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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Movie Review: Get Smart
Get Smart
2008
Rated PG-13
One of the best memories of my childhood was staying up late at night with my little sister and watching syndicated episodes of Get Smart on Channel 41. I was really excited to hear that they were making a movie out of it, but a little anxious, too—because what beloved TV show hasn’t had its memory desecrated by being adapted into a bad movie? Think Dukes of Hazzard and Beverly Hillbillies, just for starters.
I was reassured, though, when I learned that Steve Carell would be playing Agent 86, Maxwell Smart. Pre-release interviews were even more reassuring. When Carell talked about his interpretation of the Smart character, he payed proper respect to Don Adams, the comedic actor of the 60’s who originated the role for television, which told me that Carell honored the history of the show and the talents that first brought it to life. On the other hand, Carell also said that he would not be doing an imitation of Adams’ performance, that as an actor, he had to come up with his own interpretation of the character. Incidentally, all of the negative reviews of this film that I have seen centered around the fact that Carell did have his own interpretation, and didn’t just mimic Adams.
The movie begins with the premise that Maxwell Smart is a CONTROL analyst, and not yet an agent. He passes through the series of doors so well-known from the opening sequence of the show, into the same red phone booth, and into CONTROL headquarters. He analyzes information minutely and makes agents sit through interminable meetings while he reads through his tome-sized reports that nobody pays attention to. Yet, Smart is paying attention to his own data, and when events transpire to let him fulfill his dream of becoming an agent—Agent 86—most of those data are still in his head, ready for action.
He is paired with a reluctant Agent 99, played by Anne Hathaway, who objects to him as her partner because he has no field experience. In the 2008 rendition of the Get Smart world, 99 is tough and does not take a back seat to 86, as she too often does in the 60’s version. He respects her abilities, but eventually proves himself to her enough that she comes to respect him, too. The attraction and romance flow from there…quite believably, in my opinion, but I like the romantic subplots in any movie.
In the old TV show, Max was an idiot who thought he was all that, and 99, played by Barbara Feldon, was a competent, strong woman who always pulled him out of the fire (lit by his own ineptitude), and always let him take the credit for the win. If Max ever got anything right in the show, it was an accident. It was a one-joke show, enough to sustain a 22-minute sitcom and not much more. But in the new-millennium version, everyone thinks Max is less than competent—and he is terribly accident prone, providing many of the cringes and laughs of the film, such as falling out of the secret escape hatch of an airplane without a parachute—and nobody wants to make him an agent. And he sometimes does get things right by sheer good luck. But he is honest and intelligent and willing to learn, while also knowing that he knows what he knows…which is an important quality for the plot.
The plot, such as it is, is light enough for kids to follow, centering of course on the evil spy organization KAOS—who have now become international nuclear terrorists. So, yeah, it’s not a complex plot…but first movie plots never are. We don’t go to these films for the plot, we go to see 86 and 99 do their secret agent thing. (I did wonder why everyone at a Russian mobster’s party spoke English—and with an American accent…but whatever…) And they do the secret agent thing really well, because as Steve Carell put it, this isn’t supposed to be a spoof of spy movies, it’s supposed to be a spy movie that makes us laugh. There’s a big difference, and they seem to nail it. Anyway, director Peter Segal keeps the action moving, and keeps the plot going where it’s supposed to go.
Dwayne Johnson as the legendary hotshot Agent 23 is the perfect foil for Carell, in part because Johnson looks like he’s twice as tall as Carell. The differences between the two men are summed up when Max learns that 99 once had a relationship with 23, and says matter-of-factly, “I’m feeling very sexually threatened right now.” And Alan Arkin, too, gives the role of Chief more personality and substance than it ever got in the show.
Speaking as a fan of the old show, I think this film was even better. It kept true to the spirit of the show, while updating it to our time in all the good ways. And it was really, really funny. I can’t count how many times I laughed out loud, or clapped, or cheered. I would see it again, and I would take the kids to see it, too (despite a few butt jokes—because they were really good ones). I highly recommend it.
