Hills to die on - Part 2

In the “about me” section of this blog, I describe myself as having a lot of labels.  I’m a Colorado Christian University alumni.  To some, I’m the Chick-fil-A guy.  I’m a son; I’m a brother.  And, of course, I’m a superhero fan.  But I go on to declare that the most important thing about me is that I am a Christian.  When you draw a line in the sand like that, and point to Jesus Christ and say, “I’m following Him,” it provokes anger, hatred, and persecution in some people.  This is just what Jesus said would happen in John 15.  So, as I said last time, writing blogs like this isn’t necessarily easy, but I must present the truth.

Hill to die on number 2: God’s way is always the best way.  In 1647, there was a catechism that was put together, belief statements, it has been helpful to many.  This is known as the shorter Westminster catechism.  The first is as follows: “What is the chief end of man?  The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.” 

Sinclair Ferguson, in his work “Lessons from the upper room” gives food for thought when he writes: “People often assume that the glory of God stands in antithesis to their own blessing and may even be His calculated denial of it.  It’s as if they believe – as they in fact do – that every ounce of glory God gets proportionately diminishes their happiness and pleasure… [but the truth is,] God’s glory and our enjoyment go hand in hand!”

Psalm 16:8 states, “I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”  What is the result?  Verse 9: “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure.”  And then perhaps this more familiar verse; Psalm 16:11: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  Did you catch it?  The Psalmist lives his life to honor and glorify the Lord, and the result is his heart is glad.  Sinclair is right: “God’s glory and our enjoyment go hand in hand!”

The fact of the matter is God is not a cosmic killjoy.  Let me be transparent with you: every time I have chosen to go my own way other than God’s way, I regret it.  The Bible says, “The way of the transgressor is hard.”  Proverbs tells us, “He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow” (22:8).  Conversely, when you do it God’s way, you want to sing the old song, “He has made me glad; He has made me glad.  I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”  That’s because what He prescribes in His Word is actually for own good, not to take away our fun.

Now, in conclusion, let me reiterate something: just because God’s way is the best way does not mean that there won’t be pain along the path.  As Graham Tomlin expresses it, “the more intensely we follow Jesus the more joy and laughter there will be, but likely the more tears and struggle also.  Carrying His name in this world is an awesome and enjoyable adventure but one that will require much endurance and courage.” (As quoted by Matt Redman in his book “Mirror Ball”).  Amen and amen!

Kevin

Hills to die on - Introduction/ Part 1

I was recently gripped with an urgency to present a collection of blogs on what I’m calling hills to die on.  Ron Luce once stated, “Until you find something worth dying for, you’re not really living.”  If someone were to ask me what are some things that I would be willing to die for, hills that I would be willing to die, what would they be?  Well, I have several subject matters that I’m passionate about.  But I have not yet determined how many I will be giving in this blog series. 

Before continuing, let me state that going down this road isn’t as easy for me as you might think.  Jesus said in John 15 not to be surprised if the world hates a follower of Christ because it hated Him as well.  “If they persecuted me,” He continued, “they will persecute you” (verse 20).  The longer I follow Jesus, the more I can see the truth of His words.  Make no mistake about it: there is a cost to following Jesus.  I have seen it with my own eyes: unrestrained hatred from the world because of my allegiance to Jesus Christ.  So please know composing this has had an emotional and spiritual effect on me.  Yet, I must speak because I believe it is more vital than ever before to present the truth.

Augustine (354-430) in his autobiography “Confessions” wrote to God: “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”  This is a concept that I would die for: life without God makes us feel incomplete, searching, and restless.  It’s like a puzzle that is missing a piece.  The Bible illustrates this concept well in the book of Ecclesiastes, where the preacher describes all he tries to find ultimate fulfillment.  He speaks of how he used his vast wealth to build houses, vineyards, gardens, and pools (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6).  In verse 10, he speaks of indulging in pleasure; but in verse 11 he sums up his endeavors with: “all was vanity and grasping for the wind.”

This was the life of Augustine as well.  One tremendous resource writes, “Augustine looked for rest through relationships.  He gave in to peer pressure, doing things like stealing, thinking that solidarity with his peers would lead to peace…Augustine also chased after romantic relationships, notoriety, and success in his career.  None of these efforts provided what his heart longed for.  He knew there had to be more to life.  Such pursuits will never satisfy us either, if they are pursued as an end in themselves.  So what are we to do?  The answer, Augustine tells us, is to come and receive the rest that God offers us in Jesus Christ.”

