits of data. In the end he can't handle such greatness. He can't handle it. He can't deal. He can't...  Good times!

White Christmas. This is my parents' traditional Christmas viewing. I reckon it is good for everyone to have such a tradition. But I don't much care for White Christmas. Bing Crosby - eh. I don't trust the man. 

It's a Wonderful Life. This is a superior choice, and a common one at that, for the annual Christmas viewing. But it's so emotionally exhausting. We get, what, 2 hours of poor ol' George Bailey just getting the snot stolen out from underneath him, until we finally have that cathartic, maybe 5 minute happy ending. That's a lot of turmoil for such a quick resolution. Plus, I reckon an annual Christmas film should have more to do with Jesus than just a hapless, wingless angel. 

The Black Stallion. Now there's a flick I could watch every year. It's a bit tropic for wintertime, but hang with me. Animals. The Stallion. Animals have that same sense of innocence about them that we equate with babies. So it is easy to transfer the innocence of the Black Stallion to Baby Jesus, yes? Sound like a plan? Plus, animals are far more intriguing to watch on screen than babies. Babies just kinda sit there most of the time. Granted, most animals don't do a whole lot more than sit and graze either, but they do it with a bit more style than babies. Camels got it going on. Monkeys too. And Ant-eaters... crazy lookin' piece of creation right there, I tell ya. 

Summation of Terror! (and other hyperboles):

• O Brother, Where Art Thou?  - Where can I find one of these Sirens?
•  2012 - Been there done that... in like 1500BC
• Falling Down - One badass descent!
•  Silent Light - Emote dagnamit, emote!
•  Thor - For Pete's sake, get a longer handle!
• Black Swan - Sigh (sad)...
• Pi - Sigh (happy)...
• White Christmas - Never trust the Bing.
• It's a Wonderful Life - Too much work.
• The Black Stallion - A Christmas Classic?

And that is that! Yes, that's -- that is to say... that's what I have to say about those things to which I have spoken. Now. Maybe tomorrow I'll think differently. Now. Go.