Reaction Monday/ The hopeless Denver Broncos

I had a bad dream that I want to share with you.  I dreamed that the Denver Broncos played the undefeated Miami Dolphins, and the game was basically over by halftime.  In my dream, the Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, didn’t throw an incompletion the entire first half.  And it was 35-13 at halftime.  Then, in my dream, the decimation of the Broncos continued in the second half.  When all was said and done, the final score was one you’d expect to see in a Madden video game or something; an eye-popping 70-20.  As you know, the irony is I wasn’t dreaming: this was what actually happened yesterday. 

Congratulations to the Miami Dolphins!  That’s an offensive showing that hasn’t been seen in many decades.  Consider these numbers: 10 offensive touchdowns in one game; 5 passing, 5 rushing (first time in NFL history that feat was done).  726 yards (second most in NFL history, 10 short of the all-time record).  I also want to give a lot of credit to Miami’s coach Mike McDaniel.  There was an opportunity, late in the 4th quarter, to kick a field goal and lift their total to a NFL record 73 points.  But McDaniel showed class, sportsmanship, and mercy by having the team just take a knee, and be content with an astonishing 50-point victory.  As it was, no NFL team had scored that many points since 1966!  It was historically incredible for Miami; and an embarrassing train wreck for Denver.

In 2022, there was a renewed sense of excitement and hope in Bronco-land: The Broncos pushed all of their poker chips to the middle of the table, so to speak, to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson.  What followed was a terrible season.  I vividly remember telling a coworker one Monday last year: “another week, another embarrassing Broncos loss.”  But, after the debacle of the Nathaniel Hackett experiment, the Broncos hired a new Head Coach for 2023: Super Bowl winner Sean Payton.  This was supposed to right everything for the Broncos.  Yet today, Denver stands winless three weeks in, and living through another game that resulted in understandable national ridicule.

I thought about the Denver Broncos as an example of hopelessness.  But there are others.  Since I’ve writing about “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”; the cinematic world of Superman portrayed by Henry Cavill has been fresh on my mind.  I was reminded about the unceremonious ending of Cavill’s career playing the Man of Steel.

In October of 2022, Henry took to social media with the news that he was going to come back as Superman.  Incidentally, this story can be found here.  With a picture of him decked out in his iconic red and blue super suit, he stated, “A very small taste of what’s to come, my friends.  The dawn of hope renewed.”  Like many others superhero fans, I would have liked to see the continued saga of Cavill’s Superman.  But a few months later, he had to announce: “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.  After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October.”  Then with an attitude that would make Superman himself proud he continued, “This news isn’t the easiest but that’s life.  The changing of the guard is something that happens.  I respect that.”  That development can be read about here.

Sadly, what Henry Cavill called “the dawn of hope renewed”, only lasted a few months.  Therefore, whether it’s the unexpected dashed dreams of a Henry Cavill-led Superman franchise, or a football team that seems to find new ways to humiliate themselves, hope can be an elusive quest.  Hope can’t be found in worthy things like the right romantic relationship, political involvement, raising the next generation, or enduring physical health (because it can be gone in a flash; believe me, I know all about this one).  But, as surely as I’m sitting here writing this, there is hope.

The old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking ground.”  One helpful resource, found here at Bible verses now.com, puts it well: “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less is an inspiring reminder that no matter what we face, our hope and trust ultimately rest in God and His love for us.  It is a source of comfort and assurance that He is always there for us, now and always.  The lyrics written by Edward Mote in 1834, convey the belief that nothing in this world can compare to the strength and constancy of God’s love and grace.”   

God bless,

Kevin  

Revisiting a maligned film (Part 1 - Introduction)

My life has been heavy lately.  And because I’ve desired to share with you what has been going on, this blog has been rather heavy too.  So I thought I would switch things up a little bit and talk about a superhero film that is worthy of revisiting.  A film that is often maligned.

Back in 2016, I wrote a two-part blog on, at the time, the new film “Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice”.  I basically stated that there were good elements in the movie, as well as bad elements, and then some just flat-out bizarre stuff.  However, as time went on – 7 years already; wow, how time flies! – there was something about it that bothered me, yet I couldn’t place my finger on what it was.  One day, it finally dawned on me, and this realization colored my view of this film negatively.  So, for today, I thought I would begin by addressing this specific troubling aspect of the film.

First off, believe it or not, I finished viewing the “Ultimate Edition” of “Batman v Superman” for the first time.  This is, without question, the definitive version of the film (the theatrical version cut 30 minutes out).  To refresh your memory, Superman (Henry Cavill) and Zod engaged in an epic battle in the 2013 film “Man of Steel”, which resulted in lots of collateral damage, and even loss of life.  In one of the beginning scenes of “Batman v Superman” (I’m going to begin abbreviating it to “BvS”) we see a flashback of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) seeing a brief moment of their fight for himself (incidentally I submit that Affleck is excellent in this film).  Bruce sees the death of some of his employees, a direct result of the Superman/Zod battle.  While he does manage to save a little girl, she tells him that her parents were also killed as a result of the destructive fight. 