2008
Rated PG-13
One of the best memories of my childhood was staying up late at night with my little sister and watching syndicated episodes of Get Smart on Channel 41. I was really excited to hear that they were making a movie out of it, but a little anxious, too—because what beloved TV show hasn’t had its memory desecrated by being adapted into a bad movie? Think Dukes of Hazzard and Beverly Hillbillies, just for starters.
I was reassured, though, when I learned that Steve Carell would be playing Agent 86, Maxwell Smart. Pre-release interviews were even more reassuring. When Carell talked about his interpretation of the Smart character, he payed proper respect to Don Adams, the comedic actor of the 60’s who originated the role for television, which told me that Carell honored the history of the show and the talents that first brought it to life. On the other hand, Carell also said that he would not be doing an imitation of Adams’ performance, that as an actor, he had to come up with his own interpretation of the character. Incidentally, all of the negative reviews of this film that I have seen centered around the fact that Carell did have his own interpretation, and didn’t just mimic Adams.
The movie begins with the premise that Maxwell Smart is a CONTROL analyst, and not yet an agent. He passes through the series of doors so well-known from the opening sequence of the show, into the same red phone booth, and into CONTROL headquarters. He analyzes information minutely and makes agents sit through interminable meetings while he reads through his tome-sized reports that nobody pays attention to. Yet, Smart is paying attention to his own data, and when events transpire to let him fulfill his dream of becoming an agent—Agent 86—most of those data are still in his head, ready for action.
He is paired with a reluctant Agent 99, played by Anne Hathaway, who objects to him as her partner because he has no field experience. In the 2008 rendition of the Get Smart world, 99 is tough and does not take a back seat to 86, as she too often does in the 60’s version. He respects her abilities, but eventually proves himself to her enough that she comes to respect him, too. The attraction and romance flow from there…quite believably, in my opinion, but I like the romantic subplots in any movie.
In the old TV show, Max was an idiot who thought he was all that, and 99, played by Barbara Feldon, was a competent, strong woman who always pulled him out of the fire (lit by his own ineptitude), and always let him take the credit for the win. If Max ever got anything right in the show, it was an accident. It was a one-joke show, enough to sustain a 22-minute sitcom and not much more. But in the new-millennium version, everyone thinks Max is less than competent—and he is terribly accident prone, providing many of the cringes and laughs of the film, such as falling out of the secret escape hatch of an airplane without a parachute—and nobody wants to make him an agent. And he sometimes does get things right by sheer good luck. But he is honest and intelligent and willing to learn, while also knowing that he knows what he knows…which is an important quality for the plot.
The plot, such as it is, is light enough for kids to follow, centering of course on the evil spy organization KAOS—who have now become international nuclear terrorists. So, yeah, it’s not a complex plot…but first movie plots never are. We don’t go to these films for the plot, we go to see 86 and 99 do their secret agent thing. (I did wonder why everyone at a Russian mobster’s party spoke English—and with an American accent…but whatever…) And they do the secret agent thing really well, because as Steve Carell put it, this isn’t supposed to be a spoof of spy movies, it’s supposed to be a spy movie that makes us laugh. There’s a big difference, and they seem to nail it. Anyway, director Peter Segal keeps the action moving, and keeps the plot going where it’s supposed to go.
Dwayne Johnson as the legendary hotshot Agent 23 is the perfect foil for Carell, in part because Johnson looks like he’s twice as tall as Carell. The differences between the two men are summed up when Max learns that 99 once had a relationship with 23, and says matter-of-factly, “I’m feeling very sexually threatened right now.” And Alan Arkin, too, gives the role of Chief more personality and substance than it ever got in the show.
Speaking as a fan of the old show, I think this film was even better. It kept true to the spirit of the show, while updating it to our time in all the good ways. And it was really, really funny. I can’t count how many times I laughed out loud, or clapped, or cheered. I would see it again, and I would take the kids to see it, too (despite a few butt jokes—because they were really good ones). I highly recommend it.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
David's Turn
What a day. After a whole bunch of working, I took Sabra to a cheerleading meeting at the library (they are getting new uniforms, so we had to try them on). I brought David with me, since there's plenty for him to do at the library, and he doesn't usually require close supervision there, since it's like his second home.
