A Perfect Love

Part of being an intern is being where the students are. On Thursday night, the students were at the midnight showing of the new movie "Twilight." It's been the preferred topic of conversation among the girls at RUF for the past month. Apparently, this movie is based on a popular series of books about teenage love between vampires, werewolves, and humans. How have I not heard of it before now?

I had never been to a midnight movie premiere before, so I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't expecting the high-pitched screams of excitement from the girls in the audience when the main character, Edward, walked on screen. I also wasn't expecting to be entertained in the least.

I'm glad I went, because I know the girls will be talking about it. When they bring it up, I have some questions for them. For example, why are we so enthralled by forbidden love? The handsome vampire named Edward says, rather bluntly, that vampires are enticing to humans (their food) by nature. "Everything about me invites you in--my voice, my face, even my smell." These fictional vampires are designed to attract humans to them, making it easier for them pounce, attack, and kill. The human girl named Bella, knowing the dangers involved, still wants to pursue the relationship, even asking him to bite her so she can become a vampire too.

In the same way, Satan knows what we find attractive and uses that to lure us into his trap. While Satan does not literally kill us, he can lead us to death. When we follow him and turn away from our Savior, we choose death over the life Christ offers us. We want immortality on our own terms. We want what we think is perfect love. We don't realize that we already have a Perfect Love in Jesus. Even when we do realize it, we don't want to wait for it. Rather, we seek immediate gratification, knowing the dangers involved.

There are three more books in the series, so I don't know what happens beyond what I saw in the movie. I'm interested, though, to see where this goes.

We Are to Be in the World, But Not of the World

One of my favorite RUF weekly events at Kennesaw State is Wednesday Lunch. Every Wednesday from 11:30am to about 1:30pm, we get together to eat lunch together and talk and play. We used to eat outside on a large grassy field in the center of campus, but since the cold weather has become too cold, we now crowd around a table in the student center. It brings back memories of eating lunch in my high school cafeteria.

This past Wednesday, the group's conversation topic somehow got to celebrities. We talked about good movies, good actors, and attractive actors. In the midst of our conversation, a girl mentioned that she no longer respects/admires Jake Gyllenhaal for his role in the controversial movie about homosexuality, "Brokeback Mountain." She is not the first person I've heard make this comment.

Quite frankly, there are few movies that live up to our standard of morality. We watch people muder each other. We laugh when crude, racist, or malicious jokes are made. We hear God's name used in vain. We don't think twice when we see blasphemy and idolatry. And nearly every movie, regardless of genre, seems to condone fornication. This is what we call entertainment today.

I just find it hard to understand why an actor portraying a homosexual man is less deserving of respect than an actor portraying a cold-blooded murderer. Why is a movie about homosexuality hailed by Christians as taboo and disgusting, while those same Christians tolerate movies about hatred, murder, stealing, or adultery. Sin is sin is sin.

We are all hypocrites in judging one man's sin as worse than another's. I don't know where I fall on the spectrum, but I am ceratinly no exception. Should we remove the movies from our shelves? Should we avoid buying CD's with explicit content? Should we turn off the TV for shows that aren't family oriented? What do you think?

The Shepherd and His Sheep

English was my most difficult subject throughout my school years. It was the subject that had the potential to ruin a straight-A quarter with an B+ or B (gasp!). Despite my trouble with reading comprehension and disinterest in analyzing literature, I generally enjoyed English class. I can remember learning about similes and metaphors in elementary school. It was a pivotal lesson in my life. More and more, I find myself describing everything in metaphorical terms to give myself a better understanding.

While a parable is not a metaphor, it is similar. So, it's no surprise that I love parables. I am very much like Jesus' disciples because I don't always understand the parables until they are explained to me. Even the ones that I think I understand usually have so much deeper meanings than what I ascribe to them. My favorite is "The Parable of the Lost Sheep." (Luke 15:3-7)

Sheep are not the smartest animals. When they wander away from the flock, they usually cannot find their way back. They drown easily. They will always follow the leader, even off of a cliff. They can't get off their backs and will die if no one helps them. They are vision-impaired. Though this may seem strange, I find comfort in being likened to a dumb sheep. It reminds me of my reliance on God because I cannot do anything right. Without my Shepherd, I am defenseless and lost. I wander away from what I know and lose my way. I sink in stormy waters. I find myself on my back and need someone to save me.

I find comfort in this because we have a Savior who comes looking for us when we wander away from Him and rejoices when He finds us. Jesus doesn't let us drown. No matter how many times we end up on our backs, He comes and sets us on our feet every time. He is the leader that will ALWAYS lead us to safety and away from life's cliffs. He protects us from predators. Without Him, we are left to our own devices which always lead us to spiritual death.But Jesus is the Good Shepherd, Who lays down His life for us, His sheep. (John 10:11) He did this so that we may have Life.

So, when I find that I have wandered away from the flock and I can't find my way back alone, I know that my Shepherd will come find me, put me on his shoulders, and take me home where I belong.