(Source: https://www.bibles.net/heart-restless-augustine-answer/)

Jesus Christ said, “Come to me all you who weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, from I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).  Augustine found that rest.  Throughout the centuries, a multitude around the globe have experienced this thrilling rest in Christ – myself included.  The same article concludes with these words, “Rest for our restless hearts is only found in the eternal God who made us for himself.  To rest in God is to receive the gift of salvation freely offered to us in Jesus Christ, and then to entrust our lives to him.  Have you found this rest?”

Kevin

The bright gem of Spider-Man 2 (Part 3 of 3)

Before moving on to the exciting conclusion of “Spider-Man 2”, I want to rewind a little bit and flesh out something.

Christ-like Similarities

Christ-like similarities or allusions are nothing new in superhero films.  Consider, for example, when Superman is stabbed in the side with a kryptonite dagger in the film “Superman Returns”, as Jesus’ was on the cross.  Or when Batman takes the sins of Harvey Dent upon himself in the final scene of “The Dark Knight”; Gordon’s son comments that Batman did nothing wrong, ultimately pointing us to Jesus.  There’s a Christ allusion in “Spider-Man 2” as well:

As Spider-Man shoots numerous webbing lines on both sides of the train, he proceeds to use every drop of his strength to grasp the webbing, and stop the train.  He does this with arms outstretched, like Jesus on the cross.  Spidey is so spent, he loses consciousness.  The passengers pull the spent hero inside the train; this is a tender picture of Jesus’ body being taken off the cross.  The body of Spider-Man is so unresponsive one passenger asks another, “Is he alive?”

Complete Surprise (Part 2)

As they had previously arranged, Ock brings a captured Spider-Man to Harry Osborn, in exchange Harry would give Ock all the Tritium fuel to complete his fusion reactor.  In yet another riveting scene, Harry Osborn looms over a subdued Spider-Man, with a knife in hand.  He decides to take off his mask so he can look into his eyes.  The look of shock on Harry’s face, when he sees his best friend Peter Parker looking back at him, is priceless.  Surprisingly, Peter convinces Harry to reveal where Ock is keeping MJ, so he can save her, and stop Ock once and for all.  Because Octavius’ fusion reaction project failed before and it will fail again.

Collaborative Shift

Octavius’ calculations were wrong.  That’s why his fusion reactor didn’t work before; and so unsurprisingly, when he fired it up the reactor – that was much larger than before – it began to suck magnetic objects into it, endangering many lives.  But Spider-Man arrived to stop Ock.  The way he stopped him is remarkable.  He stopped using his fists and began using his head; he took off his mask and began to appeal to Octavius as a man.  He pointed out that the four mechanical arms had turned him into something he isn’t, and he needed to stop listening to them.

Ock points out that sustainable energy for mankind was his dream.  “Sometimes to do what’s right, we have to be steady,” Peter replied.  “And give up the thing we want the most, even our dreams.”  These words were essentially what Aunt May had said to him.  Amazingly, Octavius agrees with Peter, and regains control over the arms.  He proceeds to volunteer to drown the fusion reactor in the river, sacrificing himself in the process, but saving the day.  I’m always in tears when I see this noble sacrifice.  As he destroys his life’s work and his dream, Octavius says, “I will not die a monster.”  As I see it, he died a hero, not a monster.  

Celebrated Shock

As Octavius sacrifices himself, it is revealed that MJ – who Peter thought had run to safety when he saved her – saw that Peter was Spider-Man.  The two lock eyes.  The look on MJ’s face, the accompanied music, what I’m calling the celebrated shock, is pure gold.  I’m tearing up just describing it here.  Very early in the movie, MJ had called Peter a mystery, but now the mystery was solved.  Suddenly, a huge wall began falling, about to crush MJ, but Peter saves her.  He confesses that, the structure is “really heavy” and in case they both die, he wanted to set the record straight: he does love her, even though he had said he didn’t.  He manages to rescue them, and the two escape to safety.

Concluding Scenes

Peter chose to sacrifice his own dream of being with MJ.  He had explained to her that now that she knew the truth of his superhero life, she knew why they couldn’t be together.  Mary Jane was to go ahead and marry John Jameson after all.  But she couldn’t go through with it.  She ran to Peter’s apartment, in her wedding dress, and said that she was making the choice to face the danger of Peter’s life.  She wanted to be with him.  The tension is whether Peter will finally reciprocate this time.  His line “thank you, Mary Jane Watson” solidifies the happy ending.  The two kiss, until police sirens blare; she encourages, “Go get them, Tiger.”  He web-swings to the danger, and this amazing film’s credits roll.

