Art and the Kingdom -

4 min read

Reflections / Devotionals

The Gift

LeAnne Martin

November 25, 2019 7:15 pm November 25, 2019

4 min read

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4 min read

It was errand day. My list was filled with the mundane: groceries, Thanksgiving supplies, gift shopping, returns. But because the gifts would be fun to buy and the stores would…

It was errand day. My list was filled with the mundane: groceries, Thanksgiving supplies, gift shopping, returns. But because the gifts would be fun to buy and the stores would be full of fresh holiday cheer, I was glad to be out. And I couldn’t resist treating myself to a chocolate frappucino.

My last errand complete, I walked out of Target into the clear chilly day and heard the sound of music in the parking lot. The store doesn’t normally play music outdoors, so I figured it must be live.

How nice, I thought. The shopping center was creating a festive atmosphere for early holiday shoppers like me. It reminded me of last year when I heard a male soloist singing Christmas carols at an outdoor mall.

But rather than singing, this was violin music, and it was amplified so it could be heard over the sound of cars pulling in and out. The violinist had set up her equipment along the curb of one of the aisles in the parking lot. Though I didn’t recognize the song, the music she made was beautiful. The bright fall air was filled with it.

I decided to leave a tip in her violin case as a thank you. I love to hear live musicians bringing beauty to unexpected places, like shopping centers, airports, and train stations.

As I got closer, I saw a hand-lettered sign on crumpled cardboard propped up on her equipment. And before I even read those first words, “Single mom…”, I realized she had not been hired by the shopping center, or Target, or anyone else. She was homeless, or at least struggling financially, and it dawned on me that she could very well be playing for her dinner—or her children’s.

My heart sank.

Dropping my bags off in the car, I found some cash in my wallet and a notepad on the front seat. Quickly, I wrote a few words thanking her for her gift of music and telling her Jesus loves her and then wrapped the note around the money.

As I approached, she kept playing, her eyes downcast. She had a beautiful face, with long black hair and long eyelashes.

Another woman was stopping, pulling a couple of dollars out of her wallet. Smiling at the violinist, we dropped our gifts into her bag. She nodded but played on, her head down and her eyes wet.

Even though I wanted to say something, I didn’t interrupt her music but went back to my car. Feeling that I should have written more or given more, I drove home, praying for her and her children.

How long would she stay there? I wondered. Would other people tip her, or would they ignore her? Would they judge her? Would she earn enough to make a difference for her family?

And what if she wasn’t homeless? It didn’t matter to me; that was between her and God. What did matter was noticing her and thanking her for creating beauty in a busy parking lot on a random Monday morning.

Giving a few dollars to someone who’s struggling seems like a small thing when the needs of the world are so great. But maybe a note from a stranger encouraged that violinist and pointed her to the Giver of all good things—who is Himself the biggest gift of all.

Freelance writer and speaker LeAnne Martin looks for the beauty around us and encourages others to do the same. Through her words and pictures, she shares glimpses of beauty in nature, the arts, and the unexpected on her blog, Glimsen. Sign up to receive her weekly posts, and you’ll get a free gift of beauty in your inbox. You can also connect with LeAnne on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. LeAnne lives with her husband and dog in a wooded neighborhood outside Atlanta and looks forward to FaceTiming her daughter in college.

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5 min read

Reflections / Devotionals

How to Cultivate a Sense of Wonder: Watch the Experts

LeAnne Martin

September 19, 2019 5:08 am September 19, 2019

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5 min read

“Look, Daddy, there’s a plane!” cried a little voice several rows behind me. We were actually on a plane, settling in before takeoff, and apparently the little person in back…

“Look, Daddy, there’s a plane!” cried a little voice several rows behind me.

We were actually on a plane, settling in before takeoff, and apparently the little person in back was sitting in a window seat .

“Look, there’s another one!” he said a minute later, his delight making his voice carry through the cabin. I heard a few snickers from fellow passengers, while his father spoke to him softly.

As we started taxiing, the little boy cried, “There’s another one! And another one!”

He went on and on, pointing out every plane he saw on the ride to the runway and a few he made up along the way. Finally, he erupted into a fit of giggles and asked for some juice.

In my late 20s at the time, I’d been on enough planes that any delight I may felt about them had worn off long before. But his excitement made me and several other people smile.

How long had it been since any of us had felt a similar sense of wonder?

The Power of Ice Cream

Today that little boy would be roughly the same age as I was back then. Does he remember his excitement that morning? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe now he has his own little boy or girl to exclaim over airplanes.

Children are ambassadors of wonder. One of their jobs seems to be to spread that sense of wonder everywhere they go. They are experts at it, and they take unabashed delight in it.

Everything is new to them.

A few days ago, my husband and I went to the neighborhood ice cream shop. As soon as you walk in, you smell the sugar from the cones that are constantly baking. And when you walk out, you carry that smell with you.

We should know; we go there more often than we should. As someone well into middle age, I sometimes feel guilty about that. But when I take that first bite of chocolate ice cream with peanut butter buckeyes, I get over it.

As we stood in line, I noticed a small boy in a blue shirt and shorts, probably less than a year old, sitting in his daddy’s arms. The man held a small cone with a scoop of vanilla that he was sharing with his son. Every few minutes, the little boy would lean over for a lick of ice cream and then laugh with delight.

As I watched, I laughed with him. He saw me, and we waved at each other. He leaned over for me to take him, but his daddy held on.

Smiling at both of them, I said, “It’s good, isn’t it? I always laugh when I get ice cream, too.”

I’m guessing that it wasn’t just the sweet and delicious taste of the ice cream that he loved but also the cold shock on his tongue on a sizzling summer day. I think it was also the love of his father, the security of his arms, and the moment of joy between them. A moment that I got to share too.

Grown Up?

Children see and appreciate things we don’t. Oh, we did once, when we were their age, but then we grew up and became sophisticated, cynical, crazy busy, stressed out, tired, and bored. We have learned the science behind airplanes, the health risks of too much ice cream, and the troubles of life that quell laughter and delight.

Yet we live in a world with luna moths, waterfalls, Labrador Retrievers, peonies, whales, cacti, flamingos, volcanos, coconuts, glaciers, tomatoes, hedgehogs, glowfish—and human beings who all bear the image of God.

We are surrounded by beauty, color, variety, and order in both the seen and the unseen, all of it provided by a loving Father who freely shares his good and beautiful gifts with the world. These gifts point to him, teach us about him, and even invite us to enjoy him. But when you’re as advanced as we think we are, it can all seem ho-hum and hum-drum.

We are perhaps too grown up to open up to wonder.

Fresh Eyes

My friend Crystal has three grandchildren who are all about a year old. She sent me videos of them chasing bubbles and splashing in puddles. They are barely walking, flat-footed and awkward in their sandals, but they are laughing with joy and so are the adults around them. “Children bring fresh eyes to everything,” she says.

It wasn’t many years ago when Crystal’s four sons were jumping in puddles themselves. One time, their family visited a new park, and bursting with excitement, the boys ran from one thing to another, exploring and discovering before going on to something else. They could hardly take it all in.

Then Jordan cried, “Mommy, we’ve never been in this world before!“

One day, those of us who know Jesus will be filled with wonder the depth of which we have never known. Our Father will be sharing delights with us that are far beyond what we can imagine. And we might find ourselves laughing with joy and surprise when we realize that we had glimpses of that world here in this one, all around us, right now.

Freelance writer and speaker LeAnne Martin looks for the beauty around us and encourages others to do the same. Through her words and pictures, she shares glimpses of beauty in nature, the arts, and the unexpected on her blog, Glimsen. Sign up to receive her weekly posts, and you’ll get a free gift of beauty in your inbox. You can also connect with LeAnne on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. LeAnne lives with her husband in a wooded neighborhood outside Atlanta and looks forward to her next FaceTime with her daughter in college.

