Attention Word Slingers readers: Beginning December 11, 2019, all posts will be available at BaptistMessenger.com. Thank you for reading Word Slingers!
For this week’s DHD, I’m sharing memories about my mother. Hester Doyle died on Labor Day, and it’s been a heavy week. I have great memories of my mom and decided to share six of them with you.
1. Mom’s encounter
with Elvis
This is one of the funniest stories Mom told me. She used to work for a bank in Memphis, and it was the bank that had Elvis Presley’s financial accounts. She actually saw Elvis frequently coming to the bank. One time, she said she could see Elvis’ car outside her office window. The funny part happened after Elvis would come inside the bank. According to Mom, she could see girls swarm Elvis’ car. They were so ecstatic and giddy, and many would brush their skirts up against the car just to get some of the dirt.
2. Growing up playing
the piano
I don’t know how old Mom was when she started playing the piano, but from what I recall, her dad had her learn when she was young. The reason he did this was he needed an accompanist. My grandfather was known across the southeast Missouri region as a song leader. He not only led services at his church, but at many others, especially if any church was holding a revival. Mom was always there with him to play the piano.
3. Skipping church
wasn’t an option
Speaking of church, we were a family who went every time the church doors were open, and Mom insisted we do so. I remember a time our church had a revival in the fall. Revivals went a whole week and even beyond during these years. On the Saturday during the revival, I went that day with a high school friend to an OU football game, and I remember being tired when I came home.
Mom didn’t care how tired I was. “You’re not going to miss a
church service after going to a football game!” she told me. No matter how I
felt, I still went to the revival meeting that night.
4. Mom the
proofreader and grammar expert
People get on to me about my fascination with grammar. This
is definitely something I inherited from my mother. There were many times, even
in my current profession as a newspaper editor, that I would call her to ask a
grammar question.
Also, it always seemed when we went to an event that had a published program, she always would find an error. My one regret I had this week after writing her obituary is she wasn’t able to proofread it.
5. Mom’s 80th
birthday
One of the greatest times we had with my mom in her final
years was at her 80th birthday party. Many extended family and
longtime church friends were able to attend. I cherish this day.
6. Remember Heb. 13:7
Heb. 13:7 says “Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.”
I have many “leaders” or Christian mentors in my life, and
my mother is one of them. She instilled in me how important church attendance
was, and through this, I encountered great times of worship and Bible study and
a love for fellowship of Christian believers.
God blessed me with a great mom. She was my hero. I look forward to celebrating her life on Sept. 9 at Quail Springs Baptist Church.
When terrorists attacked the United States in 2001, 6,700 passengers were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, a town with a population of 9,000. On Wednesday, Sept. 11, an inspiring story about that week lands in theaters.
When terrorists attacked two cities and killed nearly 3,000
people in 2001, the world mourned.
But 1,460 miles away in the small town of Gander,
Newfoundland, hope was shining bright.
Gander was the default destination for 38 planes and about
6,700 people travelling over the Atlantic Ocean when the United States closed
its airspace on Sept. 11, 2001.
Those 6,700 people were heading to places like Denver and
Disney World when their planes were told to make a sharp right and land in
Gander, a North American city in Canada that is so far east that it’s closer to
London, England than to St. Louis, Mo.
As one passenger later said: “I had never heard of
Newfoundland.”
They were stranded in a place they didn’t want to be, far
away from friends and family. Even worse, they were stuck in a town that—on
first blush—wasn’t equipped to house and feed them. Gander’s population was
about 9,000. Where were these 6,500 extra
people supposed to go?
But a strange thing happened. Over the course of the next
five days, Gander’s citizens became the passengers’ friends and family. They
opened their arms to clothe and feed 6,700 strangers, not knowing if a terrorist
was hiding among them.
Gander became a Canadian version of Mayberry, complete with
a friendly policeman, a kind mayor, and hundreds of volunteers who cooked
meals, found them a bed and even gave these stranded strangers a tour of the
scenic island.
Next Wednesday, Sept. 11, a documentary about this unique
week—You Are Here—lands in cinemas.
It includes interviews with crew members, passengers, citizens and city
officials who saw their lives changed—for the better—during a period most of us
were despondent. It will be shown for only one night.
“We saw (6,700) people who needed food. They needed
clothing. They needed shelter. But most of all, they needed love,” the mayor
says in the film. “We showed them that human kindness will outdo hatred any
day.”
You Are Here is a feel-good film that will give
you the hope-filled emotions of a Hallmark film—yes, there’s a surprising love story
in it—and the down-home nostalgia of The
Andy Griffith Show. We learn how the Salvation Army pitched in to help. We
discover how a Baptist pastor used a Bible to communicate with Russians. Most
of all, we watch ordinary people do seemingly extraordinary things, taking care
of people round-the-clock. When the week ended—most passengers were in Gander
for five days—many were sad they were leaving.
Home videos from the week bring the story to life, as do
clips from a local TV channel. That channel was closely monitored by citizens
throughout the week to learn what was needed.
“You asked for moose (on the show), you got 20 pounds of
moose from 15 different people,” the host says, reflecting on that week.
Because the passengers were prohibited from taking their
luggage off the planes, they needed clothes, too. Ganderites filled in that
gap, as well.
You Are Here isn’t a faith-based film, but it
nevertheless serves as an example of the love in action God commanded of the
church: “Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers …” (Heb. 13:2).
The story is so uplifting that it inspired books and a
Broadway musical.
“In (those) five days we became very close to those people,”
the mayor says. “… (O)n the fifth day, we lost 6,700 family members.”
Content
You Are Here is unrated but should be treated
like a PG film. It contains minor language (one “living h-ll” and about five
OMGs—some heard from the day of the attack) and discussion of the terrorist
attack (a first responder says he saw body parts on the ground outside the
World Trade Center). Among the passengers interviewed are two gay men who were
a couple on the day of the attack. We also see people drink alcohol.
Discussion
Questions
1. How would you react if 6,700 strangers landed in your
city, needing food and clothing?
2. What can the passengers teach us about contentment?
3. What can the citizens of Gander teach us about how the
church should welcome strangers?
Thank you for reading Doyle’s Half Dozen. These are six
topics that involve current events or issues that have been recently discussed
through social media.
I hope you enjoy your Labor Day Weekend, and I always welcome
any responses to whatever I cover in DHD.
1. No Luck at all
I was over at my brother’s house last Saturday, watching ESPN,
when “Breaking News” streamed across the bottom of the screen. Andrew Luck
announced he is retiring as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.
It was staggering news, considering that Luck appeared to be
in the prime of his career and had been touted in previous years to be potentially
one of the NFL’s all-time QB greats.
But numerous injuries led to Luck deciding it was time to
hang up his cleats as a 29-year-old. Fans booed him, but football experts and
other professional athletes gave him no criticism and understood why Luck made
his decision.
Kluck wrote, “’Andrew Luck must have received a heaping dose
of common grace,’ I texted to a Christian friend.
“What I meant was that clearly he’s gifted as a thinker and a
communicator, and that he shows evidence of a soft, teachable heart. Not to
mention his freakish combination of height, weight, speed, and arm strength.
Yet Luck’s greatest accomplishment may have been that he survived young fame
and money, and came out the other side with what appears to be real humility.
As we see even in church circles, this rarely if ever happens.”
2. NFL player shares ‘NFL
success doesn’t make you happy’
Before this week, I never heard of Austin Carr. Now I hope
he has a breakout season with the New Orleans Saints.
A third-year wide receiver out of Northwestern University,
Carr made a powerful application in a testimony he shared on The Gospel
Coalition website this week. Titled “When
NFL Success Doesn’t Make You Happy,” Carr’s article reflects the
conclusions found in Ecclesiastes. He basically was saying his football career
had become an idol.
Carr concluded his article by comparing the Christian life
to the solar system.
“In the same way that all the
planets would go completely haywire were the sun to be replaced by a star half
its size, our lives go haywire when Christ isn’t at the center. The ‘planets’
that fill our lives—finances, relationships, energy, interests—all are in their
proper place when orbiting Christ. What or whom is at the center of your life’s
solar system?”
I read up on Carr after
reading this piece and found out he could be facing the cut deadline this
weekend with the Saints, but what could keep him on the squad is a strong
endorsement by Quarterback Drew Brees. Let’s see if we hear more about Carr
this season.
3. A story on a story about a story
Fellow WordSlingers blogger
Ryan Smith beat me to the punch, but I’m glad he did.
I was planning to mention in
this week’s DHD Brett McCracken’s Q&A piece with Becket Cook, “From
Gay to Gospel…” I recommend you read this interview with Cook who lived the
homosexual lifestyle and gained much Hollywood success but was impacted by a
group of Christians whom he happened to meet one day in a coffee shop.
In his blog “From Gay to Gospel: The Story Inside the Story,” Smith drew out a very important Christian discipline that could be overlooked in the original article. Cook’s life changed because he noticed Christians having a Bible study, and they invited him to church.
“Never doubt the value of the
little things in God’s economy,” Smith wrote. “Your small act of daily
obedience may be the turning point in someone’s life.”
I agree with all three points
Greear makes and recommend you check out his blog.
There is one phrase that
Greear uses in the article that is not one of my faves. He wrote, “If we
look humbly and open-mindedly at
what the Bible says, then we see three ways we’ve gone wrong in the church when
it comes to talking about homosexuality.”
Perhaps it’s my fundamentalist upbringing that makes me
cringe when I hear people talking about being “open-minded,” but I think there
could be a lack of clarity when the phrase is used. Being “open-minded” means
to be tolerant and unprejudiced, and there are situations when that can be a
good thing. But does “open-minded” convey a definite boundary?
When Greear suggests to look at the Bible with an open mind,
does he know for certain that his readers believe he is saying the Bible is
teaching an absolute truth with one definitive message, or could they conclude
he is saying passages of Scripture are up for interpretation and can mean
whatever they want it to mean? The latter is a common view of the Bible,
unfortunately.
Of course, the opposite is not good either—narrowmindedness.
Nobody wants to be described as being narrow-minded.
Instead of “open-minded,” I prefer using words like “discernment” or “objective.” If I understand Greear correctly, he wants to encourage Christians to have reasonable dialogue and have the perspective that, possibly, some people’s conclusions of Scripture have been remiss.
I remember a former pastor explaining it this way. Don’t be
either narrow-minded or open-minded, but be “truth-minded.”
“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that
which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21—NASB).
5. Mohler on
representative democracy
Albert Mohler had some great content this week on his daily podcast The Briefing. I enjoyed every edition this week. One in particular is his Wednesday Briefing and his final topic, “Is United States a Republic or Democracy?”
This is a fantastic lecture on Civics, and I loved how
Mohler discredited the New York Times,
saying the paper’s conclusion was “absolute nonsense” when describing
representative democracy as “a closed domain for a select privileged few.”
Scroll down or listen to Part IV of Mohler’s Wednesday’s address.
“The fact is that many Americans simply don’t know the
distinction between a democracy and a republic… In a direct democracy, whoever
is qualified to vote votes on everything directly. Now, that would be an insane
form of government… Instead, (the American founders) wanted to create—and they
did create— a representative democracy, which means that we elect members of
Congress, and we elect, constitutionally, electors who elect the president of
the United States… And by the way, while we’re doing a little bit of truth
telling, the people who cry for democracy don’t actually want a democracy. They
just want a political order that minimizes the importance of the states and
leads to what, by their definition, would be a more direct democracy. But we
have to recognize that that would not be a mere or minor constitutional change;
that would be a major modification, indeed a repudiation of the American
conception of government as representative democracy going back to the
founding.”
This is good stuff!
6. More Mohler
There’s much more great Mohler content from this week,
especially on current issues involving abortion, which he also addressed in the
Wednesday Briefing. His take gives warning about Planned Parenthood recruiting
136 pop stars and bands to promote abortion.
Mohler provided clarity when addressing Presidential
candidate Beto O’Rourke’s response to a man who asked O’Rourke if his life had
value the day before the man was born.
“The man asked if his own life had any value the day before
he was born. We’re not just talking about late-term abortion, we’re talking
about the day before he was born. He doubled down on that himself in asking the
question by pointing out that he was born on September the 8th of 1989, so he
specifically referenced the day before, September 7th, 1989. That is the day
that Beto O’Rourke answered his mother should have had the right to kill him in
the womb. It should have been her decision alone. There should be no outside
interrogation of her decision. There should be no governmental intervention to
prevent her decision.”
In Monday’s briefing,
Mohler addressed actress Alyssa Milano admitting she had two abortions in one
year.
Finally, Mohler’s briefing
on Thursday, all of it, is necessary reading or listening about education
in America, specifically in New York City, and the shortcomings of government’s
influence with no regard to Christianity.
It would be worth 25 minute for you to hear it or read the
transcript.
“The optimal place for children to be raised is in a family
that follows the pattern of Scripture. Outside the family and the extended
family is the community. And the closer the community, the more able it is to
meet the needs. So a neighborhood is better than a city government; and a city
government is better than a state government; and a state government, believe
it or not, is better than a national government.”
I took off last week from writing a Doyle’s Half Dozen
because I was observing my duty as a 50-year-old and had a colonoscopy. Good
news is I am cancer free, but they recommended having another procedure in two years.
I continue to be educated in this process of aging.
But I’m back this week and ready to share six timely topics
with you.
1. Planned Parenthood
picks abortion over women’s care
The biggest news that opened this week was the decision by
Planned Parenthood Federation of America to forfeit government revenue in order
to remain the world’s largest abortion provider.
Baptist
Press and other news sources reported Planned Parenthood will not abide by
a new rule that prohibits federal funding through Title X, the federal
governments’ family planning program, to organizations that performs, promotes
or refers abortions.
This means Planned Parenthood will forfeit $50 to $60
million a year. According to Baptist Press, “PPFA and its affiliates collected
$563.8 million in government grants and reimbursements in its latest financial
year. The abortion giant performed more than 332,757 abortions during the most
recent year for which statistics are available.”
As many respected pro-life leaders have pointed out, Planned
Parenthood’s message of caring for women’s is a major smoke screen, and this
latest decision proves it. Abortion is that organization’s main objective.
2. Pro-life progress
under Trump
I have shared previously that I did not vote for Donald
Trump in the last presidential elections because I was concerned how certain he
was to make decisions respecting the Sanctity of Life.
I know there is much to be concerned about President Trump’s
demeanor and his crass form of communicating, but when it comes to issues of
abortion, appointing judges who appear to value the Sanctity of Life and making
decisions to support the unborn, Trump has made more strides than many of his
recent predecessors.
I am certain that any of his opponents in the 2020 elections
would be harmful to the pro-life progress that has been made under the Trump
administration.
3. Rummage returns to
seminary, remains at OKC, Quail Springs
This is a breaking news item that I just read an hour ago.
My pastor, Stephen Rummage, has joined
the faculty of Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.
I read the headline off the Baptist Press news feed and
became alarmed. Rummage was just named senior pastor at Oklahoma City, Quail
Springs earlier this year. Fortunately, he will remain at Quail Springs.
To prevent others from having the same alarmed reaction, I
quickly posted the story on baptistmessenger.com and made sure the message of
Rummage staying at Quail Springs was in the headline.
Pastor Rummage is an excellent preacher and have enjoyed the
privilege of hearing him regularly speak. I know he has served on seminary
faculties previously and know he will be a tremendous addition at Midwestern.
4. Words to avoid in
sermons
Speaking of Midwestern Seminary, I read a great article this
week by Jason K. Allen, Midwestern’s president. You should check out “5
Words to Avoid in Sermons.”
One word in particular that Allen mentions to avoid is “thing.”
Recently, I noticed in writing as well how non-specific the word “thing” can be.
“The more specific you are, the more compelling your ideas will be,” Allen
wrote.
I want to be more creative in how I communicate.
5. Telling others
about ‘Transgender to Transformed’
Laura Perry shares her story of being a transgender male for
almost 10 years to now being transformed through her faith in Jesus Christ. Her
book titled “Transgender to Transformed” was recently released.
She met with Brian Hobbs on the Messenger
Insight podcast, and it’s an excellent interview that you should hear. It’s
worth the 30-plus minutes.
Karen Kinnaird also wrote a review
of Laura’s book.
I hope you will either listen to the podcast or read the
review (or both) because Laura’s story is powerful and needs to be told to many
who have been misguided and disillusioned by the LGBTQ philosophy.
6. Will gives a
eulogy
Finally, I close with a bragging moment.
My 14-year-old nephew delivered the eulogy at his
grandfather’s funeral this week. This was a significant moment for Will in his
young life. He shared very eloquently how he felt about his grandfather, Jerry
Reed, and those in attendance were captivated.
Will Doyle giving the eulogy at the funeral of his grandfather, Jerry Reed.
I don’t know many 14-year-olds who could have done what Will
did. He shared passages of Scripture, including Philemon 7, and expounded well on
the Apostle Paul’s brief letter.
Needless to say, I appreciate Will taking on a significant
role of public speaking like he did and handled it masterfully.
The faith-based film ‘Overcomer,’ which opens this weekend, is the first movie from the Kendrick brothers since their No. 1 hit War Room.
John Harrison is a tenacious and determined high school
boys’ basketball coach who has one goal in life: winning a state championship.
Fortunately for Coach Harrison, all his best players are
returning next season. Even better: the top players for the other team—you know, the one that
eliminated his Brookshire Cougars in the postseason this year—are graduating.
“Next season, we take everything,” he tells his team.
Perhaps that elusive state championship trophy will finally
be his.
But then the town’s largest employer closes. And then
hundreds of employees transfer elsewhere, taking their families—and Harrison’s
best players—with him. And then Harrison is forced to coach the cross country team,
which has only one runner.
Overnight, Harrison goes from being the coach of one of the
state’s best basketball teams to a depressed man struggling for meaning and
purpose. He’s searching for his identity in life—and so far, he hasn’t found
it.
The faith-based film Overcomer
(PG) opens this weekend, starring Alex Kendrick (Courageous, War Room) as Harrison; Shari Rigby (October Baby) as his wife, Amy;
Priscilla Shirer (War Room) as
principal Olivia Brooks; and newcomer Aryn Wright-Thompson as cross country
runner Hannah Scott.
It is the first film for the director-producer tandem of
Alex and Stephen Kendrick since their box office hit War Room, which shocked Hollywood by climbing to No. 1 on its
second weekend in 2015. Prior to War Room,
the Kendricks had a string of other hit films, including Courageous (2011) and Fireproof
(2008)—each of which opened at No. 4—and Facing
the Giants (2006).
The Overcomer plot
takes a turn when Harrison encounters a hospitalized man, Thomas Hill (Cameron
Arnett), who is filled with joy, even though he is blind and in poor health.
Hill transforms Harrison’s outlook on life, and Harrison
then impacts Hannah, a girl who grew up without a father and who is searching
for direction in life, too.
Overcomer, like all Kendrick movies, has a
biblical theme. Its promotional materials ask the question: What do you allow
to define you? It’s similar to the question Thomas asks Coach Harrison: Who are you? The Kendricks want moviegoers
to consider whether their identity is found in the eternal Christ—as Ephesians
1-2 teaches—or in temporal, worldly things.
