Soapboxing Match
Alright, blogging again.
Feels good.
Sorry it's been so long. Everytime I started to write an entry I felt myself getting caught up thinking about a movie I saw last weekend... and what it was I didn't like about it.
Which isn't very interesting, or fun, or funny. But, apparently it's a roadblock I have to go through before I can write normally again.
And so...
Last weekend I saw War of the Worlds.
And I didn't like it.
It wasn't because of my keen cinemagraphical mind, and a superb critical nature that I didn't like it.
It was because they created a world that wasn't worth saving, filled with people not worth fighting for.
I didn't like it because I couldn't relate.
If you haven't seen the beautiful, amazing people that fill this planet... take a walk. I bet a bunch of 'em are near you.
Okay, I'm probably going to throw some spoilers in here, so if you haven't seen the movie and plan on it, stop reading.... now.
The acting was pretty good.
Dakota Fanning, as always, blows your socks off. Usually she plays a little girl, wise beyond her years... in this movie she played a little girl.
(Yep, that's a period). It was kind of refreshing, and as always, you believe that she really is feeling everything her character is going through (which can be pretty disturbing in a lot... or maybe all... of her movies.)
Justin Chatwin, played T Cruise's son and did a good job. And from the reaction of the females in the audience it's safe to assume he's a... how you say... hottie?
And Tom Cruise... well I wasn't expecting much, and he met my expectations... he certainly isn't the Far and Away Top Gun that he was back in the Days of Thunder. Oh well.
And those three managed to be the only people in the movie that you can even pretend to care about... and there are definitely moments where pretending is all you're doing.
The one thing you think you can count on in a global disaster flick is that uniting of humanity scene where, in the movie we realize our petty differences are nothing when compared to the power that our camaraderie has to change the world... or something.
Yeah, I know it's cliche but... but it's like seeing a fight in an action film... it's kind of what your came for. You know... let's save the effing day.
Not this movie. This movie went straight to every-man-for-himself.
And I know a lot of people might believe that's more realistic.
I don't.
Okay, I agree that the "global unity" thing is probably is a stretch. But I don't believe that an extreme disaster is going do drive us all crazy and make us try to kill each other.
Specific scene that prompted all of this:
Tom knows a thing or two about cars. The aliens send huge EMP blasts that disable anything electrical. So cars don't work. Well Tom fixes one.
So they're driving along in the only working car and they get to where people are. They have to slow their driving to a crawl to get through the masses of people. Well the people see the working car and the mob attacks. They are literally throwing rocks and breaking windows and pouring into this mini-van.
When Tom and his son are finally torn out of the car they are then getting beaten... for no real reason. The little girl is still in the van as people are trying to take it. Tom has to whip out a pistol and threaten to kill... just to get his daughter out of the van.
I'm not saying that "the mob" can't be violent and crazy, but this is just one scene of many where you find that all anyone else wants to do, is hurt you. There wasn't a single supporting character with redeeming qualities in the entire 2 HOUR movie.
I have more faith in people than that.
I've seen people mob a car before... but it was beautiful.
One of my last night's in Texas... maybe the last, I was having dinner with my folks at Taco Bueno (Oh, I shouldn't have typed that... I miss Bueno). We were sitting in a booth by the window facing Jacksboro Hwy.
CRASH!!!
We look out the window to see what happened and can see a pickup truck still flipping, and a white sedan sort of limp-rolling over to the shoulder.
The pickup finally comes to rest on the median strip lying sideways on it's passenger door and we can see through the windshield that the driver is still buckled in and dangling from their seat.
What do I see next?
People from all directions (those of you familiar with the area know that there are a hundred businesses all up and down that stretch of road), pouring out from the every building and running across a busy highway with no regard for the oncoming traffic (or their own safety) to get to that pickup.
It wasn't 30 seconds before I almost couldn't see the pickup for the mass of people surrounding it trying to help the person inside.
The entire staff from the Discount Tire across the street had come out to help and the manager had the peace of mind to have his staff get the shop brooms and in minutes they were all working in amazing cooperation with people out there and had the debris of broken metal and glass all cleared off the road.