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8 min read

Movies

The Lion King (2019): What Makes a King?

Nathan Montgomery

July 31, 2019 5:56 pm July 31, 2019

8 min read

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8 min read

Disney’s new photorealistic (the popular term is live-action but can we really call a movie live action when everything is digitally created?) remake of The Lion King debuted the domestic…

Disney’s new photorealistic (the popular term is live-action but can we really call a movie live action when everything is digitally created?) remake of The Lion King debuted the domestic box office with a $191.8 million, July record opening weekend performance. Though met with a lukewarm reception from critics and sitting at a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes millions of people are still going to the theater. The Lion King is already a massive financial success. Clearly there is something about The Lion King that people are still hungry for.

This newest rendition of The Lion King is breathtakingly beautiful to look at. Every scene but one in the film is computer animated, but even to a trained eye it is very difficult to spot any cracks in the animation. It truly looks like there are real life breathing animals being filmed in the wild. This is a remarkable feat of movie magic making power. The film also sounds fantastic. I found Billy Eichner’s performance as Timon to be the best of the film, though I also really enjoyed Seth Rogen’s Pumba, as well. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a very good performance as Scar that is more menacing than the conniving performance of Jeremy Irons, though the animated version’s “Be Prepared” is way better than the newer version.

There also were a few new story beats that I thought were interesting, that I wish had been explored more fully. Instead, what we mostly find in the new Lion King is a shot for shot remake that adds very little in the way of story, but relies heavily on the nostalgia and love of the first film. Some of the emotional weight is lost in the photorealism of the animals where you cannot animate emotion like you can in a cartoon. Also, some of the voice cast is weak and unable to give the necessary emotional weight to the performance.

The original 1994 The Lion King is my favorite Disney animated film. Sadly, the 2019 version fails to add much substantially new to the story. In many ways this newest adaptation feels pointless except as an exercise in computer graphics and a cash grab by Disney. It is worth seeing in theaters though for the amazing technical prowess of the film, and the enjoyment of the original story. The Lion King (2019) is good because The Lion King (1994) is great. Spoilers will follow, but really if you have seen the cartoon version you have seen the exact story of the new.

Spoilers:

There are many things that could be said about the story of The Lion King, which in case you didn’t know is adapted from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, I think one of the most powerful aspects of story is the exploration of the question, “What makes a king?” This is one area on which the new version of the film actually includes some improvements or interesting additions to the original film.

In this version of The Lion King there is a stronger comparison made between Mufasa and Scar. We find out that Scar believes he ought to be the rightful king and had at one time challenged Mufasa to be king. It is implied this is how he received his scar. Further on in the film we also have an exchange between Sarabi (the queen) and Scar, where she rejects his advances his toward her again. We learn that Sarabi had chosen Mufasa over Scar too. All of this brings Scar and Mufasa into sharper contrast. I would much rather have seen this prequel film between Mufasa, Scar, and Sarabi, than the shot for shot retelling we got in this film.

The film also explores the philosophies of rule between Mufasa and Scar. Scar says, Life’s not fair, my little friend. While some are born to feast, others are born to serve.” Scar’s view of being a king is that others are beneath the king in order to serve the king. For Scar being a king is all about power and control. Mufasa, on the other hand, has a very different understanding of what it is to be a king. After Simba ask Mufasa if all the land he sees will be his, Mufasa responds with, “It belongs to no one, but it is yours to protect. It is a great responsibility.” He goes on further to say, “While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.” For Mufasa being a king is not about power but about service.

