The Imitation Game

A Royal Pardon in 2013 for Turing

Alan Turing holds a special place in my life, since I am a computer engineer. My entire livelihood is due in large part to Turing’s mathematical genius. Today I learned more of his story and read about an amazing act of mercy that occurred in 2013.

Alan Turing was convicted of homosexuality in 1952 in Great Britain. Yes that’s right. To be gay in England just 50+ years ago was a crime. The punishment was 2 years in prison or castration by chemicals. Turing chose the chemicals. He committed suicide not long after (His cause of death is still up for debate however).

“Society didn’t understand Alan Turing or his ideas on many levels but that was a reflection on us, not on him – and it has taken us 60 years to catch up.”

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: “I pay tribute to the government for ensuring Alan Turing has a royal pardon at last but I do think it’s very wrong that other men convicted of exactly the same offence are not even being given an apology, let alone a royal pardon.
“We’re talking about at least 50,000 other men who were convicted of the same offence, of so-called gross indecency, which is simply a sexual act between men with consent.”

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25495315

Leaving your family

The story in Tangled begins with Rapunzel being taken away from her family by Mother Gothel. The reason is because Mother Gothel realizes that Rapunzel has power to keep her young. It is the youth of Rapunzel that Mother Gothel desires. So Mother Gothel takes Rapunzel away from her parents. She gives Rapunzel a good life, but isolates her in a tall castle tower.

Forming a Co-dependent Relationship

As Rapunzel grows up, she receives many good gifts from Mother Gothel, who provides rather well for Rapunzel’s development. Rapunzel has many opportunities for learning, painting, sewing, crafting–all kinds of things. The only catch is Rapunzel must stay within the castle walls, never to venture outside. Rapunzel grows up into a teenager with a decently happy life and becomes trained in various arts–music, reading, etc. As she grows, a longing grows too. Rapunzel longs to know what the lights mean. She always has a faint vision of a light and loves to see the hundreds of lights that mysteriously show up on her birthday every year. She can see them from her window but knows not what they mean.

Over time, Rapunzel comes to depend on Mother Gothel. Mother Gothel comes to depend on Rapunzel. They need each other. The bond of co-dependency forms.

An Outside Visitor

A surly character named Flynn changes everything for Mother Gothel and Rapunzel when he happens upon Rapunzel’s castle by mistake. This outside visit leads Rapunzel on a wild adventure outside the castle. She struggles at first as to whether she should go or not. She feels loyal to Mother Gothel but the longing to know the meaning of the lights drives her onward to the outside world. To her surprise, she fares rather well in the “big bad world” outside her castle.

Mother Gothel’s Trick to get Rapunzel Back

Mother Gothel finds out Rapunzel talked to Flynn and ventured into the outside world. Mother Gothel fears losing her source of youth and goes after Rapunzel and Flynn. Mother Gothel tricks Rapunzel into thinking Mother Gothel is her true family and that Flynn abandoned her. In reality, Flynn was the honest one. Rapunzel falls for the trick and goes back to the castle, believing Mother Gothel really does know best.

Rapunzel Realizes Who She Is

This scene is most powerful and relevant. Rapunzel realizes she is the lost princess. The lights are for her, sent by her parents. She reconnects with her family. Love wins.

Mother Gothel: Rapunzel? Rapunzel, what’s going on up there? Are you all right?
Rapunzel: [whispers] I’m the lost princess.
Mother Gothel: [sighs] Please speak up, Rapunzel. You know how I hate the mumbling…
Rapunzel: [louder] I am the lost princess! Aren’t I?
[Mother Gothel stares in shock]
Rapunzel: Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?
Mother Gothel: [pauses, then regains composure] Oh, Rapunzel, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?
Rapunzel: [pushes her away, angry and frightened] It was you! It was ALL you!
Mother Gothel: [coldly] Everything I did was to protect YOU.
[Rapunzel shoves past Gothel in disgust]
Mother Gothel: Rapunzel!
Rapunzel: I’ve spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power…
Mother Gothel: Rapunzel!
Rapunzel: …when I should have been hiding – from YOU!
Mother Gothel: Where will you go? He won’t be there for you.
Rapunzel: What did you do to him?
Mother Gothel: That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes.
Rapunzel: [gasps] No…
Mother Gothel: Now, now, it’s all right. Listen to me. All of this is as it should be.
[She tries to touch Rapunzel, but Rapunzel grabs her wrist]
Rapunzel: No! You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about ME! And I will NEVER let you use my hair again!
[Mother Gothel breaks free of Rapunzel’s grip, only to cause a nearby mirror to fall and smash. Rapunzel then turns to leave]
Mother Gothel: You want me to be the bad guy? Fine.
[advances toward Rapunzel threateningly]
Mother Gothel: Now I’m the bad guy.

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0165312/quotes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangled

I felt proud to be an American

Kyle is played brilliantly by Bradley Cooper, who impressively put on 30 lbs of solid muscle, since Kyle was a buff Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land).

The movie focuses on Kyle’s four tours of Iraq, approximately nine months each, that totaled about 1,000 days. It also dramatically shows the toll it took on him and his family, especially on his wife Taya, in between and after his four tours. She had to take care of their two children by herself, while wondering if he would make it home alive during each of his four tours when he was away in Iraq.

The reason I found the movie rather moving is because it dramatically showed Kyle’s conflict between serving the country he loves and being with his wife and two children. After three tours of Iraq, his wife tearfully and earnestly pleaded with him to not go back for another tour, since he has already served his country enough. But Kyle said, “My country still needs me.” His wife said, “But I and our children need you too!” As much as he was torn and wanted to stay with his family, he decided to go back for a fourth tour of nine months.

After his return from his last tour the movie showed him suffering from symptoms of PTSD. When a psychiatrist saw him at the VA, Kyle was asked if he ever had any doubts about killing at least 160 people. Kyle said (seen repeatedly in countless trailers) in one of the most memorable lines of the movie, “I am willing to meet my Creator and answer for every shot that I took.” He said these words not with bold triumphant confidence but with eyes that showed his inner pain and brokenness. He knew that he had to kill them (including a woman and a young boy carrying a bomb), for if he did not, they would have killed countless American troops.