About halfway through the meeting, David comes into the meeting room with blood all over his hands and running down his neck. He was running and fell and hit his chin on a chair--right underneath, so you can't see it if you're looking at his face unless he tips his head back. He wasn't really crying, so we went into the restroom to clean him up a little, and then he saw the blood and started to get a little bit upset. That's when I noticed that the cut looked pretty deep, so I gathered Sabra and we got in the car and drove over to our friend and nurse-practitioner, Nancy.
I'm sure the last thing Nancy needed was another patient waiting at home for her when she got home from the office, but she's always so good to us, so she looked at his chin, and called the ER in Aurora to see if they were crowded. I then traded some theological knowledge for the medical knowledge (who knew you could barter theological knowledge?), and took both kids out to Aurora, thankful that the storms were not that close to use yet.
It was a surprisingly easy ER visit, as far as those things go. We saw Dr. Williams, the doctor Nancy works with, and it turned out that instead of getting his little chin glued, like Nancy thought he would have to, he actually had to have two stitches put in. The absolute worst part of the whole experience for David was the needle they stuck in his chin to numb it--he really hates shots. That was really the only time he cried.
We were only there for about two hours total--not too bad for an ER visist. We didn't beat the rain home, but now David joins his accident-prone sisters in the annals of family medical history. I think we're really lucky that he made it more than 5 years with no injuries before this!
Kathy
About halfway through the meeting, David comes into the meeting room with blood all over his hands and running down his neck. He was running and fell and hit his chin on a chair--right underneath, so you can't see it if you're looking at his face unless he tips his head back. He wasn't really crying, so we went into the restroom to clean him up a little, and then he saw the blood and started to get a little bit upset. That's when I noticed that the cut looked pretty deep, so I gathered Sabra and we got in the car and drove over to our friend and nurse-practitioner, Nancy.
I'm sure the last thing Nancy needed was another patient waiting at home for her when she got home from the office, but she's always so good to us, so she looked at his chin, and called the ER in Aurora to see if they were crowded. I then traded some theological knowledge for the medical knowledge (who knew you could barter theological knowledge?), and took both kids out to Aurora, thankful that the storms were not that close to use yet.
It was a surprisingly easy ER visit, as far as those things go. We saw Dr. Williams, the doctor Nancy works with, and it turned out that instead of getting his little chin glued, like Nancy thought he would have to, he actually had to have two stitches put in. The absolute worst part of the whole experience for David was the needle they stuck in his chin to numb it--he really hates shots. That was really the only time he cried.
We were only there for about two hours total--not too bad for an ER visist. We didn't beat the rain home, but now David joins his accident-prone sisters in the annals of family medical history. I think we're really lucky that he made it more than 5 years with no injuries before this!
Kathy
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Help Bring Jonas and Ellie Home
My friend Kristina and her husband Todd are trying to adopt two beautiful 3-year-olds from Haiti. It has been a long, hard process for them--why is it that the world works so hard against us when we just want to do a good and loving thing? Check out their blog here
The blog does include a pitch for donations...they need about $3500 for each child to get them home. They aren't asking much, just $1 a person. Go to the blog and look at those faces, and $1 won't seem like enough. Don't worry, you don't have to limit it to $1, you can give more.
Adoption is so hard sometimes; Kristina says in her blog that if they can just get these babies home, they can provide for them just fine. Why in the world are there so many roadblocks for a family who wants to love and provide for kids that have no other home? Why aren't people, agencies, charities, governments rushing to hand these families money? Every adopting family goes through something like this--it's not a smooth or easy process for anyone. The world is so stupidly upside down sometimes.
Kristina and Todd are good, loving, Christian people. Jonas and Ellie are doing okay so far, but their mom, dad, and sisters want them home so badly. If a dollar really is too much for you (and believe me, I've been there), please pray for them, and pass their blog link on to others.
Love y'all,
Kathy
The blog does include a pitch for donations...they need about $3500 for each child to get them home. They aren't asking much, just $1 a person. Go to the blog and look at those faces, and $1 won't seem like enough. Don't worry, you don't have to limit it to $1, you can give more.