As I heard this dialogue in the film I could not help but think about the Biblical depiction of kings. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 God provides Israel with the parameters for what a king ought to be. A true king is to be concerned more about following God and leading the people in worship of God, than about expanding borders or winning military battles. The king is not to have his heart exalted over his fellow citizens (Deut 17:20). When the Israelites demand a king in 1 Samuel 8, they are rebuked not for desiring a king, but for desiring a king like all the other kings of the world. In other words, they desire a king who is concerned about power, military might, and expansion of borders than they are a king who serves God and his people.

Throughout the Old Testament there is a longing for a coming king who will rule with love and righteousness. The New Testament reveals that this king is Jesus. The God-man who” did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Tyrants seek the high places and to lord themselves over others, but Jesus tells us, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave” (Matt 20:26-27).

In The Lion King we see a visible representation of this battle between the competing visions of a good and a bad king. Under the rule the true king, Mufasa, Pride Rock and the surrounding lands flourish. Under the fearful rule of the false King, Scar, the lands are dying. The land and lions long for the return of a king so that the land may once again flourish. Once our world flourished in paradise, but through man’s sin we gave over the world to rulers of darkness. The land and the people suffer under that reign sin and death, longing for the return of a true king who will restore the land and the people.

Simba is conflicted in the story. He does not think he is worthy of following in the footsteps of his father Mufasa. He believes he is too broken to be king. Finally, though through a vision of Mufusa Simba is told to “remember who you are.” Simba embraces his destiny and returns. In his confrontation with Scar, Simba demonstrates that is a true king who walks in the steps of his father, Mufasa, when he extends compassion and mercy to his uncle Scar. As Sarabi, had said earlier in the film, “a true king’s power is his compassion.

This story exploring what it makes a king is a common thread through many stories throughout the history of the world. There is something powerful that awakens deep-seated desires of the human heart. We cannot help but desire for a righteous ruler and king who will reign with compassion. Our love of The Lion King reveals this about our hearts’ longings. The Lion King reveals our recognition that we are all in need of a king.

Jesus is our true king, who walks in the steps of his Father. Whereas, Simba faltered to be a king, Jesus perfectly lived. In Christ we find a king who lovingly serves his people and lives sacrificially for them. His love was made manifest in his dying for us on the cross for our sins. One day he will return and reign forever in a kingdom defined by love and righteous. In the meantime his followers are called to extend the reign of the Son by being salt and light on the earth. We are to be ambassadors of the one true king Jesus Christ. In The Lion King we see but darkly an image of what it is that makes a king.

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5 min read

Reflections / Devotionals

The Art of Mary Cassatt: More than Meets the Eye

LeAnne Martin

July 24, 2019 9:14 pm July 24, 2019

5 min read

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5 min read

The woman sits with her arm draped over the back of the chair, the golden threads in the sleeves of her dress shimmering underneath a swath of white tulle. The…

The woman sits with her arm draped over the back of the chair, the golden threads in the sleeves of her dress shimmering underneath a swath of white tulle. The front of her dress is white and blue with a matching flower pinned to the bodice. Standing beside her is a little girl in orange with a bow in her short, blond hair. They are both holding and looking intently at the book in their hands. It’s as though we are sitting in a chair a few feet away, but they have forgotten we are here.

The painting is entitled “The Reading Lesson” by American Impressionist Mary Cassatt. I saw it and took this photo at the Dallas Museum of Art in June 2018. My husband had been on a business trip in Dallas that week, and I’d joined him for the weekend. We spent several hours exploring the museum.

Ever since my college art appreciation class, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) has been one of my favorite artists. Not only was she one of just three women who exhibited with French Impressionists like Degas and Monet, she was also the only American.

Her paintings often depict intimate scenes from domestic life, showing women seated with and caring for children. Cassatt’s gift of painting lent not only an air of beauty to the scenes she painted but also an air of dignity. That an artist of her caliber would paint the seemingly mundane, ordinary dailiness of home life and raising children elevated those activities in the minds of viewers.