As is well known, after Kyle retired from being a SEAL he decided to help and mentor soldiers who returned from Iraq with PTSD. When he was helping one such traumatized soldier, Kyle and another friend was killed by him. The movie ended with actual footage of his funeral procession as an American hero.

American Sniper is poised to become the top grossing film of 2014. It has broken the box office record for January and it will soon beat out the current top two movies of 2014, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Guardians of the Galaxy.

I’ve also read some negative critical comments about the movie, which is to be expected. But as a movie that focused primarily on one person and his family, I thought it was exceptionally well done.

In conclusion, Kyle played a Christ-type figure who gave his life for the country he loved. If you’re seen the movie, do share your thoughts.

10) Gabriel explains how legalism does not work.- Constintine

“You are still trying to buy your way into heaven…how many times have I told you, that’s not the way this works…Everything you have ever done you have done- you have only done for yourself.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-828wM9lpLw&t=1m0s

In the movie Constantine the titular main character committed suicide as a teen. He went to hell for this, but was resuscitated in the ambulance. Having committed a mortal sin he knows he will go to hell, so he attempts to earn his way back by killing demons that he can now see. In this scene he meets the angle Gabriel and she explains that that isn’t going to work.

9) Neo meets the Architect.- The Matrix Reloaded

“You havn’t answered my question.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKpFFD7aX3c&t=1m17s

This scene is probably the “worst” scene from a movie on this list. It is confusing, complicated, and hard to understand after sitting for 2 hours. It is on this list for this quip: “You havn’t answered my question.” Until this time in my life I just thought anything following a question was an answer, and didn’t realize it might not address the question. When people don’t want to accept the question they will often resort to this tactic. It’s a favorite of politicians.

8) Han Solo is frozen.- Star Wars IV, the Empire Strikes Back

“I know.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-KR-14uXM

In this scene Princess Leia confesses her love for Han Solo and his response is not expected. Instead of saying “I love you too.” He just says “I know.” Which is like the coolest thing anyways could say right there. I am big fan of saying this after being complimented. Responses to this vary.

7) Dr. Manhattan sees a miracle. – Watchmen

“I have longed to witness such an event [miracles] and yet I neglect that in human coupling millions upon millions of cells compete to create life for generation after generation until…finally until your mother loves a man Edward Blake, the Comedian, a man she has every reason to hate and out of that contradiction against unfathomable odds- it’s you. Only you- that emerged to distill so specific a form from all that chaos. It’s like turning air into gold, a miracle.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D7bsf5toMw

In the Watchmen Dr. Manhattan is a man who has nearly limitless power. He can do anything, with the exception of relating to mankind. In this scene he realizes that the woman is the product of a rape. Her mother loves the man who raped her. The miracle Dr. Manhattan sees is life itself. How often do we forget of that miracle?

6) Gabriel tries to make mankind worthy of repentance. – Constintine

“You just to repent and God takes you into his bosom. In all the worlds in all the universe no other creature can make such a boast. It’s not fair. You have a sweet, sweet God who loves you so. And I will make you so…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi1r8B5INfU

Earlier we saw Gabriel chide Constantine. While she was right about legalism, she believes that mankind will unite and find hope in our suffering and therefore seek out God. She does this by trying to bring the son of Satan into the world.

5) The God Entity explains his intervention in the lives of people. -Futurama

“When you do things right people won’t even be sure you have done anything at all.”

At 17:38 http://www.watchcartoononline.com/futurama-episode-320-godfellas

I actually cheated here. This is from a TV show Futurama. In this episode one of the shows main characters, Bender, gets stuck drifting through space. He is a robot so he is doomed to an eternity of this. A small colony of sentient creatures start growing on him and worship him as God. He tries to answer their prayers and ends up killing them. He does not answer their prayers and they war with each other and kill them. Then Bender meets God while floating through space. His answer is not new, Augustine gives the same answer.

4) Riddick refuses to bow.- The Chronicles of Riddick

“Look I’m not with everyone here.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY7UlwMSBUw

I love this quote “Look I’m not with everyone here.” Many times I feel tempted to try to join to a group or crowd and I remember this quote. Riddick refuses to bow, and for that he is prompted to battle for that right. I think this is generally how it works in day to day life.

3) The Oracle’s conversation with Neo.- The Matrix Reloaded

“What do all men with power want? More power.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixgFi3G_HAs&t=5m30s

Another timely quote from the oracle. I remember this quote when I attempt to understand power hungry people. People want to control their lives. If you are a part of their lives they might even try to control you. Some people don’t have any other reason than greed.

2) Will Smith shows us how to take a test.- Men in Black

“Scrrrreeeeeech!”

This scene affected me early in my life. Will Smith’s character thinks outside of the box to solve a problem. I has always challenged me to do the same and to realize just because something *is* a certain way, does not mean it *has* to stay that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dijVbM9DpxU&t=1m52s

1) Valerie’s letter- V for Vendetta

“I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An Inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you. -Valerie”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2W0-z8EnaM

This is the most powerful scene in a movie I have even witnessed. It is heart breaking. I have often recalled that line “Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one.” No matter how hard he struggle we must never let all of us die. I remember I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I also remember that she loves a person she has never met. This is so powerful to me, to love someone I have never met. It really is a display of the love of Christ.

How have movies affected your life? What movies have powerfully moved you?

Not necessarily a chick flick!

Desiring true love. Both movies were wildly popular and successful. Maleficent became Angelina Jolie’s most successful movie financially. Frozen surpassed Toy Story 3 as the most financially successful animated movie worldwide, primarily on account of it being the #1 movie in Japan for 16 consecutive weeks!–unheard of in today’s world where movies are being churned out all year round. Don’t we humans desire true love more than anything else in the world?

