by Brian Hobbs | Sep 30, 2015
Many Christian writers have written much about Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10.
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38-42).
Most days, I identify more with Martha than Mary. Trying to live out the “Protestant work ethic,” and working in a ministry job, I want to be productive every moment of the day. It is hard for people like me just to “Be still and know (He) is God.” (Psalm 46:10).
At the same time, much of what passes for productivity today is, ultimately not so important. Trying to learn from Mary and Martha, here are three ways to be productive (or unproductive):
- Always take time to pray. I would be embarrassed for you to know how many times I’ve skipped prayer time or devotional time to rush off to work or some event. We see in the life of Christ Himself, and here with Mary, she put first things first. There is an old booklet called “Tyranny of the Urgent,” which helps us to distinguish between what is pressing and what is important. Praying is the most productive thing we can do, as we spend time in His Word.
- Put your cell phone away. The statistics show that the average person checks his or her cell phone 150 times a day. For some of us, the phone does not even need to ring or buzz. We check it on impulse. The next time you feel the urge to check your phone, channel that into prayer or some priority in front of you, such as the faces around you, not the ones on your screen.
- Focus on what or who’s in front of you. My wife and I have young children, who are growing up in a world of screens. In modern times, we are consistently drawn into screen time in cyberspace, away from what is going on in front of us. As one Christian said, Jesus came as a Person, not a pixel. It would have been easy for God to send us an email or text message with what He wanted us to know, but he came “in the flesh” (John 1). Created in His image, let’s live life where we are more than where the Internet masses are.
Like Martha, it is OK to be productive. But like Mary, we must know where the priority truly is. Only then, will we be the right kind of productive.
by Brian Hobbs | Sep 16, 2015
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced the social media giant will soon unveil a thumbs down option for users who want to “dislike” a post.
It is reported that this will be used to show disappointment or disapproval to something. For example, “Michelle was just in a car wreck. Please pray.” Up until now, all we could do is comment, share or “like this.” We, of course, like to pray but don’t like the car wreck.
Adding to this, some (including me) believe that while this feature makes sense, it will unavoidably pour gasoline on the fire of already emotionally-charged Facebook conversations about important things like politics and faith.
People will possibly become obsessed with how many “likes” vs. “dislikes” they get, with each passing photo, post, comment. This could lead to an even more combative online environment.
Think of it. How often, through mere posts and linking to articles, are we able to persuade someone to change their position on the issue? Not very often I’d assume.
Consider this analogy. Here in Oklahoma, you’re usually either a big Oklahoma State Cowboys fan or an OU Sooners fan. Rarely do the two agree, and the differences are even more pronounced during the rivalry Bedlam game.
How easy would it be for an OSU fan to turn into an OU fan, by provocative posts and drive-by comments on Facebook? Or vice versa. Not very easy, I contend.
In the same way, when talking faith and politics, it is very difficult to persuade someone to move even an inch our way. Knowing that, I have three suggestions:
- Have realistic expectations. I get the sense that some Christians think if they are posting a verse, talking about Jesus or sharing something from a pastor, they have done their duty of personal evangelism. We believe, instead, that social media is one of many ways we engage people in conversation. Let’s never assume that by social media alone we will “win them into the Kingdom,” kicking and screaming. Let’s instead lean on God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, as we have a faithful presence online.
- Don’t unnecessarily offend. “reach people rather than repel” them with your personal opinions.
- Concern yourself with tone as much as content. Going back to sports, it is often the attitude of fans that make us like or dislike a team. The same is true about the Church. People run into obnoxious Christians and assume everyone in the Church is like that. When posting online, consider not just what you say but how you say it.
In summary, social media is one giant social experiment, and we are all still learning how it goes. Let’s “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry” (James 1:19), on Facebook. And that approach will be something almost anybody can like.
by Brian Hobbs | Sep 8, 2015
Once again, the box office treated the newest Kendrick Brothers movie, War Room, kindly, making it the number one movie over Labor Day weekend. The critics, however, were less kind. One film critic went so far as to say, “It may not be as brazenly offensive as God’s Not Dead … it’s still awful, offering all the forced humor and superficial substance of a half-baked homily.”
Even friendly fire has come from Christians who are nit-picking the particulars and people of the movie.
I will leave it up to the theologians and more learned to speak to the doctrinal nit-pickers. Here is a wish to offer a defense, or rather a praise, of War Room and other Christian movies like it to the critics of the world (Note: for a plot-specific review of War Room, I suggest this piece by Chris Doyle).
Why critics don’t like it
Movie critics are weekly consumers of what Hollywood produces and that tends to lean toward a worldly, or at least Hollywood-informed, worldview. Because of this, it makes it hard for critics to appreciate the genre of Christian/Faith movies.
C.S. Lewis insisted that “critics who despise a certain genre should not judge works in that genre. Only a critic who reads, say, science fiction novels with pleasure and who understands and appreciates the conventions of such novels can say with any authority when a certain author has used these conventions effectively.” These words from Lewis, as paraphrased by Professor Louis Markos, underscore the point.
Markos says someone who does not appreciate, for example, children’s literature may discount Alice in Wonderland because “the characters are so two-dimensional.” What they are missing, however, is that in that particular genre, “Alice” is supposed to be two-dimensional as a stock character in that genre.
So unless critics appreciate the Christian movie genre as a whole (with all its flaws and shortcomings), they will not like any of them.
Christian movies are like Chick-fil-A, not a world-famous French restaurant
Even when critics are being sympathetic, their expectations are all wrong. By way of analogy, they act like they are going to review a meal at a fine, French restaurant, when it is more accurate to say they are going to Chick-fil-A. The meal will be tasty, satisfying and the people who deliver it, kind as can be. Most Christian movies are effective at sending a message, even if they fall short in other areas. So critics need to know what they are walking into.