It gave women an opportunity to see themselves and their lives in her art, something perhaps they hadn’t had before. It infused the moments of motherhood with a beauty that is often hard to appreciate when you’re in the middle of them.

Moments with Mary

Years ago, when I was pregnant, a friend gave me a gift that I treasured: A Child’s Book of Lullabies, With Paintings by Mary Cassatt. It’s a tall, thin book with songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Rock-A-Bye, Baby” and paintings on every spread. The art shows mothers with babies and toddlers, feeding, bathing, and holding and cuddling them.

Three years later, between loads of laundry, I would sit on the floor of my little girl’s bedroom and pull out the book. She would stop playing, climb in my lap, and listen. I would show her the paintings, sing the songs, and talk about them with her.

As a newly-divorced single mom, my primary focus was my little girl, and I was profoundly grateful to God for her. Having her helped ground me, shift my focus to someone else (her), and remind me that Jesus would bring beauty out of pain. He gave me the vision to see that those moments with her held meaning that I might have missed otherwise.

The Stuff of Life

Did every minute with my daughter shine like a precious jewel? Not at all. I was often impatient, cranky, tired, stressed, and overwhelmed. When the laundry piled up and the dogs barked incessantly, when it was time to make dinner and one of us was having a meltdown, I wasn’t thinking about meaningful moments. I was just thinking about making it to bedtime—hers and mine.

There were other days that seemed long and monotonous, when the clock ticked slowly, our routine was too routine, and the lullabies worked better on me than her.

Most of us tend to think that daily life is boring and ordinary. We can be lulled to sleep by a sense of the dullness of routine. For you, it might be the commute to work, the weekly staff meeting, emails you have to return, errands to run. For me, it’s work and email, cooking and grocery shopping.

These are the things that make up daily life, though, and if we aren’t careful, we can drift along without noticing that life is passing by.

Longing for More

In a fast-paced, fractured world, we long for moments of meaning. Art can remind us to look for them, by showing that something as simple as a reading lesson can be loaded with beauty.

When we recognize those special moments, we sense a transcendent, timeless quality that we don’t want to end. We can’t hold onto them, but we can be sure that God is there with us—when the mundane becomes meaningful and the ordinary, extraordinary.

Freelance writer and speaker LeAnne Martin looks for the beauty around us and encourages others to do the same. Through her words and pictures, she shares glimpses of beauty in nature, the arts, and the unexpected on her blog, Glimsen. Sign up to receive her weekly posts, and you’ll get a free gift of beauty in your inbox. You can also connect with LeAnne on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. LeAnne lives with her husband in a wooded neighborhood outside Atlanta and looks forward to her next FaceTime with her daughter in college.

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6 min read

Movies

Yesterday: The Beatles and Signals of Transcendence

Nathan Montgomery

July 24, 2019 9:09 pm July 24, 2019

6 min read

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6 min read

I finally was able to catch up on some films I was hoping to catch this summer. One being the new film Yesterday directed by Danny Boyle. Yesterday stars newcomer…

I finally was able to catch up on some films I was hoping to catch this summer. One being the new film Yesterday directed by Danny Boyle. Yesterday stars newcomer Himesh Patel as Jack Malik, a struggling musician, who one day wakes up to an altered world where he is the only one who remembers the Beatles. Jack begins to play the Beatles’ music as his own and soon rapidly rises to be an international pop sensation.

Lily James stars alongside Himesh Patel as best friend, manager, and love interest Ellie Appleton. Patel and James have wonderful chemistry together and represent a very likable couple for a romantic comedy. Music star Ed Sheeran also shows up and gives a wonderful slightly self-mocking performance as himself. Yesterday features a wide collection of beautiful covers of the Beatles’ ridiculously long and excellent catalog of music. All are performed by Himesh Patel, who does an excellent job singing as well as acting.

I found Yesterday to be a lovely sweet film with likeable leads, an interesting premise, and excellent music. Yesterday is not a perfect movie but it is a crowd pleasing film featuring an excellent production of Beatles’ music. This is a good film to check for those who enjoy romantic comedies and/or Beatles music.

Spoilers:
Yesterday offers up all kinds of interesting questions especially to those of the philosophical bent such as myself. However, I think one the most interesting ideas is raised toward the end of the film. We find out that there are two other people who also remember the world with the Beatles’ music. The tension rises as to whether they are going to out Jack or not. In the moment of confrontation instead of condemning Jack they thank him. This is quite startling, but their reasoning even more so. Neither of them are musicians and they are just thankful to hear Beatles music again. One of the characters states, comforting Jack, “A world without the Beatles is a world that’s infinitely worse.”

One can debate the merits of the Beatles music, though for my money the Beatles are one of the most beautiful songwriting teams of all time. However, I think this quote highlights something most of us intuitively believe whether we have ever taken the time to consider it or not: Art and music make the world a better place; the world would be lacking in some way if we were to lose a beautiful piece of art like Rembrandt’s Raising of the Cross, or Bach’s Six Cello Suites, or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, or even, yes, the Beatles’ Yesterday. But why is it the case that there is beauty in this world, or why do we value creative expression and beauty in our lives? Why would we believe the world is worse off without the Beatles? What is it we think we are losing? It seems to me that we all recognize the intrinsic value of beauty because we all desire transcendence. When we encounter something beautiful, it has the power to move us beyond ourselves in a way the ugly or mundane cannot.

Ultimately, this desire for beauty I believe is a desire for God, himself, who is the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. God is the preeminent creator who has created a glorious beautiful world. Truly, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” But not only do the heavens declare his glory and beauty but so do his creatures who are made in his image. As image bearers we reflect the marks of our creator in our creative ability. God has gifted this world by creating people with unique gifts and abilities that can introduce more beauty, grandeur, and goodness into this world. In part we can taste and see that the Lord is good, through the pieces of art created by people who are in the image of and created by the supremely beautiful One.

This also raises another important concept. Which story of the universe provides a better picture of the world? Does the disenchanted naturalistic, reductionistic, materialistic explanation of the secularists, or the enchanted, supernatural, and sacred explanation of the Christian better explain the world we live in? By my lights, the Christian worldview and explanation is much more desirable and beautiful than any alternative.

Apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli in Handbook of Christian Apologetics, give an argument for God from Bach (or really from art and beauty) that goes like this:

There is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Therefore there must be a God.
You either see this or you don’t

Many will find this an unconvincing argument, and I myself don’t think in this form it is the most persuasive. But if we understand this argument to really be pointing out that there is beauty in this world, and this is better explained by there being a God than not I think we can see it to be a helpful argument pointing toward God. Apologist, James Sire in Apologetics Beyond Reason, takes this argument and expands upon it. He argues that so much of current apologetics fails to account reaching the heart along with the mind. God has planted throughout the universe both in nature and through artists “signals of transcendence” that point us towards the reality that there is a beautiful Artist who is the Creator of all.

This brings us back to the movie Yesterday, which presents us with the beliefs that 1) there is beauty in the world 2) the world would be worse off if beauty did not exist, and 3) beauty is good. The Christian faith holds all these things to be true, and further grounds them in the beautiful God of the universe. God has chosen to create a world in which there is the Beatles music. God has chosen to create a beautiful world.

There is the music of the Beatles.
Therefore there must be a God.
I hope that you see this too.

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8 min read

Movies

Spider-Man: Far From Home, Hits Close to Home

Stephen Jackson

July 24, 2019 9:02 pm July 24, 2019

8 min read

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8 min read

A couple of days before July 4th, Spiderman: Far From Home hit theaters riding the wave of the long weekend, hoping to snatch up all those movie goers with a…

A couple of days before July 4th, Spiderman: Far From Home hit theaters riding the wave of the long weekend, hoping to snatch up all those movie goers with a bit of extra time on their hands. I’ve been excited to return to the MCU’s webslinger and his friendly neighborhood antics not only in the wake of his stand along movie Homecoming but also amongst the aftermath of Infinity War and Endgame. The fish out of water story, set amongst the countries of Europe, coupled with a fish-in-over-its-head angle make for a great hook. As one reviewer put it “…Far From Home is the epilogue to Endgame I didn’t know I needed.” I was sold.