The median is packed with people trying to help anyway they can. They somehow tore out the windshield and got the driver out.
All before any emergency vehicles arrived.
When it was clear that the driver of the pickup was okay (the driver of the other car had proved to be fine early on), there were countless smiles, cheers and back slaps.
I remember watching this fantastic orchestration... literally a dance of humanity... and thinking:
People really are good aren't they?
posted by shad @ 5:29 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I guess I have a couple of conflicting thoughts on that one. I think generally speaking people do good things. However, speaking on the nature of man....the Bible says that no man is "good" except for the Father. It'd be interesting to know what exactly "good" meant!
oh, and Wayne asked me to clarify something. He did not say that he wasn't going to hear Confusatron because he didn't want to. Rather he said that he wasn't going to hear them because he was scheduled to fly that day with one of his instructors and it wouldn't work out time wise. Hehe....don't know how I got that mixed up!
Courtney, thanks for commenting.
You're right, I did overly generalize my point. There are definitely evil people out there.
But how do we define "good"?
Let's look at it like this: We believe that God loves everyone, but do you believe that He loves everyone because that's sort of His job... as God?
OR do you believe that He actually sees these amazing and wonderful things in each person that He cannot help but love them for? People that, though they "are evil" He would be willing to send His only Son... just for the chance that they might take advantage of His sacrifice and be with Him.
Maybe it's a limitation of the English language, but I would say His incomprehensible grace lets him see the good in His creation, despite our faults.
You specifically quoted Mark 10:18 (also referenced in Matthew, but for the sake of this comment let's use Mark). I'll start at verse 17:
10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
I think we need to keep in mind the place that Jesus was walking in, a place of constant communion with God. In John 5:19 He said He only did what He saw His Father do. Imagine, being in that place, learning from the master of All and someone runs up to you and calls you Good Master. You might answer like this:
Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Two points here, firstly, Jesus was always trying to get the focus back onto a relationship with God, He was trying to keep people from trying to get a formula to make everything work (religion is guilty of this), go to the source... go to God for yourself. Don't ask Me what to do, ask HIM.
Secondly, I think His response was also a matter of relativity. Because He was one with His Father, and was there amidst the source of all wisdom and creation... for someone to walk up and call Him good master would have been, to Him, like someone in Colorado saying "Oh, this is good mexican food." to someone from Texas, it puts them in a place of having to redefine what good mexican food is.
He was basically saying, "You don't know 'good', until you know God."
This is turning into too long of a response because I feel like I have to cover my bases, but I'm not saying that Jesus was less than... he wasn't, but he was forced to walk in the limitations of an unredeemed mankind (and still the power and love of God He was able to demonstrate) but that's how, before He was crucified, He could say, "These works and greater works than these shall you do; because I go to the Father." (John 14:12) The redemption He provided was enough to put man back in a place of dominion on the earth.
But there are other references in the Bible that define men as being good. And an entire sections in Psalms and Proverbs that define what it is too be a good man. Surely it's safe to assume that these weren't put in there in vain.
Some examples:
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Luke 23:50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
I know this is off topic from what, specifically, you were referencing on my entry, but your comment got me thinking... and this is where I ended up.
Thanks again.
Oh, and that's cool Wayne, I guess I take back that whole b*st*rd thing.
I AGREE. And just so you know I read the entire length of your response, I'd like to point out two phrases/points that I specificaly liked the best:
1.) "You don't know 'good,' until you know God." (It was the perfect touch to a great perspective)
and
2.) "You're right, I did overly generalize my point." (who doesn't like to hear they're right:)
i love your perspective, Shad. i believe you have God's perspective of mankind. Maybe when we can't figure out why He loves us so much He shows us a picture of what He created us to be. He never loses sight of that and He cannot resist it.
It's a blessing to live in the Kingdon of God right here, right now and that's what we're doing when we see what God sees. Keep looking through God's eyes, Shad. It's a whole other world.
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