Monthly archive: March, 2004

Top Ten Film List

March 30, 2004, by Doug 1 comment

I’ve recently been asked quite often what my favorite movie is. What’s difficult about that answer is that many films are so different and yet very good, and it’s difficult to compare them together. For instance, Good Will Hunting was an excellent movie, but so was The Matrix. They don’t compare. When one answers the question definitively, it normally is because they usually enjoy a specific style of film to another style. Personally, dramas move me. But we all love movies that move us, whether it be based on a sad theme or a very exciting theme.

Without much ado, here is my Top Ten. There is no particular order (i.e. the first listed isn’t my favorite above the last listed), just a group.

Good Will Hunting : : Moving characters, superb acting, awesome writing.

Forrest Gump : : Excellent storytelling, and could Tom Hanks get any better!?

Fight Club : : If there’s any movie that is so rich with depth of meaning, it’s this one; every time I watch it I learn something new.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy : : Duh!

American Beauty : : A perfectly told story about the lives of people who have no hope, no redemption, no self perception of value.

Schindler’s List : : One of Spielberg’s best films; I sat in the theater after watching just silenced.

Pirates of the Caribbean : : It’s just a feel-good movie with a pretty good plot, superb special effects, and of course, Johnny Depp’s Oscar-nominated performance. Savvy?

Eternal Subshine of the Spotless Mind : : An excellently written piece with all of the following wrapped into one: romance, comedy, drama, and sci-fi; all written by the wonderful Charlie Kaufman

The Matrix Trilogy : : For an action movie to thrill me is rare; The Matrix WOWed me, especially Reloaded.

Catch Me If You Can : : Another feel-good movie that was not only well-directed, but it had great actors and a fun feel to it.

This list is not a list of the only movies I recommend, nor the ones I only like. In fact, it’s quite incomplete. Maybe one day I’ll review all of these and more. But for now, that’s all.

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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An Affair of the Heart

March 26, 2004, by Doug No comments yet

In a former essay about spiritual apathy, I attempted to shed light on a potential source of the spiritual apathy among many of our youth. My opinion on this matter has been enforced even more since I wrote the essay, and thus I have begun to ponder and meditate upon an evangelistic approach toward youth that may help curb their potential for spiritual apathy (or to leave the faith entirely).

In the past eight months, I have attacked quite significantly in my own environment the “ask Jesus into your heart” approach to getting children saved. I do this primarily because it has very little Scriptural support, and more practically because it is a very misunderstood concept.
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Doug

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The Passion of the Christ (Review)

March 7, 2004, by Doug No comments yet

I understand that nearly everybody is making comments about this film, and doing so here is nothing extraordinary. But it adds to the dialog and discussion, and it helps me to form my faith even more. In the process, perhaps it will help others in some small way.

I want to focus on the three things that I remember most. These things may be small, or they may be in the context of what I am currently learning in terms of theology and religion.

Flashback : : Riding the Donkey
This flashback was very brief in comparison to the others, but it stuck in my mind. Jesus must have been thinking, while carrying his cross, “Just a week ago they were hailing me as their King…how things change.” This may only strike me as special because I do this, where I compare the past to what is currently going on, especially in contrasts. The idea that Christ was hailed as a king, and then was beaten and crucified, strikes me as an indication on how our hearts our toward him. Earlier today I was thinking of simply my own pleasure without God, yet tonight he is my joy as I write this and think about him. Yes, things change. But no, they don’t. It’s a small lesson, to be sure, but something that caught my attention.

“Crucify Him!”
While being tried by Pilate, the Jews seemed to be intent on having this man condemned in some way. Pilate seemed to at least in some way not completely understand why, and so he inquired. When he found no fault in Jesus of Nazareth, he sent him away. When he was returned, he had to deal with this man. “What do you want me to do with him?” he asks. “Crucify him!” the crowd (particularly the religious leaders). The tone of the movie changed, as did Pilate’s countenance. The look on his face I will always remember. It was one of confounding misunderstanding. “These Jewish leaders,” he must have thought, “reallyl hate this man, so much so they want him crucified!?” As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so if you see it, it may move you the same way.

“Look Mother, I make all things new.”
While Christ came to die for the sins of the world, he also came for a broader purpose: to restore Creation unto himself (see Colossians 1:15ff). Not only was his sacrifice sufficient to atone for the sins of many, it was also necessary in order to restore Creation to its origin, such as it was like in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus says to his mother, “I make all things new,” I’m sure he was not only speaking of those lives who would be changed by his revolution, but all things. At the Second Coming, this restoration will be complete and fully known.

The implications for this third point are staggering for many. While we focus solely on the restoration of souls (which is, of course, the most important aspect of this restoration), we seem to ignore the rest of what Christ came to do.

Doug

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Having it “all”

March 1, 2004, by Doug 1 comment

Being a bit in a complaining mood lately, I was thinking last night while falling asleep that I need to be more thankful. Thankfully, I began to “count my blessings” while I tried to fall asleep and it worked (although not for the sake of falling asleep).

I think I needed to learn this lesson in thankfulness; namely, that being thankful is the best cure for feeling down about anything that may be going on. Yesterday in church the pastor said something at the end of the sermon about Solomon: he was the richest man in the world, who had everything. But he never drove a car, never used a microwave, never had continual running water, never had a flushing toilet, never flew on an airplane, never used anything digital, and never had a cold-storage refridgerator!

I thought of that quite a bit, realizing that I have a steady, salary job, a warm place to dwell, all my clothes are pretty new, I have very hot running water, and I have a car that is paid for and runs very well. Not to mention the things I don’t need that I enjoy: home theater system, satellite radio, cellular phone with GPS and Internet, a 3CCD digital video camera, and (most importantly) my trusty iBook (hey, face it, I could be using a Gateway!).

So I have a pretty good life after all…I just needed to be reminded.