Differing aims
When the Kendrick Brothers went to make War Room, they had different goals than when Steven Spielberg went to make War Horse. The audience and critics alike must understand that while each of these is a drama, each one had a different aim in mind.
The Roman writer Plutarch, in his Parallel Lives of Romans and Greeks, was reported to say, “When Cicero spoke, people said ‘My how well he spoke.’ When Demosthenes spoke, people said ‘Let us march!’”
With War Horse, critics said, “my how well done it was.” With War Room, people are responding in prayer, and that was the goal.
Christian movies can be “cheezy,” but…
Detractors call them cheezy or schlocky. What they mean is that the ordinary Christian-made movie does not have the same quality or depth others do. To be sure, many, if not most, Christian-made movies have cheezy aspects. At the same time, isn’t that how real life is? How really real is it for people always to be saying the right thing at the right time? How realistic is it that two perfect-looking people come together in romance? While the look and feel of Hollywood movies may seem more life-like, in reality, the subtext and the takeaway messages are usually far more fake.
The quality can be lacking, so shore it up
There’s no shortage of bad acting. Looking at the Kendrick Brothers movies, from Flywheel to Fireproof, from Courageous to War Room, there has been a marked improvement in the quality and acting. Just because they are on a low budget, Christian movie makers must never skip steps when it comes to quality. Movies with professional actors are always going to do better than amateur ones, and the Christian movie makers who recognize this an embrace it will be the strongest foot forward.
We need movies by Christians, not just Christian movies
I have argued that Christian movies are a genre to themselves. At the same time, with movies like War Room and others bringing in big money, they are playing with the big boys and must act that way. Therefore, Christians who are making Christian movies should focus on quality over quantity.
Even while I wish for the success of Christian movies, I realize that every bit as much as we need more movies by Christians. In other words, we need more Christians in the movie-making industry. While not every movie will have a Gospel presentation or fall into the Christian movie genre, each one can point people to Jesus and/or the world He has made.
In the end, it is the Lord God, not a film critic, who will get to make the final judgment on movies, movie-makers, and each one of us. Knowing that, the philosopher Aristotle was reported to say, “There is nothing more telling about someone than what they find entertaining.” What movies do you like?
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 19, 2015
I know, I know. Kids don’t want to wear them. Parents don’t want to spend money on them, and they “limit individuality.” I’m talking about school uniforms. I have come to believe, however, that school uniforms are a good thing, whether for public or private schools, for at least three reasons.
- Security
If all the kids and staff are wearing school uniforms, it is much harder for a stranger to walk on a school campus and blend in. It’s much easier to see who belongs and who does not. Yes, I know someone of ill intentions could get a school uniform, but that’s the stuff of movies more than reality. School security these days is a big deal, and by having school uniforms, we take one step forward toward a more secure learning environment.
- Harmony
I remember it like it was yesterday. When I was in middle school, my parents had coughed up the money for me to buy a name-brand pair of jeans. I went out of my way to make sure people knew I had the best that money could buy. Even if a school does not have a dress code or uniforms, the students will make one. Kids must have the best, but not all families can afford this. By offering school uniforms, much of the jockeying for social status and envious emotions will be mitigated.
- Modesty
Choosing outfits on that first day of school and every day after becomes a huge deal, particularly for teens. Most parents want clothes more modest than their children, who are influenced by fashion trends and celebrities. Girls in particular, living in today’s “barbarians’ paradise” will be tempted to show too much skin or wear tight-fitting clothes, to attract guys. By having school uniforms, meanwhile, modesty can be built in. This will only create a better, more focused learning environment. Isn’t that the reason we send them to school in the first place?
Now, not every private school or school district can or will go for school uniforms (though Target, Wal-Mart and other retailers are making school uniforms much more affordable and attainable than ever). But more schools should think about the ways it could help, not just the school itself, but the young people, the families and the culture as a whole.
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 10, 2015
From the people who brought us the classic clay-mation film, Chicken Run, comes a new movie about a sheep named Shaun. I had no expectations going into this “for-the-family movie,” Shaun the Sheep, and here were my impressions as I walked out.
Plot summary
“Shaun, an unusually bright sheep, lives with his flock at Mossy Bottom Farm, a traditional small northern British farm,” said Wikipedia. “In each episode, their latest attempt to add excitement to their mundane life as livestock somehow snowballs into a fantastic sitcom-style escapade, most often with the help of their fascination with human doings and devices. This usually brings them into conflict—and often into partnership—with the farm sheepdog Bitzer, while they all are simultaneously trying to avoid discovery by the Farmer.”
Positive elements
For a movie that had literally no dialogue the entire time, it was easy to follow the plot and light-hearted moments. There were several subtle references to British and other cultures, throughout the movie, and there were slapstick laughs all throughout. The movie emphasized the importance of family and, for using clay figures, worked on an emotional level that viewers, young and old, can enjoy. Lastly, there was one cute, memorable song in the movie that you will have stuck in your head.
Negative elements
Bathroom humor. Too much bathroom humor.
Spiritual content
A movie like this is lighter fare, not weighty theology or philosophy. Yet in one scene, we see a church steeple with a cross atop. In another, we see the “family” of sheep tending to a sad member of the family. Also, there are good guys and bad guys in the movie. Even in the world of clay-mation, there is right and wrong.
Overall
Shaun the Sheep does not come close to becoming a classic, like Chicken Run. But its funny moments, neat-looking characters and main message will delight audiences of various ages. I recommend this movie, and if it had fewer bathroom humor moments, I would have highly recommended it.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4