A few weeks ago, my husband cunningly suckered me into watching a movie that I had passed on for a year. One of his favorites, that proves how vastly far apart and never to meet, are our movie tastes.
I love old movies. I love musicals. I love romantic comedies. And lastly, and weirdly enough since I abhor sports, movies about baseball.
On occasion, he will beg to the point of me giving in, to watch one of "his" movies. Saving Private Ryan, Mystic River (ugh!), and most recently, the sucker punch of all sucker punches: No Country for Old Men (double, triple and quadruple UGH!)
A movie set in the early 80's in West Texas, about as dismal a setting as you can find, and about a maniacal and conscience-deprived killer. He kills without much thought and most times devoid of purpose, and with not a second thought to what he did.
Yeah. My kind of movie, honey!
Now, based on my movie tastes, you may be asking how he so cunningly got me to watch this movie! Well, he is doing a project for his doctoral studies. It is centered on culture and views in movies. We have talked about nihilism, naturalism, relativism, and alot of other 'isms. It has proven to be an excellent springboard for discussing our culture and our relevance. I myself have learned alot. Way to go, honey! Good call on this one!
But wait, what movie did he pick first?!?!?!? None other than No Country for Old Men! It was so hard for me to watch that movie and not complain. But I did it. Begrudgingly. And I did not enjoy it. It left me feeling pretty morose for about a week. I lay awake that night and couldn't get the senseless killings out of my head.
But then, something interesting happened. I began to really listen to my husband quoting the movie. And the quotes actually made sense. And were very, very relevant to the way I feel about our country and the way things are going right now.
As I sit here, I am coming off the heels of reading about the 4th state to legalize gay marriage. And my heart takes a dive. Then God's sovereignty, the string to my crazy, wind-driven kite, reminds me that He is in control. And our world has been heading this way since...well, since the Fall. These are not new things. They are just new to me. And they are a reminder that I am not of this world. I am to be salt, which flavors, but also can hurt the tongue. And light, which brings hope, but can also hurt the eyes that are not used to it.
So, to quote the movie "...it is not the one thing, (gay marriage, abortion, insert disturbing event here,...) it is the dismal tide."
Basically, we can't get so wrapped up in every thing individually and worry about it. It is part of something that God has known would happen, and is allowing to happen. And our job in this world as part of the Kingdom, as sons and daughters of the King, has not changed. And it will not change. We are still to bring salt and light, now matter how hard it may get.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke
