No one likes watching a horrible fight scene such as the one above. It's unbelievably infuriating. Why? For multiple reasons, methinks. Here are just a few of them:
1. Bad acting gets on everyone's nerves. Actors get paid decent sums of money to put on a sad display of what's supposed to be a "fight." Any person off the street could do just as well, if not better. The same goes for the people that choreograph and film these sorry excuses for a fight scene.
2. Poor special effects are just plain lame. Of course, this is easy for us to say now. In fact, it's inevitable that a few years from now we'll be looking at the movies from the past few years and think the same exact thing. But that doesn't change anything.
3. Blatant deviation from reality is hard to stomach. This is mostly the culmination of 1 and 2, but it's true nonetheless. There is something in us that can't stand watching fights that are far from reality. This isn't to say that fights involving mythical monsters in other worlds are not good, because most times they are. But when fights involve slow punches, unbearably fake grunts, and laughable reactions, there is little that is worse.
4. Weak, unlikable, or poorly portrayed protagonists and antagonists ruin these fights. It's hard to get excited about a brawl that involves a sissy hero fighting a monster dressed in stiff rubber.
2. Poor special effects are just plain lame. Of course, this is easy for us to say now. In fact, it's inevitable that a few years from now we'll be looking at the movies from the past few years and think the same exact thing. But that doesn't change anything.
3. Blatant deviation from reality is hard to stomach. This is mostly the culmination of 1 and 2, but it's true nonetheless. There is something in us that can't stand watching fights that are far from reality. This isn't to say that fights involving mythical monsters in other worlds are not good, because most times they are. But when fights involve slow punches, unbearably fake grunts, and laughable reactions, there is little that is worse.
4. Weak, unlikable, or poorly portrayed protagonists and antagonists ruin these fights. It's hard to get excited about a brawl that involves a sissy hero fighting a monster dressed in stiff rubber.
And I think that this is why much of the world looks with disdain and condescension upon the church.
1. We are bad actors. To unbelievers, we are just acting, and doing a poor job of it, too. Our good deeds, muted humility, and carefully chosen words are not signs of sanctification to them, but indications of a facade that we put on in order to either fit in, or worse, work to earn our place in heaven.
2. Our pyrotechnics are far from entertaining. Prayers, sermons, songs, and personal sharing are not exactly the same as gun fights, explosions, and cinematic deaths. All of our special effects are the same as they were way back when the church first started. In a sense, our weapons have not advanced much at all.
3. We are loony for believing the reality we do. Everything that is tangible and real in this world that we live in seems to have nothing to do with what's involved in 1 and 2 above. Our beliefs seem irrelevant and foolish...mere idee fixes.
4. Our hero is a man who was nailed to wood. Our enemy seems to be a figment of our imagination that is oftentimes portrayed as red, with hooves and horns. Ridiculous.
2. Our pyrotechnics are far from entertaining. Prayers, sermons, songs, and personal sharing are not exactly the same as gun fights, explosions, and cinematic deaths. All of our special effects are the same as they were way back when the church first started. In a sense, our weapons have not advanced much at all.
3. We are loony for believing the reality we do. Everything that is tangible and real in this world that we live in seems to have nothing to do with what's involved in 1 and 2 above. Our beliefs seem irrelevant and foolish...mere idee fixes.
4. Our hero is a man who was nailed to wood. Our enemy seems to be a figment of our imagination that is oftentimes portrayed as red, with hooves and horns. Ridiculous.
The sad thing is that many (if not all) Christians fall into this line of thinking, too. We begin to buy into 1, 2, 3, and 4, and start wondering whether we really are on the right side.
There are so many ways to respond to these times of doubt, some good, others bad. And it all starts with a voice reminding us, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."
Yes, in these frail, awkward bodies, in this downtrodden, suffocating world our daily and lifelong battles seem absurd. But I do believe that with every weak line we deliver, every lame detonation, every unconvincing punch we throw, our God is working behind the veil that shrouds our eyes in this life, and is fighting the real battle that is more real than any great cinematic battle has ever been, or will ever be.
There is an awesome, stunning, and horrifying war being fought behind what we see. Whether we know it or not, by faith, we are either helping or detracting from that cause.
The reason we can boldly take part in this fight, regardless of what we can or can't see at the moment, is not found in some missive or conspectus, but in a moribund man on a cross. Not only that, but also in that same man truly risen again three days later to grant us our Pyrrhic victory.
Why would he do this? Why would he take on our sin, our death, our shame, our wrath, our name? It certainly wasn't because of some silly bet. I guess the short and simple answer would be "grace," but let's face it...the insufficient ideas, emotions, and truths hidden in that word will take eternity to convey.
Isn't it great to know that that's exactly the amount of time that we'll have to listen, understand, and respond?
So, let's keep on fighting, no matter how ridiculous we may feel or look. The ending will prove us right (don't we see hints of that even now?), and will show the world that this battle was truly one for all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment