Here's a literal take on Take On Me. But I bet you'll smile more because of the original.
Jesus is the Word of God
Jesus is the Word of God
Here's a literal take on Take On Me. But I bet you'll smile more because of the original.
Old, but gold.
Baudrillardian!
(Thanks for the chance to use my new word for the week.)
Otepoti - perhaps you can explain your new term? Guest post perhaps?
Sorry, Glen - I have my hands full (new grandchild to cuddle.)
Plus I'd try to relate my exegesis to Girard as well as Baudrillard and I would get out of my depth faster than a very fast thing!
Best
And speaking of Baudrillard, this morning's sermon began, "Some of you may have seen the science fiction film "The Matrix"...
How many bloggomenters have read (10 points), heard (20 points) or preached (100 points) a sermon based on The Matrix?
:-D
I score about 600 I reckon.
What was the nature of this morning's link with the Matrix?
"Take God's red pill." But longer.
The text was Isaiah 49: 1-16.
Honestly, your post on Jesus/cheeses has spoilt me a bit for this method of sermon construction. I think "No, don't start with Neo, start with Jesus."
You have a lot to answer for...
BTW, where's Missy? I miss her!
The Matrix is so 10 years ago! I don't think I score higher than 20 (thankfully), though if sermons based on the Bible, but using the Matrix as a 'relevance'* thing count then perhaps 100, if illustrations in seminars count then that's another 40, to make 140.
I did get excited about the whole Neo is Jesus thing, but at that time (early teens), I neither knew Jesus, nor what the worldview that the Matrix is projecting was (an all religions are the same thing - hence why they make Neo like Jesus, but also have an eastern philosophy twinge - I'm not so up on my Brahma and Krishnu to spot those references). I did look at the Matrix in a seminar on worldview and also heard a talk that used the Matrix as an example of something you should not reasonably believe is true (you take a pill, everything is bad - you should want the nice world to be true and also: you took a pill - bad trip?)
God's red pill sounds like "take a drug, see the world differently, escape from bondage, etc." Sounds like go on a trip, dude and it'll all be OK. Obviously I haven't heard the sermon in question, and am taking the illustration far too literally...
Ten years is but the blink of an eye to some of us, Si! But I think you're right - "Matrix" references jumped the shark quite some time ago.
Well, the sermon in question was more helpful than I make it sound. I think my point was rather that cultural references* date, badly, but God's Word doesn't.
And that Jesus doesn't need to hang his hat on a film-maker's hook.
*Always excepting "Sound of Music" references. They'll never grow old.
I've never really been attracted to the red pill, blue pill scene as an illustration. The whole thing is presupposed by the in-breaking of Trinity into the Matrix. Neo would never have the opportunity to discover what is beyond without what is beyond crashing into his world. That's the kind of illustration I use - Christ must come into our Matrix or we'll be forever lost in the dark.
I'm sure this is not what your preacher did Otepoti, but it seems to me that teaching red pill, blue pill as the basic way that you discover the truth presupposes a freedom that we just don't have. In other words it's Pelagian. I'd much rather focus on the initiative from above if you see what I mean.
But perhaps I'm taking all this a bit too seriously!
- and yes, I miss Missy too...
Ah, what a treat to read these comments and see I am missed! Has it been that long since I've commented? I've been on steroids with a Messiah complex, so I have recently thought it best to remain silent. :)
I don't know who Girard or Baudrillard are, but this has been my fave over-played MTV vid since I was a preteen.
Glen, you also have me in service on Sundays, thinking, "NOOO! Start with Jesus..." I'm having trouble not pacing.
Hi, Missy! Has that video been around that long? I never saw it before! (I've been very busy since 1981.)
Glen, good point. But I always saw Neo, not as an Adam but as a Christ figure (in a state of kenosis, if you will, prior to the red pill).
But I daresay my interpretation wouldn't take much weight.
Drawing an analogy between a human artwork and God's action in Christ is like a puzzle where you have one piece left over that won't quite fit. You find you should have started by having a good look at the box-lid.
And now, enough from me about the Matrix. I'm taking the blue pill now.
Cheers
Being a formerly obsessed matrix fan, it's about time I jumped in. I must have watched the film in excess of 30 times.
The film's typological/symbolic approach is 'postmodern'. there is no single overarching theme, but religious/philosophical metaphors are constantly thrown in. There's the Buddhism, there's the gnostic Christianity (particularly in Revolutions) and an enormous dose of plain old 'sticking it to the man'. In this way, it is similar to School of Rock.
You can go looking for the analogies (eg. death and resurrection for Neo in film 1) but they're going to be wrecked by the other two films because the religious/philosophical stuff is nearly all cooked up in a big vat and slopped on top of a story that exists for other purposes. Looking for consistency in the slop will be a fruitless task.
School of Rock? School of Rock??!!
That's the movie with Jack Black, right? Urrrgh.
He may have had a troupe of music-making kiddiewinks, but he'll never be Julie Andrews.
Amen!
I LOVED School of Rock!
I reckon taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ means dealing in 'slop' all the time. I reckon it can be done. But I'd still question why the consistent illustration used from the film essentially asks the congregation to put themselves in Neo's shoes, to take the bitter pill, to dare to know and set themselves free. Anyway.
I think Jack Black would make an excellent Maria.