It’s the Kendricks’ sixth movie, and with each one, they
further bury the “Christian films are cheesy” tired mantra.
Overcomer is entertaining. It’s engaging. It’s
funny. It’s convicting. It’s inspiring. It has the right pace. It has a solid
cast. Most importantly, it has a Gospel-centric message that aims at your heart
and soul. Two of my friends cried while screening it—from beginning to end. I
shed a few tears, too.
Overcomer has the biggest budget ($5 million)
yet of any Kendrick film, and it translates to the big screen from the get-go
with an impressive drone shot of a basketball game.
LifeWay is offering Overcomer
Bible studies and books for every age that spotlight the identity theme. Unlike
most Hollywood movies, this is a film that churches can get behind.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. A primary character dies at the end of the film.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None.
Coarse
Language
None.
Other
Positive Elements
The film includes tight-knit, loving families—both black and
white. It shows a husband and wife working through problems and parents loving
their children.
Life Lessons
Reconciliation
is possible: The
plot begins with one major character apparently hating another one, but by the
film’s end, they come together.
Redemption
is beautiful:
We learn Thomas made a major mistake in life he regrets. He is given a chance
to make things right.
Eternal
things matter the most: What’s more important: a basketball title, or one’s
relationship with Christ?
Worldview/Application
Early in the film, Thomas poses a question to Coach Harrison
that becomes the crux of the film: “If I asked you who are, what’s the first
thing that comes to mind?”
Harrison offers a series of answers that fall short:
Basketball coach? History teacher? Husband? Father? Each time, Thomas responds:
If all of those were stripped away, what would your identity be then?
It’s a question each one of us should ask.
Of course, we may say we know the answer—our identity is
found in Christ—but how many of us are living that truth out each day? Too
often, we find our identity in our jobs. Or in our hobbies. Or in our
possessions. Or in our family and friends. That, in turn, results in a life
void of joy. It also adds stress and confusion when troubles arise.
Hannah hits the bullseye in the middle of the movie when she
summarizes the opening verses of Ephesians:
“I am created by God. He designed me, so I’m not a mistake.
His Son died for me, just so I could be forgiven. He picked me to be his own,
so I’m chosen. He redeemed me, so I am wanted. He showed me grace, just so I
could be saved. He has a future for me because He loves me. So I don’t wonder
anymore, Coach Harrison. I am a child of God.”
Discussion
Questions
1. How would you identify yourself? What do you find your
identity in? How would God identify you?
2. What changes do you need to make in your life to affirm
your identity in Christ?
3. Why is our identity in Christ so significant?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 5 out
of 5 stars.
The film ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ opened this week. Parents may want to think twice before going.
His name is “Red,” and his name and feather colors fit his
mood. Angry? Perhaps. Unforgiving? Yes. Self-centered? Definitely.
Red lives on Bird Island, a place where birds live in
constant threat of attacks from their enemies and animal counterparts, the pigs
on Pig Island.
The pigs, of course, see things a little differently. If it
weren’t for the birds, they say, the world would be a better place.
Neither side, though, has ever seen an attack that didn’t
deserve a response.
Turn the other cheek? Not here.
So when the birds shoot a bottle of hot sauce across the
water that explodes on Pig Island, the pigs retort by popping the birds’
balloons (by using a magnifying glass ray, of course). Then the birds respond
by sparking a man-made tsunami that crashes onto Pig Island, and the pigs
answer by dropping thousands of small crabs onto Bird Island.
If only the
birds and pigs could find a common enemy to fight together.
That’s exactly what happens when an ice volcano on a third
island starts launching “ice bombs” at the other two pieces of land. The
mastermind behind these cold explosives is an opinionated bird named Zeta, who
has a plan to destroy the inhabitants of Bird and Pig Islands so she can live
and relax on both.
It will take a team effort to defeat her. But can the birds
and pigs get along?
The film The Angry
Birds Movie 2 (PG) opened this week, starring Jason Sudeikis (The Angry Birds Movie) as Red, Leslie
Jones (Ghostbusters, 2016) as Zeta,
and Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
as the bird Silver.
It and its 2016 predecessor are spinoffs of the popular Angry Birds video game franchise.
Both Angry Birds
movies, though, lack entertainment value (each received a B+ CinemaScore from
moviegoers, a rock-bottom score for an animated film). More significantly,
though, they fall far short of being kid-friendly.
The newest Angry Birds
2 movie includes: a scene of a pig taking selfies of his rear end and
shirtless torso in front of the mirror, a scene and a joke about two birds
making out, a lengthy scene of a bird urinating in a urinal, a scene of a pig
in a thong, a scene of a pig in spandex as we hear Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy, and more posterior and
poop jokes than you can count. It also has minor language.
It is one of the least kid-friendly animated films I’ve
seen. It’s as if three random fourth-grade boys wrote the script.
That’s too bad, because its core message — reconciliation,
teamwork and humility — are positive lessons children need to hear.
Unless your children are mega-mature, I’d skip it.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minor/moderate. The pigs and birds open the film by playing
a tit-for-tat game of trying to destroy the other’s island, although most of
the violent “acts” are silly (the birds shoot hot sauce at the pigs; the pigs
drop crabs on Bird Island). Zeta tortures her engineer by freezing his legs and
arms in blocks of ice. She freezes a dog, too. A bird gets accidentally knocked
out in a restroom.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minor/moderate. Red goes to a speed dating event because
it’s “mating season.” A pig enjoying a hot spring bath with others stands up,
revealing a thong. Leonard the pig is showing slides in a film room, preparing
for battle, when inappropriate pictures of him pop up on the screen. We hear
one of them is a “butt shot” (We see him taking pictures of his rear end). Red
and Silver accidentally fall on one another when other pigs and birds walk in
and assuming they were kissing—or something else (“Yeah they were,” someone
says while taking a picture). A pig gets “plan X” confused for “spandex” and
wears the latter (We then hear the song, I’m
Too Sexy). We learn Zeta and another eagle had a baby chick after their
wedding day was called off (The chick says: “That’s my father?”). The pigs
don’t wear pants, and multiple times the film makes jokes about their
posteriors.
Coarse
Language
Minor. The film is full of words that many households don’t
let their young children (or older children) say. OMG is said three times and
drawn out for effect. Other words parents may want to know about: heck (3),
stupid (3), butts (3), idiot (2), gosh (2), crap (1). We also hear “are you
freaking kidding me?” and “don’t screw this up.” A baby chick curses, although
it’s fully bleeped out.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
We learn Zeta’s ex-fiance abandoned her on their wedding
day. The film includes multiple songs from the 1980s and 1990s.
Life Lessons
Reconciliation
is always possible: The pigs and birds—former enemies—become friends once they
get to know one another. They become a team.
No one
enjoys an arrogant person: A self-centered Red teams up with a few birds and pigs to
defeat Zeta, but he rejects all their ideas. Soon, they want to abandon him.
Humility is
a secret to happiness: When Red puts others first, his life improves. Others like
him more. They make progress on beating Zeta. He’s happier, too.
Worldview/Application
Humility is one of the trademarks of the Christian. God
“opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). His Word
commands us to have “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love” and a “tender
heart”—but these are possibly only if we have a “humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
Christ—the creator of the universe—was humble. He expects
the same of his children.
What Works
The plot’s core story is interesting. It could have worked. Sadly, the filmmakers
went for cheap laughs.
What Doesn’t
I laughed out loud three to four times. But most of the film
is 90 minutes of inappropriate nonsense.
Discussion
Questions
1. Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Do you
need reconciliation?
2. Why does God want us to be humble?
3. What caused Red to change his outlook on life?
4. Did you think Angry
Birds 2 had too much potty humor? Why or why not?
Entertainment rating: 2 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 3.5
out of 5 stars.