In conclusion, I’ve presented numerous reasons why I love “Spider-Man 2” and there’s even more I could have said!  Some takeaways for today: I find it refreshing that a movie proclaimed that you can’t always go after your dreams, if in the process of doing so, you lose yourself.  Octavius teaches that it’s never too late to stop on the wrong path and begin doing the right thing.  And Peter and MJ’s happy ending shows that the saying is wrong: nice guys don’t always finish last.

Kevin            

The bright gem of Spider-Man 2 (Part 2)

I love the film “Spider-Man 2”.  Last time, I began detailing why.  Let’s get right back to it.

Compassionate Speech

Peter is as lost as ever.  He has tried to shirk his responsibilities as Spider-Man, but he still wants to protect others.  He gets the help he needs in one of my favorite scenes of the film.  Aunt May is moving.  And she, along with a boy named Henry, are working hard at organizing everything and putting them into boxes.  Henry brings up Spider-Man, and Aunt May chimes in on his absence of his picture in the papers.  The subject then turns to Henry himself, and how he actually wants to be Spider-Man one day.  When Peter asks why, his aunt replies with a touching speech:

“Lord knows kids like Henry need a hero.  Courageous, self-sacrificing people, setting examples for all of us.  Everybody loves a hero; people line up for them, cheer them, scream their names.  And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours, just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer.  I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.  Even though sometimes, we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most, even our dreams.  Spider-Man did that for Henry, and he wondered where’s he’s gone.  He needs him.”

These words inspire Peter to choose the hard life of Spider-Man again.  This is the moment he chose Spider-Man in his heart and soul.

Complete Surprise

One of the more intriguing aspects of “Spider-Man 2” is the Peter and Mary Jane relationship.  The ‘will they/won’t they’ storyline is something I find quite fascinating.  Remember it was Peter’s decision to protect MJ from his dangerous life that drove her into the arms of John Jameson in the first place; when she accepted John’s hand in marriage, Peter’s future with MJ looked very bleak.  But, at this point in the film, some dramatic surprises regarding her relationship with Peter begin to occur.  First off, Peter is surprised when MJ contacts him and asks him meet her in a local café.

Mary Jane had previously realized that maybe she didn’t really love John Jameson, and her heart lies elsewhere.  Thus, the surprise invitation.  At the café, there was another surprise: she boldly asks Peter if he loves her.  In another desperate attempt to protect her, Peter lies, and says he doesn’t.  Undeterred, she asks Peter to kiss her, because she “needs to know something.”  But Doctor Octopus appears, (after Peter, in a dazzling cinematic moment, saves them both from a car Ock had tossed at them).  Doc Ock demands that Peter find Spider-Man, and he kidnaps Mary Jane for good measure.  This sets the stage for more surprises in the next act of the film.

Crazy good sequence

After Peter takes back his Spider-Man suit that his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, had displayed on the wall in his office, he immediately goes after Ock.  Their fight ends up landing them both on a train.  I could go on and on with the breathtaking moments that occur in the entire marvelous scene, but I want to focus on Doctor Octopus’ speeding up the train, and cutting the brakes, forcing Spider-Man to stop it before the train falls off the unfinished bridge.  There’s a you tube video where someone details this entire train scene; he comments:

“This decision may seem out of place, but when you think about it, it’s actually a brilliant move on Octavius’ part.  He’s fully confident that Spider-Man will stop this train.  After all, he has a deal with Harry Osborn to trade Spider-Man for the fusion material.  He has no reason to kill Spider-Man at this point; meaning, it’s all done to tire him out as much as possible, since he knows he’ll always find a way to keep chasing him.  No better way to tire a superhero than forcing them into a life and death scenario.”

Ultimately, he does stop the train, inches before everyone would have fallen off the unfinished tracks.  But Peter is so exhausted that he has no strength left; he loses consciousness, and would have actually fallen to his death, had the passengers of the train not caught him.  This same you tube video continues: “In “Spider-Man 2”, the scene is executed gracefully by having the passengers pull Peter up into the train, in a Christ-like manner.”  Then Ock returns, easily subdues Spider-Man, and takes him to Harry Osborn.

(Source: “Spider-Man 2: The beauty of the train scene” by Core Ideas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4_mJiROoQo)

In conclusion, great superhero films inspire, and this film inspires me.  Many lessons to draw out, but let me focus on just one today.  This movie teaches me that even if I’m down, I don’t have to be out.  I can get up and keep fighting the good fight.  Peter picks up the mantle of Spider-Man again, knowing the cost of doing so.  

To be continued!