Adoption is so hard sometimes; Kristina says in her blog that if they can just get these babies home, they can provide for them just fine. Why in the world are there so many roadblocks for a family who wants to love and provide for kids that have no other home? Why aren't people, agencies, charities, governments rushing to hand these families money? Every adopting family goes through something like this--it's not a smooth or easy process for anyone. The world is so stupidly upside down sometimes.
Kristina and Todd are good, loving, Christian people. Jonas and Ellie are doing okay so far, but their mom, dad, and sisters want them home so badly. If a dollar really is too much for you (and believe me, I've been there), please pray for them, and pass their blog link on to others.
Love y'all,
Kathy
Happy Birthday, Daddy and Grandma!
I've missed some important happenings in June; I mean, I've missed blogging about them. SOMEONE was supposed to send me a link or a DVD to her performance at Royals' Stadium, but hasn't yet done so.
However, today and yesterday are important days and shouldn't be skipped. Yesterday was my Daddy's 61st birthday! Yay! I saw Daddy at the Royals' game on the 1st, and we had a great time. My Daddy taught me everything I believe so strongly about honor and honesty and responsibility; thank you, Daddy. I love you so much.
And today is Grandma Hood's 89th birthday! I realized today that Betty is our oldest living relative--way to go, Betty! (I think I have a great aunt in Scranton who is about the same age, but I'm not sure how old she is...) It is such a gift that my kids get to spend time with her and ask her about her life and listen to her stories. She has some great stories; my favorites are the ones about her childhood in Kansas City, my hometown. It's changed a lot, but I wouldn't know much about that if I hadn't gotten to hear Grandma talk about it. Love you, Grandma! Happy Birthday!
For those of you who are praying people, send up a prayer for my Daddy and for Grandma Hood.
Kathy
However, today and yesterday are important days and shouldn't be skipped. Yesterday was my Daddy's 61st birthday! Yay! I saw Daddy at the Royals' game on the 1st, and we had a great time. My Daddy taught me everything I believe so strongly about honor and honesty and responsibility; thank you, Daddy. I love you so much.
And today is Grandma Hood's 89th birthday! I realized today that Betty is our oldest living relative--way to go, Betty! (I think I have a great aunt in Scranton who is about the same age, but I'm not sure how old she is...) It is such a gift that my kids get to spend time with her and ask her about her life and listen to her stories. She has some great stories; my favorites are the ones about her childhood in Kansas City, my hometown. It's changed a lot, but I wouldn't know much about that if I hadn't gotten to hear Grandma talk about it. Love you, Grandma! Happy Birthday!
For those of you who are praying people, send up a prayer for my Daddy and for Grandma Hood.
Kathy
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Young Authors Conference
I have been meaning to blog about this event since it happened on May 3, because it was one of the best things that has happened to our family recently..or EVER!!!
Every year Missouri Southern University in Joplin hosts the Young Authors Conference. Here in Mount Vernon, only 4th graders go to it, but the conference includes kids in grades 1-6. This year, my 4th grader, Sabra, had her book picked as an entry into the conference, so she got to go to it...and since she got to go, so did the rest of us.
The guest speakers at this conference were authors Roland and Marie Smith. AJ was a little jealous because Roland Smith is one of her favorite authors, but it didn't take her long to be really excited that shew as going to meet him, however it happened. The day before the conference, I read one of Roland Smith's books, Sasquatch. It was great! Roland Smith's website is here. Since the conference, I've also read Zack's Lie, Jack's Run, and Cryptid Hunters.
Roland and his wife, Marie Smith, also write books together for younger children. I'm sure you've seen these books at the bookstore, they are part of the series that features every letter of the alphabet. Roland and Marie wrote B is for Beaver, E is for Evergreen, N is for Our Nation's Capital, and Z is for Zookeeper. They're also on Roland's book page.
The conference featured talks by each of the two authors to groups of kids. They were each very different, but both were great. They talked about how they got started in writing, the things they liked to write about, and the mistakes they've made as writers. They really took the kids seriously as writers, which impressed me so deeply. AJ moved up and sat with the kids and asked questions of both authors, and all three of the kids brought notebooks and pens. The girls took scrupulous notes on both of them, while David mostly drew pictures.