The film jumps to 18 months later, and we see discover that Bruce was deeply impacted by the chaos those months ago; it changed him.  He is angrier, vengeful, and full of rage.  He blames Superman for the death and destruction he had witnessed.  He begins branding the necks of criminals with a bat-shaped hot iron.  This raises the eyebrows of the Gotham media, and even Alfred himself (played quite well here by Jeremy Irons).  In fact, there’s a scene where Alfred drops a newspaper detailing Batman’s new habit of escalated violence, and calls Bruce out on it; he rightly calls Bruce’s actions “cruel.”  Bruce basically just shrugs it off, and says something to the effect of, “People in this world don’t stay good.”

When it finally occurred to me that this is a very different Batman – an outright murderous one – it became a negative issue I had with this film.  Of course, the Caped Crusader is in the wrong here, but for some reason, his motivation eluded me; these murders were not something that he had done for years and years (as I previously thought).  Rather, it was all brought on by the one he perceives as a threat to humanity – Superman.  Now, a person can contend that this an implausible plot point, and that’s their prerogative.  But in this movie universe of “BvS” – often referred to as the “Snyder-verse” after Director Zach Snyder – we are steeped in a realistic tone.  And realistically, if there was an alien invasion that resulted in loss of life, and you witnessed some of it, wouldn’t you would fear the alien and consider him a threat to humanity?

However, contrary to popular opinion – an opinion I too had at one point – this dire mindset of Batman’s is not the end of his story arc in this film.  To put it in a nutshell for today, after Batman finally comes to understand that he was completely wrong about Superman, he fights alongside him.  Ultimately, the Man of Steel’s heroic example shows Bruce the error of his ways; we see a changed man, both through his actions (I realize this is a debated point, I want to tackle this in more depth in the next blog), and also his words.  By the end of “BvS”, Bruce actually encourages a morose Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot; who was so good in this, she got two standalone movies of her own).  He resolutely declares, “Men are still good. We fight. We kill.  We betray each other.  But we can rebuild.  We can do better. We will. We have to.”

To conclude, what I’ve written today doesn’t mean that I now think this is the greatest superhero film ever made; I don’t.  I think it has glaring flaws.  But I don’t actually think this movie is as bad as the general consensus seems to convey it is.  I think it gets some hate that is unjustified.  Yes, it’s different and controversial (once again, I’ll address some of the controversy next time), but I’ve discovered you really can’t put your brain on a shelf while viewing this.  I freely admit that I was guilty of not thinking everything through that was being presented.  Today I appreciate “Batman v Superman” (or “BvS”) for what it is, glaringly obvious flaws and all.  It is to this movie universe that I plan to return to again next time.

To be continued!

God bless,

Kevin

Reflections on my father's birthday

I’ve had a lot of extra free time on my hands of late, as I’ve documented.  Not long ago, I watched the 2018 film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse”, and as with previous viewings, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  At the end of the film, a Stan Lee quote is given: “That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.” 

This made me think of my dad.  In fact, in 2015, when I spoke at Dad’s memorial service I called my dad a superhero.  I made it clear that day (and I reiterate it again here today, this designation is a massive compliment).  Today is my dad’s birthday, even if he is in Heaven.  Dad routinely helped others “because it is the right thing to do.”  First and foremost, he served his wife, my mother.  I have seldom seen anyone in my life who was so devoted to loving, cherishing, serving, and protecting his spouse as my dad.  He also consistently helped his children, my brother and me.  I could tell story after story of how he did this.  Furthermore, I could tell stories of how dad selflessly helped his coworkers.

My dad’s passing was a difficult time in my life.  This man who was always in my corner, who was there to provide encouragement, love, and help was suddenly gone.  I had to grieve this tremendous loss; incidentally, maybe that’s a word of challenge for someone.  You’ve lost a loved one, but you haven’t let yourself mourn.  You’ve buried it and stuffed it down.  You must give yourself permission to grieve, to fully feel the intensity of the pain and the loss.  To do otherwise isn’t healthy.  Don’t misunderstand me: that’s not to say that one ever truly over “gets over” the loss.  In many ways, it will stay with you; it will remain a part of your story. 

For example, I could write a whole blog on why I appreciate the 2005 film “Batman Begins”; I think it is the most underrated of the trilogy.  I happened to finish this movie again today, of all days.  You may recall that, at the end of the film, there is a bittersweet scene between Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes (played here by Katie Holmes).  Rachel states that while she never stopped thinking about Bruce, he was not the same person; but perhaps one day, when Gotham no longer needed Batman, the old Bruce would return and they could be together.  She went on to make a statement that caused a wave of tears and grief to unexpectedly hit me.  She said to Bruce, “Your father would be very proud of you, just like me.”

I did a few things today to honor Dad’s memory, including this blog.  Why did I do this?  Because the Bible says, “Give honor to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:7), and that certainly is true of my dad.  I purchased some red roses (I should take a picture and share it with you); I did this because an online article written by Shannon O’ Conner for a flower company stated that while red flowers can signify true love and passion, they can also be used to convey respect and courage.  As per usual, you can find the link I’m referencing right here.  I think this is a fitting tribute to Dad’s legacy.

In conclusion, my recent overnight stay in an emergency room was a reminder that tomorrow is not guaranteed.  I heard a program by Billy Graham and his team today; I resonated with him when he said, something to the effect of, “We think death is coming to others, but somehow not to us.  But the Bible says, ‘It is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgment [Hebrews 9:27].’”  I confess I naively used to think this; not anymore.  These days on Earth are fleeting and numbered.  We can’t afford to put off the spiritual decisions that need to be made.  The next verse in Hebrews 9 says, “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”  If you’ve never placed your faith in this Christ – the One who out of His great love, willingly shed His blood for you – I urge you to do so.  The Bible says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

God bless,

Kevin        

God's gracious dawn after a nightmare

2023 has been a difficult year for me.  I’ve documented some of these lows; they were all legitimate heartaches.  But I come to you now ready to describe the most recent heartache – perhaps you could even call it a nightmare that you can’t wake up from.  I went to the doctor on September 1 because of lingering physical issues that I mentioned last time.  After running a few tests, I returned home awaiting the results; soon after, the doctor called me and informed me that my hemoglobin was low.  No, hemoglobin isn’t the name of a Spider-Man villain.  I was told that this is a protein that carries oxygen to the organs of the body.  My hemoglobin test was low, signifying anemia.

It was strongly encouraged that I go to the emergency room.  Not long after, I was having my first IV, blood transfusion, and overnight stay in a hospital.  I could go on and on, but in a nutshell, I ended up staying three days in that emergency room!  An ulcer on my small intestine, and internal bleeding was also discovered.  In short, this was a scary, dire situation not only for myself, but for my loved ones too – incidentally, they deserve a medal for the incredible compassion, love and kindness that they extended to me.

Finally, I was able to go home again.  Even though, I’m still regaining my full strength, I’m out of the danger zone.  Now that I’ve had the chance to process everything I've just been through, one of the things I marvel at is the fragility of God’s gift of health.  One day, you are going through your everyday life, the next day you are speaking to medical professionals who all comment on how pale you look (unusually pale complexion is a common side effect of anemia).

In the past, I’ve spoken of Rebecca St. James’ latest musical project “Kingdom Come”.  After this recent nightmarish ordeal, one song in particular gripped my heart and soul in a fresh and new way.  I’m referring to her song called “Dawn”.  Rebecca herself describes this song in this way:

“For me, this song is very, very personal; one of the most personal songs I’ve possibly ever written.  It really ties into a time of winter that my husband and I experienced just a few years ago…we experienced two miscarriages in between having our first daughter and our second.  There were vocational challenges…outside family issues, internal emotional things that both my husband and I were dealing with.  Just a lot at once.  And there were definitely times of just wondering, ‘How are we going to not only walk through this right now, but we believe in the faithfulness and redemption of God, but how is this going to happen?  How are we going to see good come out of this season?’

[Rebecca continues:] Out of that time, God brought my husband and I, and our little family into such a brand new [season of] spring.  And such a new time of joy, and sunrise, and dawn.  This song is a song of hope…it talks about being held by God’s love; and that He brings the dawn.  He brings hope to our lives…I pray that when people hear it, not only will they authentically resonate with the lyrics, but they also a reminded that Jesus brings the sunrise; He brings redemption; He brings restoration to our hearts.  (Her words can be found here)

The song (and by the way, I’ve included the official studio session of this song from Rebecca’s you tube channel which can be found at this link) starts in this way: “Lord, I’m so tired in this fight.  Tired of waking up with no end in sight.  I feel I’ve got so little left; I know that I’ve come to the end of myself.  Help me hold on, cling to You ‘til I see the sun.  Held by Your love, I sing allelujah.  You’re lifting my heart, as I lift my hands.  Safe in Your love, I sing allelujah.  You’re healing my heart, as I lift my hands.”  It would be neglectful of me if I didn’t also cite these powerful words from the song: “Even in the darkness, even when it’s hardest, You are faithful and You bring the dawn.  On every mountain, I’ll sing it even louder, You are faithful and You bring the dawn.”  Amen and amen!

Praising God,     

Kevin