Depression and substance abuse. The recent celebrity suicides (Robin Williams, age 63) and drug overdoses (Philip Seymour Hoffman, age 46) were related to depression and substance abuse. These tragedies scream to the world that all the fame, wealth, success and popularity cannot quench, fulfill or satisfy the human heart. Depression is a debilitating and devastating health issue that always needs to be seriously addressed, since it afflicts countless millions throughout the world. But will one who knows and experiences true love remain depressed and inconsolable indefinitely? A notable Christian plagued with depression and several attempted suicides occurred with the famous hymn writer William Cowper (1731-1800).

Can’t live without true love. I first experienced true love when God, by his mercy and grace alone (Eph 2:8-9), miraculously brought forth my mystical conversion in 1980. This drastic miraculous initial transformation of my heart and mind, which I can never ever forget, is ongoing to this very day. It’s like I cannot ever imagine living without Christ even for a moment. It is because God’s love for me never changes (Jer 31:3; Heb 13:8), and because Christ gave himself for me (Gal 2:20) and filled me with the fruit of love (Gal 5:22).

Wired for true love. Growing up, I knew unconditional love from my parents, who had never hurt or traumatized me even once. Sadly, as a spoilt kid, I often took their love for granted. After my conversion, I experienced romantic love through my dear wife, who feels more precious to me than my own life, even when she is graciously annoying at times. (I know that it is mostly my fault, even if it is hard to admit it!) Nothing in this world has continued to influence me positively as much as my “marriage by faith” in 1981. I also experienced much love from my four kids, three grand-kids, my extended family, my friends, my church, and even from my three cats! Last week I felt so devastated when I had to relinquish my oldest cat of 13 years, my favorite. She fell off the porch on the second floor, broke her hind leg and could not walk. Now my remaining two cats comfort me from losing her. Truly, we humans are wired for love.

How might you articulate your experience of true love?

Fantastic!

I saw this movie with my family last weekend. First of all I just want to express how majestic and amazing this movie is from a technical standpoint. The line between human actors and generated worlds and creatures was non-existent. Both flowed seamlessly together as one story. There were no “special effects”. The entire movie was a special effect.

The story is that of a familiar Western cultural fairy tale, but told in a remarkable new way, with rich perspectives that create a unique narrative but with respect to the old narrative. Three story lines stood out to me.

1. Dashed Dreams

“I had wings once, and they were strong. They could carry me above the clouds and into the headwinds, and they never faltered. Not even once.”

Why do some people give off a tone of bitterness or negativity? Well, perhaps it is because their wings were clipped. Perhaps such bitterness stems from intense injustice and pain in their past. Can such a person regain their wings and see their dreams again?

2. A Higher Love

“Oh come now Prince Phillip. Why so melancholy? A wondrous future lies before you – you, the destined hero of a charming fairy tale come true. Behold – King Stefan’s castle. And in yonder topmost tower, dreaming of her true love, the Princess Aurora. But see the gracious whim of fate – why, ’tis the self-same peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed, most wondrous fair. Gold of sunshine in her hair, lips that shame the red red rose. In ageless sleep, she finds repose. The years roll by, but a hundred years to a steadfast heart, are but a day. And now, the gates of a dungeon part, and our prince is free to go his way. Off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure, straight and tall! To wake his love, with love’s first kiss. And prove that “true love” conquers all!”

As with the movie “Frozen”, I give kudos to Maleficent for showing us a love higher than romantic love. Christians have historically demonstrated such higher love and yet in today’s world, we Christians seem to have forgotten such love. The church is entangled with romantic love and bitterly fighting sexual-related issues. Perhaps the church might learn from the world about higher forms of love?

3. Both Hero and Villain

“But, as many thought whenever they saw the graceful figure soaring through the air, it took a great hero and a terrible villain to make it all come about. And her name was Maleficent.”

When two opposing kingdoms are at war, how can they be united? How can the yin/yang cycle be broken? Maleficent offers an intriguing (and eerily familiar to me) solution. Sometimes when two sides are continually fighting, someone needs to step up and be both hero and villain. It was both shocking and massively comforting for me to watch a grand visual representation of exactly the role I believe the Holy Spirit has led me to play: both hero and villain for the sake of unity.

Questions:

If you saw this movie, what are your reactions? What can we learn here? What do you think about the dual role of both hero and villain? Is this solution to broken kingdoms viable?

• Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave.
• Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity.
• Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club.
• Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine.
• Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club.
• Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle.
• Original Screenplay: Her.
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years A Slave.
• Animated Film: Frozen.
• Cinematography: Gravity.
• Costume Design: The Great Gatsby.
• Editing: Gravity.
• Makeup: The Lone Ranger.
• Original Song: Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
• Production Design: The Great Gatsby.
• Sound Editing: Gravity.
• Sound Mixing: Gravity.
• Visual Effects: Gravity.

Do you have any predictions?

As I saw the first Hunger Games on its first day of release, I did so again with Hunger Games: Catching Fire. A friend told me about the cheapest theater in Chicagoland, and I saw it for $4.50, the price before 4 pm. Sorry, I’m a cheapskate and a sucker for the lowest price. Sadly, for me at least, this is a few bucks wise and a million dollars foolish!

Those who love the first movie and love movies in general will love this movie. (It has a high 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with say 36% for the Transformers.) Sorry, I’m not into reading the book. I feel awkward confessing that I’d rather read “boring” Bible commentaries and 1,000 page Systematic Theology books. This likely contributed to why I never had girlfriends and would never have married if not for UBF.

Enough rambling for now. In addition to justice, here are some reasons why this movie is such a mega hit.

All the actors and actresses–both in major and supporting roles–look great and are good actors. Jennifer Lawrence, playing the lead role Katniss Everdeen, was paid “only” $500,000 for the first Hunger Games. For this movie, she received a raise and was paid 10 million. For sure, the producers will make their money back and some. She is a great actress. She steals virtually every scene that she is in. She massively appeals to girls because she is an unlikely and reluctant hero, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that she is “torn between two cute suitors,” Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) who both want her.