At the end, each child got a book for free that was autographed by the authors, and afterward, the authors stayed around and offered to sign any other books anyone wanted. Our girls showed them their notebooks full of notes on their talks, and Roland played as though he was going to tear AJ's notes out of her notebook. He said, "You're just going to use this information to become a famous writer!" It was pretty funny. They signed their notebooks, too, and let us take pictures of them with the girls. They were so very gracious and open and funny; I was so impressed.
Finally we left, with several signed copies of the Smiths' books, at least one for each child. It was the greatest day! We spent the day as a family at a writers conference! Matt and I also realized that it would be really easy to sneak back in there next year...we'd sit in the parents' section like we did this year...nobody would ever know...
Sabra's book was called 11:27, and is about three kids who discover a dragon named Narcissa Pendragon, but Narcissa is only visible to humans between 11:26 and 11:28 every day. It was really cute. Also, there was another girl there, a 6th grader, named Sabra! That was pretty amazing in itself.
Kathy
Every year Missouri Southern University in Joplin hosts the Young Authors Conference. Here in Mount Vernon, only 4th graders go to it, but the conference includes kids in grades 1-6. This year, my 4th grader, Sabra, had her book picked as an entry into the conference, so she got to go to it...and since she got to go, so did the rest of us.
The guest speakers at this conference were authors Roland and Marie Smith. AJ was a little jealous because Roland Smith is one of her favorite authors, but it didn't take her long to be really excited that shew as going to meet him, however it happened. The day before the conference, I read one of Roland Smith's books, Sasquatch. It was great! Roland Smith's website is here. Since the conference, I've also read Zack's Lie, Jack's Run, and Cryptid Hunters.
Roland and his wife, Marie Smith, also write books together for younger children. I'm sure you've seen these books at the bookstore, they are part of the series that features every letter of the alphabet. Roland and Marie wrote B is for Beaver, E is for Evergreen, N is for Our Nation's Capital, and Z is for Zookeeper. They're also on Roland's book page.
The conference featured talks by each of the two authors to groups of kids. They were each very different, but both were great. They talked about how they got started in writing, the things they liked to write about, and the mistakes they've made as writers. They really took the kids seriously as writers, which impressed me so deeply. AJ moved up and sat with the kids and asked questions of both authors, and all three of the kids brought notebooks and pens. The girls took scrupulous notes on both of them, while David mostly drew pictures.
At the end, each child got a book for free that was autographed by the authors, and afterward, the authors stayed around and offered to sign any other books anyone wanted. Our girls showed them their notebooks full of notes on their talks, and Roland played as though he was going to tear AJ's notes out of her notebook. He said, "You're just going to use this information to become a famous writer!" It was pretty funny. They signed their notebooks, too, and let us take pictures of them with the girls. They were so very gracious and open and funny; I was so impressed.
Finally we left, with several signed copies of the Smiths' books, at least one for each child. It was the greatest day! We spent the day as a family at a writers conference! Matt and I also realized that it would be really easy to sneak back in there next year...we'd sit in the parents' section like we did this year...nobody would ever know...
Sabra's book was called 11:27, and is about three kids who discover a dragon named Narcissa Pendragon, but Narcissa is only visible to humans between 11:26 and 11:28 every day. It was really cute. Also, there was another girl there, a 6th grader, named Sabra! That was pretty amazing in itself.
Kathy
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pentecost Sermon
This is actually last year's sermon, but I liked it:
Pentecost, 2007
I like war movies.
Of all the films in my DVD collection,
I think I have more war movies than anything else.
Not everyone likes war movies, of course,
but over the hundred-year history of film,
they’ve proven to be amazingly resilient.
It’s rather strange that I would like them so much,
because I don’t like war.
I have a cousin who just came back from Iraq,
who was involved in some of the historic
battles in Baghdad,
and I worry about him constantly.
I am the daughter and granddaughter of veterans,
and I am more proud of them than I can say.
But I can also see how war takes its toll on people,
steals pieces of their souls,
and I wonder how my loved ones
might have been different,
and if they will ever fully heal.
