Steps

He stands on the brink.

The path behind him is a winding trail of missteps and surprises, but the steps were easy to see. Ahead, he sees nothing but a whirling morass of clouds swirling through a deep valley. Over the chaos before him, he can still hear the beautiful strains that have lured him thus far. But here the path fades to gray mists. It is almost as if the ground itself was swallowed by the curtain of fog that obscures his way. If he steps forward, will he be able to find his way, or will he lose the melody in the thick blanket and never find his way out? Is there even a way out on the other side? Will the ground hold him, or will he lose his footing and tumble into the abyss? Is there even any ground to stand on?

He knows he cannot go back; his destination lies ahead. He must move forward. The song compels him.

The storm is coming.

The Dark Knight

The Motion Picture Academy has once again proven that they are total snobs who cannot bring themselves to respect any film released before November. I have not yet seen any of the best picture/director nominees, but to not even honor a film as powerful and well-crafted as The Dark Knight is ridiculous. The only major nomination it received was for Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, which is deserved, but also was a foregone conclusion to most 6 months ago. This was one of the finest crafted films I have ever seen. In fact, it was almost more of an experience than just a film.

Not only was The Dark Knight an enjoyable and engaging action movie, but it also addressed some very interesting ideas and issues. Of course it had the theme of good vs. evil, but most importantly, it tried to find the line between the two. The Joker is constantly trying to push Batman to break his one rule. Through that conflict we also see some ideas about integrity, and the seduction of the darker side of humanity. There are also themes of sacrifice, justice, loss, and so many more elements of the human story.

What most fascinated me, though, was the central idea of the film that is given in the title itself. In the end Batman embraces the persona of the dark knight, the one who lives in shadows and confronts evil on its own terms. He realizes that in a broken world, sometimes society needs people to do its dirty work, only to be reviled by the very people they are protecting. I find this especially fascinating given the timing of the film. Given the vehement dislike of the president who just left office over issues like the war on terrorism, torture, infringement of personal privacy, and other issues, this film was terribly ironic in its popularity. At the same time that people were reviling our president for allowing water boarding of suspected terrorists, they were applauding as Batman beat the Joker to a pulp while in police custody. The top grossing film of the year (and second-most all-time) was validating every controversial move of the Bush administration, yet most people never even noticed.

And that right there is the beauty of this film. It grappled with deep and powerful issues that most people totally missed because they were having too much fun. It hid valuable truths and insightful questions deep inside an entertaining and beautiful story. Isn't that the point of any artistic medium?

Rest

Why is it so hard to really rest? I'm not talking about veging out in front of the TV, or playing video games, or the hundreds of other activities we call "rest", but really, truly rest. Take time away from the daily grind and recharge seems like such a difficult task, but it is so necessary.

Last week, I caught a nasty little cold and tried to stay home and rest. Well, I stayed home, but rest was not a part of my days at home. I tried to relax and not do much, but I still needed to help take care of the boys and get some things done around the house. I realize that that is just part of being a parent, but how often do we do the same thing. We have an opportunity to rest, or our bodies make us rest, and instead of truly resting, we fritter away our time on useless activities.

I guess a lot of it has to do with how one recharges. I know people are relaxed and energized by different activities, but I feel like our culture is constantly trying to push us to do more with less time. We now have all these ridiculous energy drinks that will help keep us up to do all the millions of things we want to do (or think we are supposed to do), meanwhile telling us that sleep is for the weak. (I'm not making that up. I actually saw an energy drink ad that said that.) People seem to see true rest as a waste of time, not a valuable and vital part of our lives. And then we wonder why people are burnt out or turn to drugs or alcohol or other risky behaviors to find some sort of release.

So maybe this week, instead of turning on the TV or the video games or whatever else, ask yourself, "How do I truly rest?" and go do it.

A Brief Review

The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald


rating: 5 of 5 stars
A very enjoyable collection of MacDonald's shorter works. Publishing them in chronological order allows you to see the progression of his work throughout his life. Be sure to read his essay at the beginning entitled The Fantastic Imagination. It is extremely helpful to understand his views and ideas about fantasy stories. It helps you to grasp some of the deeper meanings, while also giving you permission to just enjoy the stories for what they are. Any fan of fantasy (especially C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein who were big fans) should be sure to give this a read.


View all my reviews.

True

"'That's too good to be true,' said Nanny.

'There are very few things good enough to be true,' said Diamond; 'but I hope this is. Too good to be true can't be. Isn't true good? and isn't good good? And how then, can anything be too good to be true?...'"

George MacDonald, from At the Back of the North Wind

Critique

The best way with music, I imagine, is not to bring the forces of our intellect to bear upon it, but to be still and let it work on that part of us for whose sake it exists. We spoil countless precious things by intellectual greed. He who will be a man, and will not be a child, must-he cannot help himself-become a little man, a dwarf. he will, however, need no consolation, for he is sure to think himself a very large creature indeed.

George MacDonald, from The Fantastic Imagination

How often do we ruin great work by tearing it apart and inspecting every inch of it? It is like buying a brand new car, tearing it apart completely, and then declaring it a great feat of engineering. That's great, but now your car is a worthless pile of parts.

Now, I enjoy a good, intellectual discussion of a film or book, but there is a limit. Too often we dissect a thing of beauty until there is no beauty left to enjoy. There were several books we studied in school that were destroyed by digging too deep and reaching for meaning that was not there and was never intended. I know that these studies were supposed to help us understand the craft of writing and see symbols and themes, but more often than not it merely drained the book of all enjoyment.

Because of this, I have never been a big fan of critics. Too often they lay an unfair criterion on a piece, and then criticize it for not being what they thought it should be. It often does not matter what the artist intended. They dissect things and try to make them more important than the creator ever intended.

I am reminded of the critics who said that Tolkein's Lord of the Rings saga was an allegory of World War II, even though Tolkein himself consistently denied it. Sure, he took themes from the events of his life (like all good artists) but that does not mean it was intended to be a direct allegory. Yet, some critics probably still believe that was his goal.

So, instead of intellectual dissection of art, why not merely enjoy something, even though you may not understand why? Perhaps someday in the future, you will see what it is that struck you so deeply. But for now, just enjoy, like children who enjoy without questioning.

But indeed your children are not likely to trouble you about the meaning. They find what they are capable of finding, and more would be too much. For my part, I do not write for children, but for the childlike. whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five.

George MacDonald, from The Fantastic Imagination

Purpose

"The best thing you can do for your fellow, next to rousing his conscience is-not to give him something to think about, but to wake things up that are in him; or say, to make him think for himself."

-George MacDonald, from The Fantastic Imagination

2009

Well, a happy new year to everyone!

2008 was an interesting year, and has left some unfinished business for me. I look forward to seeing where things are going.

Some hopes for the new year:
I hope to get my script published. The show went extremely well, and I got a lot of positive feedback. I'd like to work on some of the arrangements and neaten things up a bit, so publishing may be more work than I realize, but I would really like to get it out there.
I hope to do some more writing. Since writing the script and the new songs for it, my brain has been aswirl with ideas and thoughts. Some things might appear here and some may just ferment for a little while. We shall see.
I hope to figure out what I'm doing about Seminary. I've applied, but haven't actually started, because things have been so crazy, I didn't feel good adding anything new.
Above all, I hope to be more aware of God and what He is doing in my everyday life. I feel like I have been too bogged down in doing what needs to be done without stopping to see God. I want that to change and it is going to take considerable effort.

Here's to a new adventure!