The story is captivating. It is almost a David and Goliath story. The underdogs virtually has no chance against the military might of the Capitol. Yet, in collaboration, they fight and persevere against all odds at the great cost of much blood and many lives being lost.

Sacrificial love. Though they have to kill others in the Hunger Games for their own survival, they often sacrifice themselves that others may live.

Unrequited love. “I will love you, even if you never ever love me back.” Countless guys and gals can fully relate to this!

Justice. Reading John Frame’s and Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is helpful for me to begin my own quest in seeking to articulate justice. In English the words “justice” and “righteousness” are different words, but in both the Hebrew OT (tsedek) and Greek NT (dikaiosune) it is the same single word behind these two English words. Righteousness comes from a Greek root (Recht) and from a Latin one (justitia). God can bring righteousness to those who are far from righteousness (Isa 46:12-13) only through Christ (Rom 3:21-22; 2 Cor 5:21) and at an awful great cost (Rom 3:25). Without invoking God, the Hunger Games expresses the desire and the great cost incurred by the oppressed in order to seek justice from their oppressors.

Probably, the appeal of this movie are its stars, its story, its director and screenplay. But perhaps the cry of every human heart–consciously or subconsciously–is the cry for perfect justice, which is rare in our fallen world, and even in our churches. But justice can be found in Christ, as God poured out his justice on his innocent Son in order to justify us guilty sinners (Rom 3:26).

Go watch the movie for entertainment, and see if your heart cries out for justice.

Previously, I reviewed The Social Network (friendship must communicate inclusivity), The Descendants (forgiving love in the face of betrayal) and Django Unchained (exacting justice where every bastard gets his due). Gravity examines grief and loss and the mastery of life in the face of impending death, which the movie presents with spectacular visuals and authentic human emotions portrayed by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Next weekend, I hope to review the second Hunger Games movie.

The unbearable pain of loss. (Spoiler alert. Stop reading if you have not seen the movie and intend to do so.) Sandra Bullock and George Clooney become lost in space after being hit by exploding shrapnel from another space station. Three others on their team were killed. Clooney, the seasoned astronaut who would retire after this final mission, was a good mentor (shepherd) to Bullock, since this is her first space mission, and she is freaking out. To help her calm down, he asked about her life. She shared that she had lost her four year old daughter in a freak accident. Ever since then her life as a scientist has been a blur. She just unquestioningly accepts her boring daily routine to pass the time without reflection so as to numb herself from experiencing the unbearable pain of losing her daughter. Being lost in space appropriately represents her life being detached and lost on earth ever since she lost her only child.

A sacrifice for the sake of another. During a critical moment where both of them might die, Clooney sacrifices himself so that Bullock might survive. He represents a seasoned person who has resolved his life issues, so that he has no hesitation whatsoever to lose his life so that someone else might live. It was a poignant touching moment that would resonate with any human being who still has breadth.

Facing death. Bullock has to now survive on her own since her mentor is no more. During another critical moment she cries out in prayer for her life and says, “..even though no one ever taught me to pray.” In desperation, she cries out for supernatural intervention. In the final climatic scene of the movie she would either survive and have a hell of a story to tell, or she would be incinerated in ten minutes. And then she laughs with a resolve that seems to say, “Here goes.” She has surrendered her life and sees both options–either surviving or dying–as totally acceptable and happy. I believe that this is how each and every person wants to die–delighted that we live, and totally content if we die or lose everything. It reminds me of Paul who said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Nothing and no one can ever defeat or demoralize or destroy one who has no losing option, since both options are a joyous gain and victory. It also reminds me of Shadrach, Meshah and Abednego before they were thrown into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:16-18).

Are you happy to live and gain everything, as well as equally happy to die or lose everything? Any answer short of an unequivocal “Yes!” will lead to fear and a suboptimal life.

How do we deal with injustice? A sense of justice flows in the blood of every human being created in the image of a just and righteous God (Gen 1:27, 18:25). Whenever and however injustice happens, our blood boils over and our very beings want to explode and demand justice. Surely, this is because our God is the God of justice, with justice being intricately and inseparably intertwined with righteousness (Ps 89:14; 103:6; Isa 9:7; 33:5; Amos 5:24). As Abraham’s descendants through Christ, we are called to do what is right and just (Gen 18:19).

Justice expressed through vengeance. Django (Jamie Foxx) is a black slave. He was bought by Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a white bounty hunter. They became partners and friends. They search for Django’s wife, a slave owned by a racist plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The extreme violence and brutality caused me to cringe. But there was a deep satisfaction to it because every “bad bastard” gets their due (excuse my language), which you knew was coming as you watched the movie. Hopefully, this is not a spoiler. It is like a Western Dirty Harry with Django playing the part.

No one likes injustice. We might expect injustice from non-Christians, but not from Christians. But both non-Christians and Christians alike commit injustice, because Christians are still sinners with blind spots and self righteousness. How do we Christians deal with injustice? We should not do so like Django or Dirty Harry. Nonetheless, we should always fight for what is right and just through Christ and the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).

Attractive biblical themes in movies. As Les Miserables proclaims mercy and grace, Django Unchained screams for righteousness and justice. Both are highly attractive biblical themes that might account for the mass appeal of both movies.

How do we address and deal with injustice as Christians (without killing anyone)?

Our friend Vitaly alerted us to a YouTube video called The Witnesses at Your Door which illustrates cognitive dissonance. Vitaly wrote:

I liked this video after I left ubf. There seems to be very many similarities especially in the leaving process.

Vitaly’s comment, and the interesting discussion that he started with Chris, can be found here.

The video is 37 minutes long, and I think it is well worth watching. So I made a unilateral decision (sorry, Vitaly, hope you don’t mind!) to pull the video out of his comment and place it here in an article of its own, so that it gets more attention.

Please note that by posting this video, we are not claiming that UBF is a cult. Readers of this website have expressed many varying opinions on that issue. Although that topic is worth considering and discussing, I would prefer that we keep the discussion here focused on cognitive dissonance — how we have personally experienced it, and how we have personally handled it. Your comments about UBF, cults and the like can continue at Ben’s recent article.