So, if we don’t like war, why do we like war movies?
I think there is a deep desire in people to be tested.
I think that people want to know
just how strong they are,
just how far their will-power
or love
or loyalty will go
when it comes down to it.
I probably like war movies for the same reason I have always liked the stories of Christian martyrs…
when you read how someone was fed to lions for her faith in Jesus Christ,
you have to ask yourself,
would I be that strong?
And your resolve strengthens,
and you think,
if I’m ever tested like that,
I could be that faithful, I could.
War movies do the same thing for us…
they give us the chance to ask ourselves,
would I be that brave,
that strong,
would I be that loyal to my companions?
Since most of us have not been in a war,
we can only ask ourselves…
would I? Could I?
These films offer us a test of our character,
without making us go through the real thing.
When we see someone else go through the test,
we go through it, too,
and if they can prevail, so can we.
But one of the things about actual war,
and so about war movies,
is that the people involved are never alone.
There comes a point where politics falls away,
where right and wrong are perhaps
secondary considerations,
and all that matters is the guy next to you.
You do what you have to do,
you get through what needs to be gotten through,
because you can’t let him down.
And you know he won’t let you down.
When you’re under fire,
you’ve got his back,
and he’s got yours.
That’s the bottom line,
that’s the reality,
and it’s a supreme test,
because it comes down to
whether you’re going to put
your buddy before yourself,
and whether you will trust him to do the same.
In the Middle Ages,
soldiers actually got assigned a buddy.
You had one other solider,
one other knight,
who was your buddy.
You went into battle together,
and these were battles where people got close up
to kill each other,
and you fought with your buddy back-to-back,
so that nobody could sneak up on you
with a sword or a battle-axe.
He had your back, and you had his.
He couldn’t keep you from having to fight,
from having to face the battle,
but he was there with you,
and nothing could sneak up on you
while he was there,
fighting with you,
fighting for you.
This soldier was called a paraclete.
Your Paraclete.
The guy who has your back when the going gets rough is your paraclete.
That’s a word we’ve heard before…
today we hear it translated as Advocate,
but it’s more than that.
In Greek it means, the one who comes to your side.
Or, perhaps, the one who has your back.
We translate it other ways, too.
Eve was Adam’s Paraclete, his helper.
Jesus was the disciples’ Paraclete, their teacher.
Our Paraclete is the Holy Spirit,
God himself,
and we call him Advocate,
Intercessor,
Teacher,
Helper,
even Holy Comforter.
It can’t be translated any more accurately,
because it’s a word that includes all those meanings,
but I think that’s a good thing.
Sometimes we need one kind of back-up more than another, but at different times we’ll need it all.
We’ll need all the help we can get, of whatever kind.
We’ll need someone—
an Advocate,
a Teacher,
a Comforter—
we’ll need that someone at our back
when we undergo our own tests,
face our own battles.
War movies are satisfying to watch
because the tests and battles that people undergo
are big ones.
There’s always life and death on the line,
at the very least,
and sometimes more.
We want to think that maybe we could be heroes,
like the people in the films,
at least insofar as we carry out what was asked of us.
And we can be heroes,
and sometimes we are,
but it’s not like it is in the movies.
The images of war and battle have always been used to describe the Christian life.
We fight against sin and temptation,
we battle forces of evil,
we arm ourselves against attack,
we claim victory in Jesus Christ.
We are being tested, too,
no less in our way than the soldiers in the films.
But our battles are not usually loud and bloody,
and they seldom leave casualties in the traditional sense.
Our battles are much smaller than that.
Our battles are small and personal and never-ending.
Our battles seldom require a heroic last stand,
Or a brave charge,
and they’re seldom accompanied by a swelling orchestral score.
No, they’re little choices,
little acts,
little niggling temptations
to things that aren’t all that bad
in the scheme of things.
Our test is not to survive a charge or a barrage of bullets, but it is to keep going in the face of tiredness,
to remain kind in the face of cynicism,
to have hope in the face of discouragement.
Not big tests, but never ending ones.
Once we think we’ve gotten some character flaw dealt with, we find that a different one has snuck up on us.
Once we think we’ve solved a problem,
we have to move on to the next problem.
Once we think we’ve made good choices and earned a rest, someone comes along with more demands,
more needs,
and we aren’t sure that we’re up to it.
And maybe we’re not.
And sometimes we’ve given our all,
done everything we knew how to do,
and it still wasn’t enough.
These are battles we lose more often than not.
But God doesn’t just send us out onto these battlefields to fight all on our own.
God is our Paraclete, God has our back.
He is our Defender,
our Teacher,
our Intercessor,
our Holy Comforter,
our Paraclete.
He’s fighting as hard as we are,
and while we might lose some of these battles,
we won’t lose the war.
The war is won.
He stands at our back and pushes, pulls,
and prods us toward that victory.
He has our back,
so nobody is going to sneak up on us
and take away that victory.
That’s what he did for the disciples on the very first Pentecost…
he told them you’ve got to get out there,
out in to the world…it’ll be all right.
I’ve got your back.
And that’s what he says to us, too.
We’re being tried and tested,
we get wounded and fall,
but we don’t have to look back,
because we know who’s there.
Our Paraclete has our back…
it doesn’t mean we don’t have to go into the battle…
we still do.
It does mean he goes with us.
The thing is,
we watch war movies
because we don’t really want to be heroes.
We don’t really want to have to be.
But that’s exactly what we’re called to be.
We are already victors in this battle we never stop fighting…
even when we’re tired,
even when we fail,
even when we lose the battles.
We won’t be tired forever.
We won’t fail or lose forever.
This war will end,
And these little ongoing battles are forming us into heroes.
But until then,
we’ll fight the best we can,
because we know we’re not alone.
We have a Paraclete, and he’s got our back.
Pentecost, 2007
I like war movies.
Of all the films in my DVD collection,
I think I have more war movies than anything else.
Not everyone likes war movies, of course,
but over the hundred-year history of film,
they’ve proven to be amazingly resilient.
It’s rather strange that I would like them so much,
because I don’t like war.
I have a cousin who just came back from Iraq,
who was involved in some of the historic
battles in Baghdad,
and I worry about him constantly.
I am the daughter and granddaughter of veterans,
and I am more proud of them than I can say.
But I can also see how war takes its toll on people,
steals pieces of their souls,
and I wonder how my loved ones
might have been different,
and if they will ever fully heal.
So, if we don’t like war, why do we like war movies?
I think there is a deep desire in people to be tested.
I think that people want to know
just how strong they are,
just how far their will-power
or love
or loyalty will go
when it comes down to it.
I probably like war movies for the same reason I have always liked the stories of Christian martyrs…
when you read how someone was fed to lions for her faith in Jesus Christ,
you have to ask yourself,
would I be that strong?
And your resolve strengthens,
and you think,
if I’m ever tested like that,
I could be that faithful, I could.
War movies do the same thing for us…
they give us the chance to ask ourselves,
would I be that brave,
that strong,
would I be that loyal to my companions?
Since most of us have not been in a war,
we can only ask ourselves…
would I? Could I?
These films offer us a test of our character,
without making us go through the real thing.
When we see someone else go through the test,
we go through it, too,
and if they can prevail, so can we.
But one of the things about actual war,
and so about war movies,
is that the people involved are never alone.
There comes a point where politics falls away,
where right and wrong are perhaps
secondary considerations,
and all that matters is the guy next to you.
You do what you have to do,
you get through what needs to be gotten through,
because you can’t let him down.
And you know he won’t let you down.
When you’re under fire,
you’ve got his back,
and he’s got yours.
That’s the bottom line,
that’s the reality,
and it’s a supreme test,
because it comes down to
whether you’re going to put
your buddy before yourself,
and whether you will trust him to do the same.
In the Middle Ages,
soldiers actually got assigned a buddy.
You had one other solider,
one other knight,
who was your buddy.
You went into battle together,
and these were battles where people got close up
to kill each other,
and you fought with your buddy back-to-back,
so that nobody could sneak up on you
with a sword or a battle-axe.
