Yes, I noticed this the other day, quite by accident, that a short film I was a producer on (associate producer to be exact) has made its way to the ‘07 Cannes Film Festival in France. I’m just really amused at this because it was a film I worked on almost 9 years ago. It wasn’t very good then and from what I can see online, it hasn’t improved with age. That was another career and another life of mine. It’s just funny that things from so long ago still live on, when they probably shouldn’t.

It’s a life I rarely think about anymore. It’s amazing what happens when we give our vision up to the Lord and he returns it with His own vision and purpose for your life. I’ve always loved movies and was certain that what I was created to do. I worked in the industry and found myself completely and utterly bored with it. My adventure in life didn’t start till I handed my life and dreams completely and wholly over to the Lord. It’s been an amazing journey.

Here are some things I learned about the film industry:

1) People can make a career out of BSing.

2) It’s mainly about love of yourself (ego) and making sure others do so too.

3) Truth is relative and ultimately based on opinion.

4) It’s rarely about making film and more about making people feel important.
5) There is no such thing as originality, but you hear it talked about often.

I blogged a while back on Hollywood pursuing the Christian dollar. And after hearing about it again this morning on the news, I’m just mad. What have we done as Christians to be viewed as a dollar demographic of people?

Is it even good that we’re viewed as a demographic. It makes us sound more like lambs for the slaughter than roaring lions. We are no longer viewed as dangerous individuals tirelessly pursuing Christ and giving our lives over to saving a lost world. No, we’ve become a buying class of people. Are we dangerous? No.

How does the world percieve us? Well, we’re PG and family wholesome. We buy nice clean things that make us feel nice and clean. We have let ourselves become stereotyped and neutered.

Where are our Christian testicles!?! They were lopped of long ago. I want to be a scary hairy smelly man crying out in the wilderness like John the Baptist. I don’t want be Ned Flanders.

Hollywood sees us as just another group to market and milk for cash. They don’t fear the message we have to offer. The smile, nod their heads and then give us what we want as we call it a victory for Christians!They set the trends (take the cash) and we dutifully follow.

The guys at the XXXchurch.com website use the phrase, “If Satan’s a pimp, don’t be his hoe.” Well are we hoe-ing ourselves out for a better life? To fit in? To be comfortable?

What has been lost? Too much.

How do we get it back? That’s something I’m trying to figure out, seeking it in prayer and practice.

So how about you? How does this make you feel?

Dear Toe, Yes, you the big one on my right foot. I am sorry. I truly am. I don’t know what I have done or what has exactly brought this on. Maybe I’m being cursed by the gods (I know there’s only one true God, but saying gods sounds all Greek and sophisticated). Either way I don’t know what I’ve done! 

Over the past summer till now, I’ve been on 4 adventure trips. And one each trip you seem to get smashed. Not any of your nine friends, just you. You were first smashed rock-climbing and turned purple. Then weeks later something was dropped on you. I then lost all feeling of you, till I cut off ½ of your nail – leaving you naked and exposed.  I know all of this must have been humiliating. I’ve apologized and we seemed been healing together. Then it happened again. Then again this past weekend. Now you’re purple all over again.  

I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry and please give me another chance! I’ll trim you more often and keep your hair cut too. I’ll do anything, just don’t leave me!  Your owner, 

Stuart

PS: there is a plus side, they say that purple is the color of royalty and that probably means you’re the king of the toes!

I was recently reading an article on early Celtic Christians and found something interesting. Its stuck with me. It rattled me. And I keep coming back to it.

The Celts used to refer to the Lord as the Wild Goose. Their context for Wild Goose wasn’t the same as ours (i.e. a Wild Goose Chase). It was a title filled with reverence and affection. It described to them how the saw their Lord.

“To begin with, wild geese aren’t controllable. You can’t restrain a wild goose and bend it to your will. They’re raucous and loud. Unlike the sweet and calming cooing of a dove, a goose’s honk is strong, challenging, strident and unnerving – and just a bit scary.“ (http://www.thisischurch.com/)

Being Easter week, I started to think about how I saw the Lord. How He’s lead me, challenged me and how I’ve chased after Him.

I know my walk has been adventurous, passionate, demanding, unsettling and glorious all at once. But there are times when I forget about the adventure that I’m on. I turn Him into some monument. Something comfortable and sedentary. My pursuit grows cold, but it feels so comfortable. We love monuments. Monuments are controllable. They don’t move. We know where they are and can visit them when we please. They don’t ask much of us. They’re not challenging or dangerous.

So I’m reminded that I don’t serve a controllable and definable God. He’s wild and begs of me to chase after Him. There will be times I’ll lose Him. Lose my way. But I know I can’t stop the pursuit.

I’m still in pursuit. The chase carries on.

So as you reflect on the Cross and Easter and Christ. Who is Jesus to you? A statue or monument? Or is he something more… a wild, unpredictable and untamable Lord?