Kevin

Spider-Man 2: The brightest gem of a superhero film (Part 1)

The 2004 movie “Spider-Man 2” is a film that is close to my heart.  When I decided to undertake the project of articulating why I love it, I quickly realized that I could go on and on.  I will try to cover it all in 2 parts, but to adequately capture it, it may actually be 3.  To begin, I’m going to present this in sections, each beginning with the same letters.  First off, we need to think about the context.  Or what I’m going to call…

Continuing Story

At the very end of 2002’s “Spider-Man” Peter left Mary Jane in tears, not to mention broke his own heart.  He chose to not reciprocate the feelings MJ had declared she had for him.  The film ends with Peter choosing responsibility over heart.  It’s a noble, inspiring end to the film, for sure.  But what are the ramifications of Peter’s decision?  “Spider-Man 2” gives us the answer.

Consistent Suffering

Act one of the film shows that nothing is going right in Peter’s life.  He is so strapped for cash that he takes a second job as a pizza deliveryman, which he loses because he was late (again) in delivering it.  Why?  Because he was saving lives as Spider-Man.  His grades are slipping; he is late to classes.  Why?  Because of his duties as Spider-Man.  His relationship with Mary Jane deteriorates from her longing glances at him in the beginning of the film, to her referring to him as “a great big jerk” towards the end.  Why?  Because he was stopping crime as Spider-Man, which caused him to be late to MJ’s play.  Peter’s life is falling apart, because of Spider-Man.

Compelling Super-villain

“Spider-Man 2” has an intriguing, menacing villain.  Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is a formidable foe.  But when we first meet him, he is Otto Octavius.  He just wants to benefit mankind by realizing his dream of creating renewable, sustainable, energy.  Otto quickly befriends Peter.  Both he, his wife Rosie, and Peter chat at length the night before Otto’s big demonstration.  Ultimately, his experiment fails; four mechanical arms are welded to his body.  Quickly it becomes apparent that Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock, is a physical threat.  Director Sam Raimi does a great job of capturing this when the camera literally shakes as Doc Ock is off-screen, but approaching.

Complex Situation

Another fascinating aspect of “Spider-Man 2” is the storyline when Peter begins to lose his spider powers.  When I was younger, I didn’t understand why this was happening, but I get it now.  This was a case of “mind over matter.”  There are buried emotions at work here, manifesting in the loss of his powers.  Primarily he is heartsick over a sad development regarding Mary Jane; and it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.  But let me back up.

There’s a vitally important scene where Peter is devastated to learn that Mary Jane had accepted John Jameson’s marriage proposal.  In the next scene, Spidey goes from web slinging, to losing his powers yet again.  Further, in that previous scene, where Peter are Otto are chatting the night before the experiment, Otto had stated that love should never be kept a secret.  “If you keep something as complicated as love inside,” he continued, “It’ll make you sick.”  Also when Peter goes to a doctor to see what’s wrong with him, the doctor flat-out tells him he is fine; it is all in his mind.  He asks if Peter had gone through heartbreak or bad dreams.  Peter focuses on the bad dreams example, but it’s heartbreak.

Cinematic Shock

Peter states that he is Spider-Man “in his dreams”, but he keeps losing his powers and falling off a wall.  The well-meaning doctor suggests that maybe he doesn’t need to be Spider-Man.  “You always have a choice, Peter,” the doctor says.  Those words lead to Peter having a chat with Uncle Ben in a daydream of sorts.  He tells Ben that he wants a life of his own.   And he resolutely declares, “I’m Spider-Man no more.”  He throws his Spidey suit into a trash can.  I’ve called this cinematic shock because very rarely do you see this decision made by the protagonist in a superhero film.

In conclusion, someone is wondering: what’s the relevance of digging into “Spiderman 2” in 2022?  Quite a lot.  First, while I dislike the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished”, it seems to fit Peter in this movie.  Whatever good he does just results in him getting kicked in the teeth.  Can’t we all relate to this on some level?  I know I can.  Secondly, I’m leaving this on a bit of a cliffhanger, but obviously there’s more to come.  And I submit that Peter’s example in this film inspires me, even to this very day.  He teaches us that the cost for doing the right thing is high – perhaps higher than ever before – but it’s still so worth it.

To be continued!

Kevin

Harpooned

Rob Petrie, in a particularly riveting episode of the iconic program “The Dick Van Dyke show” began receiving a barrage of insults from others after not being as proficient in self-defense as his wife.  I could go on and on about this episode, but for today, my point is Rob eventually likens the emotional damage he feels from the words as “another harpoon” (if you’re interested, I’m referencing an episode titled “My mother can beat up my father”).  I’ve began using that analogy because it’s a vivid word picture.