He had your back, and you had his.
He couldn’t keep you from having to fight,
from having to face the battle,
but he was there with you,
and nothing could sneak up on you
while he was there,
fighting with you,
fighting for you.
This soldier was called a paraclete.
Your Paraclete.
The guy who has your back when the going gets rough is your paraclete.
That’s a word we’ve heard before…
today we hear it translated as Advocate,
but it’s more than that.
In Greek it means, the one who comes to your side.
Or, perhaps, the one who has your back.
We translate it other ways, too.
Eve was Adam’s Paraclete, his helper.
Jesus was the disciples’ Paraclete, their teacher.
Our Paraclete is the Holy Spirit,
God himself,
and we call him Advocate,
Intercessor,
Teacher,
Helper,
even Holy Comforter.
It can’t be translated any more accurately,
because it’s a word that includes all those meanings,
but I think that’s a good thing.
Sometimes we need one kind of back-up more than another, but at different times we’ll need it all.
We’ll need all the help we can get, of whatever kind.
We’ll need someone—
an Advocate,
a Teacher,
a Comforter—
we’ll need that someone at our back
when we undergo our own tests,
face our own battles.
War movies are satisfying to watch
because the tests and battles that people undergo
are big ones.
There’s always life and death on the line,
at the very least,
and sometimes more.
We want to think that maybe we could be heroes,
like the people in the films,
at least insofar as we carry out what was asked of us.
And we can be heroes,
and sometimes we are,
but it’s not like it is in the movies.
The images of war and battle have always been used to describe the Christian life.
We fight against sin and temptation,
we battle forces of evil,
we arm ourselves against attack,
we claim victory in Jesus Christ.
We are being tested, too,
no less in our way than the soldiers in the films.
But our battles are not usually loud and bloody,
and they seldom leave casualties in the traditional sense.
Our battles are much smaller than that.
Our battles are small and personal and never-ending.
Our battles seldom require a heroic last stand,
Or a brave charge,
and they’re seldom accompanied by a swelling orchestral score.
No, they’re little choices,
little acts,
little niggling temptations
to things that aren’t all that bad
in the scheme of things.
Our test is not to survive a charge or a barrage of bullets, but it is to keep going in the face of tiredness,
to remain kind in the face of cynicism,
to have hope in the face of discouragement.
Not big tests, but never ending ones.
Once we think we’ve gotten some character flaw dealt with, we find that a different one has snuck up on us.
Once we think we’ve solved a problem,
we have to move on to the next problem.
Once we think we’ve made good choices and earned a rest, someone comes along with more demands,
more needs,
and we aren’t sure that we’re up to it.
And maybe we’re not.
And sometimes we’ve given our all,
done everything we knew how to do,
and it still wasn’t enough.
These are battles we lose more often than not.
But God doesn’t just send us out onto these battlefields to fight all on our own.
God is our Paraclete, God has our back.
He is our Defender,
our Teacher,
our Intercessor,
our Holy Comforter,
our Paraclete.
He’s fighting as hard as we are,
and while we might lose some of these battles,
we won’t lose the war.
The war is won.
He stands at our back and pushes, pulls,
and prods us toward that victory.
He has our back,
so nobody is going to sneak up on us
and take away that victory.
That’s what he did for the disciples on the very first Pentecost…
he told them you’ve got to get out there,
out in to the world…it’ll be all right.
I’ve got your back.
And that’s what he says to us, too.
We’re being tried and tested,
we get wounded and fall,
but we don’t have to look back,
because we know who’s there.
Our Paraclete has our back…
it doesn’t mean we don’t have to go into the battle…
we still do.
It does mean he goes with us.
The thing is,
we watch war movies
because we don’t really want to be heroes.
We don’t really want to have to be.
But that’s exactly what we’re called to be.
We are already victors in this battle we never stop fighting…
even when we’re tired,
even when we fail,
even when we lose the battles.
We won’t be tired forever.
We won’t fail or lose forever.
This war will end,
And these little ongoing battles are forming us into heroes.
But until then,
we’ll fight the best we can,
because we know we’re not alone.
We have a Paraclete, and he’s got our back.
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