And please note that cognitive dissonance is not limited to members of cults. The phenomenon, in differing ways and degrees, is experienced by all human beings at various times in their lives. I’m quite sure that everyone who holds religious beliefs and commitments has experienced cognitive dissonance. In fact, I would argue that wrestling with cognitive dissonance lies at the heart of true, growing faith. If you’d like to see some examples of cognitive dissonance, check out Hebrews chapter 11.

With that in mind, please watch the video and tell us what you think.

Here are some questions to ponder.

• Which characters and situations in this video do you identify with?
• At what time(s) in your life did you experience intense cognitive dissonance? What coping mechanism(s) did you use?
• Are you experiencing any measure of cognitive dissonance now? How are you coping with it?

Religious leaders are often socialized to be better at speaking than at listening. It is understandable that preachers want to teach preach and lead with their voices and their carefully honed understanding of scripture and theology…..Being the resident religious expert gives you a kind of status and a feeling of control. On the downside of accepting this role, however, is that it may lead to what Yogi Berra called ‘talking too much’ (p. 141).

Listening requires a pastor to stop teaching:

Listening is difficult because it requires that we give up the role of expert and become a learner again (p 142).

And listening requires a pastor to give up control of the situation.

…listening also requires some floating, some willingness to tolerate the uncertainty of letting go and seeing what happens. When you really start to listen, people will know. They will start to speak more openly as soon as you communicate that you can stand to hear the truth (pp 142-143).

The meaning of letting go is illustrated in a powerful way by the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Near the end of the movie, there’s a brilliant piece of cinematography that lasts for about two minutes. Watch it for yourself.

The clip begins with the booming voice of the Wizard: “Why have you come back?” It’s an impressive display that evokes terror in Dorothy and her companions. (Moviegoers in 1939 were unaccustomed to special effects. Even color was a novelty. Can you imagine the impact this scene would have had on them?) But this display is the act of a circus performer, generated by the proverbial smoke and mirrors.

The Wizard commands them, “Go away and come back tomorrow!” He wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. He’s stalling for time, hiding the fact that he had no actual ability to keep the promises he had made to them earlier in the movie. But Dorothy and her companions are tenacious; they won’t allow themselves to be sent away.

Soon the Wizard loses control of the situation. He is unmasked by the actions of a curious dog. Dorothy and her companions finally encounter the real man behind the facade. The jig is up.

Disappointed and disillusioned, Dorothy exclaims, “You’re a very bad man!”

The Wizard replies, “Oh, no, my dear, I’m a very good man. I’m just a very bad wizard.”

Ironically, through this episode, it is the Wizard who finds redemption. We sense in him a great sigh of relief. After many years of role-playing, he is finally free to be himself. He begins to experience grace, friendship, and love. And he discovers that he is not as impotent as he feared. He can offer Dorothy’s companions simple, ordinary but meaningful gifts of affirmation and recognition. And he is now in a position to give Dorothy what she needs: a ride back to Kansas. That discovery comes from the admission that the land of Oz doesn’t need his services; life in the community will go on just fine without him.

The scene of the Wizard’s unmasking deeply resonates with me. Two years ago, I went through a process of being unmasked before the members of my family and my church. The curtain was pulled back, my weaknesses were exposed, and I was forced to stop playing the role of wizard-pastor. The experience was painful and liberating. After some brief moments of embarrassment, I began to experience new dimensions of grace. (At some point in the future, I would be happy to share the details of that story on UBFriends. Doing so in this article would be a distraction.)

At this stage in my spiritual journey, I find it disturbing to encounter pastors who still need to play the role of  wizard. I feel truly sorry for them. Perhaps they imagine they can be more effective preachers of the gospel by projecting an aura of knowledge, strength, confidence and control.  And the prospect of being unmasked is terrifying. But I’m certain that if they came out from behind the curtain, the result would be a liberating experience of grace and love.

The Apostle Paul understood this. In fact, he saw self-unmasking as an essential part of his apostolic ministry. Paul never watched The Wizard of Oz, but he does make an insightful and creative use of a story from the Old Testament. In 2 Corinthians 3:13, Paul writes:

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.

In an oblique reference to Exodus 34:33-35, Paul recalls how Moses would enter the Tent of Meeting to stand in the presence of God. After those encounters, the face of Moses would radiate glory as he delivered God’s word to the people. After speaking to the people, Moses would cover his face with a veil to prevent them from seeing that the glory was fading away.

Why would Moses do such a thing? Perhaps he thought that if the Israelites saw the glory fade, his pastoral authority might be diminished. Perhaps he thought that the Israelites had grown accustomed to Oz-like displays of divine power, and to see his ordinariness might cause their faith to be shaken.

Paul doesn’t tell exactly why Moses covered himself up. But Paul says that “we” — meaning Paul and his apostolic companions — “are not like Moses” — meaning that they do not hide their ordinariness from anyone. Paul goes on to say in verses 16-18 that turning to Jesus and believing the gospel is akin to taking off a veil. It is putting off all pretense to reveal your failings, weakness, and cluelessness, so that the Holy Spirit may work to reveal the glory of Christ. Then, in Chapter 4, he continues to describe the implications of this unveiling in his apostolic ministry. It requires him to be absolutely honest, to renounce “secret and shameful ways”, to put aside deception, and to avoid distorting God’s word by making false claims and exaggerated promises of what  following him would bring people in this present life.

If pastors and church leaders came out from behind the curtain — if they put aside any false projection of authority, power, confidence and expertise — and if they stopped exaggerating about what they have experienced and stop making false promises about what others will experience if they choose to live as disciples of Christ — what do you think would happen? Would the faith of people be shaken? Or would everyone come to a deeper understanding and experience of the gospel?