Candidly, I’ve been at the receiving end of unkind words from others in recent days.  I have been hurt unexpectedly; to use Rob’s word, I’ve been harpooned.  And this has happened on more than one occasion.  I don’t think it would be all that helpful to describe these episodes in detail.  Suffice to say, they made me angry; actually, that’s not strong enough: they made my blood boil.  But if you live on this planet, you’ll be hurt by others.  It’s inevitable.  Therefore, if that’s true, what is the remedy for this?  The remedy, in a word, is forgiveness.  I’m not saying it’s an easy remedy; in fact, forgiveness seems like the last thing we should do, but I can tell you from firsthand experience the only way to heal is to forgive.

Recently, I had this thought: if someone were to ask me to present one last blog installment, and then retire from writing them altogether, what would my last, all-important blog be about?  Of course, I would have great difficulty with such a task.  Perhaps I would condense it into a bullet point format or something.  But, without a doubt, somewhere in that blog I would state this: if you and I want to live a life of happiness and peace, we must choose to forgive when others hurt us.  I’ve experienced the power of forgiveness, and I thank God for it.  Without it, I don’t know where I would be. 

In Matthew 6, Jesus gives His disciples a sample prayer, commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”, He gives these words: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (verse 12; NKJV).  I’ve heard this prayer recited in groups, and sometimes the phrase is “forgive us our transgressions, as we forgive those who transgress against us.”  I like that rendering too.  Further, in Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother.  Up to seven times?  Peter had to be surprised when Jesus answered, “seventy times seven” (verse 22).  Essentially, what Jesus was saying is there’s no limit; keep on forgiving.    

Ephesians 4:30 states to not “grieve the Holy Spirit of God”, and the next verse admonishes, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you.”  Well, okay, how does one get rid of all of these things?  Verse 32 of Ephesians 4: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  That last phrase is very important.  When I consider the massive debt of sin that I accrued, and how Jesus paid off that debt with His blood, I’m inspired to turn around and forgive others with the same mercy that I’ve been given by God.

In conclusion, forgiveness is powerful, but it can be misunderstood.  So let me hit and run on a few instances to clarify.  This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but it’s a start.  First off, “forgive and forget” is not found in the Bible.  I can choose to forgive, but I may never actually forget.  Secondly, forgiving yourself is vitally important.  Since God forgave me, I can choose to forgive myself too.  Thirdly, forgiveness isn’t dependent on the other person apologizing.  They may never apologize.  Reconciliation may not occur.  So be it.

Furthermore, forgiving someone doesn’t imply that you are now okay with what they did; it means you are letting God be the judge of the situation.  Fifthly, forgiveness doesn’t mean you are a doormat who stays in a bad situation.  Similarly, forgiveness doesn’t suggest you now trust the person; trust has to be earned.  Sixthly and finally, forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.  You may not feel like you’ve forgiven, but your emotions will eventually catch up to the decision of your will.

Kevin

Coming soon in September

Back in July, I composed a blog that was basically just a teaser of blogs I was going to write later on that month.  I’ve decided to do that again today.  One of the reasons I wrote in that way then is the same reason I am doing so now: I was tired.  I had no energy other than to just give a preview.  Plus, writing in this way also gets it out of my head (the plight of someone who loves to write; it floats around in the brain).  So here I am.

First of all, not long ago, I was going to present a collection of blogs.  Initially, I was actually going to have it be a trilogy; then it soon became apparent that a 4th blog was necessary.  While I’ve already revised the trilogy angle, the subject matter is an important one. 

I was going to begin it with this question: if I had the opportunity to convey just one thing to you, before retiring from writing, what would it be?  Understand that would be impossible for me.  And if I were asked such a question, I would probably be like being the person who, upon finding a genie, wished for more than 3 wishes; in other words, I would ask for several blogs, not just one.  But even still, you get the point.  This is an extremely important subject matter that would certainly make my list, if I were asked to give just one last blog. 

Further, as I was preparing all of this in my head, a few noteworthy episodes in my life occurred; as matter of fact, one of them was as recent as today.  It became a confirmation of sorts that God was saying I need to go down this road.  I know, without any context, you can’t really resonate. But maybe it serves as an effective teaser for what I hope to present soon.

Secondly, and in conclusion for today, after I finally get all that presented, I would love to write on something that is long overdue.  I’ve repeatedly stated that 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” is the best superhero film ever made.  But in 11 years of this blog, I’ve never composed why I believe this.  Therefore, after singing the praises of 2002’s “Spider-Man” back in July; as well as the considerable space I’ve given to 2007’s “Spider-Man 3” over the years; and even a few blogs devoted to the Maguire-led “Spider-Man 4” (I am hoping on that film happening one day).  After all of that, an exploration on “Spider-Man 2” seems very much in order.  And, once again, long overdue.

To be continued!

Kevin