Lincoln is totally captivating and mesmerizing the way Daniel Day-Lewis portrays him. He is surely the quintessential American hero and a man of the ages. Though he was a flawed man, Lincoln is the type of leader that inspires others to follow him. These were some attributes of his leadership:

• Honesty, Transparency and Candor. There was no hint of duplicity about him. What he said was who he was. Though he was a brilliant and skilled politician, he was not manipulative or clandestine in his interactions with others.
• Human touch. Though he was greatly loved and admired by those he led, he did not carry himself with an air of his own greatness or superiority. He communicated a genuine spirit of humility with a gentle and tender human quality about him.
• Humor. No matter how serious and heated the subject matter that was being discussed, he found some story to tell that caused others to laugh and lighten up. A humorless leader takes himself too seriously and is quite a put off.
• Honor and Integrity. He was a man of integrity. He was not trying to impress himself upon others. It was who he was. Any leader who tries to impose himself on others would stifle and oppress them. Lincoln communicated honor without trying.
• Honoring others. This was crucial. He knew how to win others, even his opponents. He did not do so with his towering sense of his own superior stature. Rather, he persuaded them and appealed to them without coercion. Thus, others felt honored and respected by him.

Lincoln was a Christ-like figure. Go see the movie and be inspired to be such a leader of a man for the glory of God.

How might we paraphrase this? “You think you can push me around? Try me.” “Don’t mess with me. If you do, you’ll lose.” “You think, you’re tough. You haven’t met me yet.” If you can pull it off and mean it, it is downright scary, especially with a smile or a smirk.

Tough guy movie lines. Likely no other actor can pull off the line as effectively as Clint Eastwood did. Another tough guy line is from Taxi Driver, where Robert DeNiro looks in the mirror and says repeatedly, “You talkin’ to me?” Or when Arnold Schwarzenegger says in the Terminator movies, “I’ll be back,” and “Astalavista baby.”

Why are such lines so cool and appealing? It directly confronts evil. Also, it challenges anyone who uses and abuses their power to rule over, control and manipulate others. This is appealing because no one ever likes to be pushed around by anyone else. We wish to fearlessly stand up to those bullies and resist their oppression over us.

Is this biblical? I have always maintained that anything catchy and appealing is derived from the Bible–even Dirty Harry. No human is ever any match for God. Any man who resists or rebels against God already lost. Paul said, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal 6:7). There will always be an adverse consequence for rebelling against God. “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind” (Hos 8:7).

Wimps and push overs. There is an impression in society that Christians are mindless wimps and push overs, because they should be humble, meek, mild, and submissive. Yes, Christians should be humble, yet there is no biblical basis for a Christian to be weak or fearful of anyone or anything. Any Christian who fears any man reveals that he does not truly fear the God above the man he fears (Prov 29:25).

Tough Christians? Jesus was the toughest man who ever lived. He feared no one, not even those who would destroy him, and not even the devil who would heap the fires of hell upon him. So, yes, Christians, remembering Jesus, should be tough and fearless. No one likes spineless whiny weak wimps or gawky goody two shoes.

Bold and humble. When we remember the grace of Jesus, God enables us to be both fearless and gentle, bold and meek, courageous and humble at the same time. When we are gentle, our sinful default is to lack courage. Or when we are bold, our sinful default is to lack humility. Such polarities distort the gospel. Only the grace of Jesus gives us a poise and a balance that is winsome and soul winning.

Are you a bold yet humble spiritual Dirty Harry for the gospel?

The Hunger Games is about a fictional futuristic dystonian society where 24 teenagers from 12 U.S. districts (a boy and girl) are chosen by lot to fight each other to the death. This is an annual televised live event, called the Hunger Games, which is for the amusement and entertainment of the people. The lead character, Katniss Everdeen, volunteered as a competitor (Tribute) because her younger 14 year old sister was chosen from District 12. She offered herself in place of her sister.

This is not a movie review. It attempts to explain why this movie and the book has captured the hearts and the attention of millions, with 24 million copies of the book already sold, and an estimated $60 million in ticket sales on just the first day of release. Here are some reasons.

1. The Opulence of the Wealthy and the Powerful

In the Hunger Games, the wealthy live in exuberant indulgent luxury in the capitol, while the masses live in poverty in the 12 districts. The wealthy live lives of the rich and famous. They seem not to have a care in the world (Ps 73:4-5). They are like the rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, “who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day” (Lk 16:19). The desire to be rich and to live in luxury exists in all people. We want to win the lottery, inherit a large inheritance, get a big promotion, make a great investment, and become the next Mark Zuckerberg. We human beings long for this because God created us to live in paradise and freedom forever (Gen 2:8-9, 11-12, 25).

2. The Poverty and Helplessness of the Masses

In the Hunger Games, the President and his oligarchy, virtually control and dictate all the affairs of the 12 districts (Mk 10:42-44), including attempting to influence the winner of the games. In contrast to the rich ruling power, there is the 99%, who have little money and hardly any power or influence. We are filled with anger, a sense of injustice and righteous indignation when we sense the powerful controlling and manipulating the situation to their desired result and their maximum advantage. We loathe this because we are created in the image of God with a strong sense of justice, fairness and equality.

3. The Appeal of Violence and Death

The hardest part for me to watch in this movie is when the actual Hunger Games begin in the last hour of the movie. It is because you are told that there is only 1 survivor out of 24, and you wait to see how the majority of the teens are killed. The scenes were not brutally graphic. Nonetheless seeing or knowing that a teen is killed is still gut wrenching for me to watch. But there is this strange appeal by the masses of society to watch violence, even graphic brutal violence, as entertainment. I have not quite figured out why. Perhaps, some of you may posit an explanation. My shallow reason is the fatalism in all of us that says, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor 15:32; Isa 22:13).

4. The Sacrifice of Love (Beware movie spoilers)

For me at least, the major appeal of this movie is the sacrifice of love by the main character, Katniss Everdeen. When she volunteered to take the place of her younger sister, the scene brought forth a compelling sense of humanity as to what a man–every man–should be. He or she should be more than willing to give up his or her life, out of love for another. During the Hunger Games the male counterpart from District 12, Peeta, betrayed Katniss by siding with the clique of the strong competitors to hunt down Katniss. But later when Katniss found Peeta wounded, she helped him survive, despite his betrayal. She also helped and loved a young Black girl the age of her own sister, and she wept for her when she was killed. Through out the movie, her character demonstrates the sacrifice of love for another (Jn 15:13), at great risk and cost to herself.

I really liked the movie (though I felt completely out of place in the theater with most people being 3 to 4 decades younger than I!). I might try to persuade my wife to go see it. But she probably would not. To you movie fans, and Hunger Games fans, what do you think?

The movie set in Hawaii is about a rich man played by George Clooney, whose wife is dying and on life support following a boating accident. He is left to care for his 2 problematic daughters, 17 and 10 years old. Before the accident, Clooney had been an indifferent husband and an uninvolved father. He finds out from his older daughter that his wife was having an affair before the accident, and that she was planning on divorcing him. As a result, he now has to deal with his highly conflicted emotions of a betrayed husband while his wife is dying.

It is a humorous and tragic movie that is engaging and captivating because it captures the emotions of the major characters quite realistically. The older daughter is very angry with her dying mother because of her affair. His father-in-law bluntly and accusingly blames Clooney for his daughter’s accident and for him being unworthy of his daughter. The man who had the affair with his wife pleads with Clooney not to tell his own wife when Clooney finally finds and confronts him. The wife of the man nonetheless finds out and in an angry and tearful scene cries in anger and sorrow while attempting to forgive the dying woman for trying to destroy her family. The final dramatic scene is when Clooney confesses his love for his dying wife in the hospital with heart felt tears, despite all that she had put him through. A poignant line is when he says through tears before her dying body that you are “my pain” and “my joy.”

I’ve often expressed that movies that capture the hearts of audiences generally have a gospel theme in the movie. We are all like the dying woman who has been unfaithful to her husband, yet the husband loves her. His love for her was not based on her love for him. Though he was angry and conflicted because of her betrayal, he professed his heart felt love for her as she died. In this movie, the gospel theme is the love of Clooney for his wife, though she was clearly not worthy of his love. Nonetheless he loved her (Jer 31:3). This is the gospel of our salvation. This is the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).

Perhaps, I am reading too much into this movie. But movies like this (and other movies too) may be an excellent opportunity to show and point to the gospel of God’s grace that is greater than all our sins, betrayal and unfaithfulness.

I have also come to appreciate that seeing movies is a practical amusement. In times past, books were the major diversion for most people; but in a day and age where people are constantly on the run and busy with family, church, and school commitments, reading seems slow and laborious. A person can see in a couple of hours in a movie what might take them a month to read in a book.

Aside from the entertainment and escape that movies provide, they are also an excellent gauge of the culture in which we live. This may be what I love the most about film. In fact, it is almost impossible for me to see a movie anymore without critiquing it afterward or engaging someone in a discussion about it. This view of culture in the movies can be seen not only on the screen, but in the theater itself.

It should come as no surprise then that yesterday I saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series. The original 1968 film, Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, and James Whitmore, is still just as entertaining and provocative today as it was back then. And who does not remember Charlton Heston’s famous line in that movie? See the film if you do not know what I mean.

In many respects, this latest movie parallels the subtext of the original, highlighting the folly of man in pursuit of his own ambitions. Whereas the backdrop for the original was the Cold War and the danger of global nuclear war, the latest film uses corporate greed and biomedical technology as its basis. Of course, this is not the first film to use those ideas. A few years back, I Am Legend used a medical premise as the basis for its storyline, as did Steven King’s The Stand. And of course, the denunciation of greed, particularly corporate greed, is a longstanding theme in Hollywood, from Alien to Avatar.

The folly of man is not the only theme in Planet of the Apes. The 1968 movie is also a disturbing and unsettling look at what happens when the natural roles of man and animals are reversed and twisted. Seeing humans hunted, killed, and locked up by apes is enough to bother anyone, and every time I watch that movie I am relieved because I know that this is not the way the world is. And nobody feels sorry for the apes either; they are always viewed as the antagonist. This is because of an inescapable truth: man is made in God’s image, and no matter how foolish he is or how much he messes up the world, nothing can take him away from the rightful place that God gave him to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Ge 1:28).

This latest film portrays the apes quite differently. In fact, a good portion of it is dedicated to building sympathy and compassion for them, and even begins to blur the distinction between man and animal. All this takes place before the apes become the aggressors, prepping the audience to side with the animals against the humans. I noticed more than once during the movie that people in the theater reacted negatively whenever an ape was killed, even if it was killed to protect human life. And I am sure that at least once when the apes won a victory over their human aggressors I heard cheering in the crowd.

I say all this only as an observation, not as a criticism. This latest film has many positive elements in it and is both thought-provoking and entertaining. But one should not overlook the evolution that has taken place in our culture over the past 40 years since Planet of the Apes first hit the big screen.

So if you are looking for a fun movie to see this coming weekend, Rise of the Planet of the Apes may be for you. And if you have some extra time, check out the original movie as well. If nothing else, these films are sure to raise some interesting questions, the answers to which can be found in the pages of God’s Word.

And if you leave the movie disturbed, then take comfort in knowing that it is just a movie.

The Social Network

This movie made me think about friendship. The story focuses on Zuckerberg’s relationships with four young men: his best friend, Edwardo Severin, who was the co-founder of Facebook, and three rich Harvard students. Their friendships with Zuckerberg broke down, and all four eventually sued him for huge sums of money.

Why did these relationships break down? Money was an issue. But these relationships were fundamentally flawed from the start, because they were missing a key factor that I believe is necessary for true friendship. True friendship must communicate a spirit of inclusivity. Let me explain this based on Zuckerberg’s story.

In 2003 — about one year before the launch of Facebook — three Harvard students hired Zuckerberg to work for them as a computer programmer. He was supposed to start up a new website called Harvard Connections, which would allow Harvard students to connect with one other online. Though Zuckerberg verbally agreed to work for them, he was intead inspired to start Facebook by partnering with his friend Severin.

Zuckerberg may have done this because the three Harvard students, who were sons of multi-millionaires, came across as rich, exclusive snobs who wanted to use him for their own success. One of them said to Zuckerberg, “By working for us, it will help improve your image.” This implied that Zuckerberg’s status was inferior to theirs. Zuckerberg proceeded to develop Facebook without their knowledge or input. When Facebook became a multi-billion dollar enterprise, they sued Zuckerberg for theft of intellectual property. To avoid negative publicity, Zuckerberg settled the suit for 65 million dollars. To him, that was like a speeding ticket; his net worth is now estimated to be $6.9 billion.

But Zuckerberg was also sued by Edwardo Severin, his former best friend. How did that happen? That story is more complicated. Severin provided startup funds for the development of Facebook, and he served as the Chief Financial Officer. Zuckerberg and Severin had mutually decided upon a joint ownership of Facebook: 70% for Zuckerberg, 30% for Severin. But Severin’s vision for Facebook was smaller than Zuckerberg’s. Severin believed that it could grow into a multimillion dollar venture. But after Zuckerberg met Sean Parker, the enterprising young founder of Napster, Zuckerberg began to listen to Parker and believe that Facebook would someday be worth billions. Severin felt betrayed by his best friend, and he froze the company’s $19,000 bank account, which he had funded with his own money. When Zuckerberg discovered this, he retaliated. He tricked Severin into signing a new Facebook contract which would grant him 30% ownership of the company, but over time that portion was diluted to 0.03% as Facebook increased its shares and grew in size. Severin sued Zuckerberg and was eventually restored as co-founder of Facebook with a 7% share of the company. His present net worth is $2.5 billion.

After thinking about these relationships among Zuckerberg, Severin and the three rich Harvard students, I realized that friendship should be inclusive. The three rich students believed they had an exclusive, elite status, and they wanted to use Zuckerberg’s genius to achieve their own ends. Zuckerberg smelled a rat, so he invented Facebook despite them and without them. Similar dynamics were found in Severin’s relationship with Zuckerberg. When Zuckerberg began to listen to Parker instead of him, he (Severin) felt excluded and betrayed. Severin lashed out at Zuckerberg by freezing the bank account, and Zuckerberg retaliated by diluting Severin’s share.

What can I learn from this and apply to my Christian life?

True friendship is inclusive, not exclusive. To varying degrees and in various ways, we are all proud and sinful human beings. If I, as a Christian, project an attitude that I am better — if I suggest that I am smarter, purer, superior, wiser, richer, older, more spiritual, fruitful, accomplished, experienced, knowledgeable, sacrificial, or hard working than someone else — I will communicate to that person a spirit of exclusivity. That attitude screams out, “You do not yet belong to my elite class!” I may be outwardly kind, polite, gentle, and generous. But if someone detects the smell of exclusivity, I will never be able to win him as a true friend, someone who cares for me and who has my back.

Once I made a church-related decision without seriously considering the objections and differing opinions of other church members. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But several of them felt hurt, even betrayed, and our relationships wre strained. I made my decision brashly and unilaterallly without consultinag them. They felt that I had excluded them.

The desire to be included is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be a person. Inclusiveness is part of the image and greatness of our God.

God demonstrates the most marvelous inclusivity toward sinners. The most elite and exclusive of all clubs is the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Their joy, satisfaction and fulfillment among themselves is sublime, exquisite and perfect; it can never be improved upon. But what did this perfect trinitarian community do? They decided to open up their fellowship to sinners. They invited the most worthless, vulgar and unqualified scumbags (us) to join their exquisite club.

To his nation of rebellious people, the holy God said “Come now, let us reason together” (Isa 1:18). To his immature, unqualified disciples — whom he knew would all abandon him within a week — Jesus said, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:16). God is present with us through the Holy Spirit, and he will never leave or forsake those whom he has called and chosen (Mt 1:23; Heb 13:5). The Israelites and the disciples of Jesus should never, ever have been included by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They were utterly unqualified because of their sins. But through the costly cross of Christ, God, by his mercy and grace alone, by his generous spirit of inclusivity, accepted them as they were.

I am reminded of Samuel Lee, the founder of UBF, who exuded a spirit of inclusivity. Though he was the top leader of the organization, he introduced himself warmly to others as, “I am Sam.” In his communication style, he made others feel welcomed and embraced. He did not come across as belonging to a higher, elite, or untouchable class. He did not want to have an agenda to use people, their gifts and their skills, for promoting himself or the UBF organization. Because of his spirit of inclusivity and friendship, God used him to win countless friends for Christ in Korea and throughout the world.

Nine years after Lee’s passing, has UBF lost some of its spirit of inclusivity? Perhaps we have. When we label certain UBF members as “exemplary” shepherds or missionaries, “fruitful” shepherds or missionaries, Ph.D. professor shepherds, “senior” leaders, and so on, what are we communicating? The gospel that I accepted and believed proclaims that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). That applies even to the most exemplary of UBF members. By making and reinforcing these distinctions, we communicate an attitude that some of us are better, more worthy and more honorable than the rest.

Some have alluded, or even explictly stated, that UBF members are the “Green Berets” of the Christian church. (The Green Berets are the U.S. Army Special Forces, one of the world’s most elite military corps.) It has been said that those who belong other churches are “cultural” Christians. We have made negative and unflattering insinuations about mega-churches and “hallelujah” churches. Are we any more sincere and dedicated than Christians in other churches and ministries? Perhaps so, or perhaps not. But regardless, we are in no position to make those judgments. To say such things, or even to imply them, communicates an inner spirit of hubris, superiority and exclusivity. That spirit will discourage true friendships from forming among members of UBF, and between us and Christians in other churches and ministries.

Do you agree that friendship should be inclusive? Does being a true friend to someone else require a spirit of inclusivity?