Did the movie live up to my hype? It’s worth seeing if you’ve been following most of the Marvel movies thus far but if you want to wait to stream/rent it you’ll be fine… is what I would have said after the movie ‘ended’ but the mid-credit scene changed everything. The movie takes on a whole new weight, meaning, and emotional investment that elevates the whole experience. It becomes one of those moments that all stories strive to accomplish but is often overlooked when comics and genre fiction achieve them. It holds up a mirror to our world and allows us to see beyond our own life. It teaches us empathy. Spider-Man: Far From Home is not better than Homecoming when it comes to the entertainment it offers, because it instead is offering something else. Instead of a spectacle it offers a seed. Less fun but more lasting.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we get to the kernel of truth Spider-Man is offering, here are few of the small things I enjoyed about the movie.
• The chemistry between the characters: Peter interacting with his friends, Peter being awkward about his romantic feelings, Peter being a part of Nick Fury’s new team. All the small character moments are great.
• I enjoyed the design of the fire monster. I like how it looked, how it felt when Spidey and Mysterio fought it. I like its powers, and how they interact with the world.
• The humor is back and it’s on par with Homecoming.
• I like the stakes. Even though this movie has raised the stakes and elevated Spider-Man to a true Avenger class hero, he still feels like a boots-on-the-ground neighborhood hero trying to be a teenager while keeping his friends safe.
There is a lot to like in this film, even if at times it drags just a bit. But onto the ending and its implications!

SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS

The mid-credit scene picks up right where the movie ‘ends’ revealing not only that Mysterio has used his hologram technology to trick the world into believing that Spider-Man killed him, that Spider-Man is some kind of villain, but also revealing Spider-Man’s true identity. And this news is brought to the public by none other than J.K. Simmons reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson. What a reveal! The stakes for Spider-Man, personally, have never been higher. Gone is the editor of a printed newspaper, J. Jonah Jameson is now the host of the news talk show The Daily Bugle, that looks and sounds almost exactly like Info Wars and Alex Jones. The changes to the character are quite clever, though not subtle, and the implications are not lost on the view. Nor should they be for the Christian view especially.

It seems difficult to find out what is True in this day and age. This is not something particular to this current time, this current generation. The difference is not one of culture but technology. People have always lied. Politicians lie, news casters lie, celebrities lie, business people lie, your family lies, your friends lie, but now it’s much easier for people to hear the lies. This is why discerning what is truth and what is a lie becomes paramount to not only living a better, more informed life but also a Good life. A life that honors God. Though most of us cannot relate to keeping our anonymity, to wearing a mask, in order to do the most good for the most people, we can relate to being portrayed as something we are not. Or at least living under some level of fear of that happening, especially within the socially connect digital sphere of modern life. These are the two big themes of Spider-Man’s ending address: what is true and what should I do when my integrity is attacked.

The first is easy enough. As Christians our faith comes from God and the truth of that faith, its foundation, is found in the person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We know this because we have read the Bible and we believe it to be true. We as Christians have a filter to which all information can pass through. Those things that flow through the Biblical filter align with the Truth while those things that are caught reveal themselves to be false. The Bible teaches us to know these things and in turn allows us to then teach others (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And by teaching we become a part of the expansion of the truth ultimately covering the earth and fulfilling the Great Commission. While ultimately the public will eventually realize that Spider-Man is not some kind of villain, because he is a superhero and these are comic book movies, Christians can have the same assurance that what is true and what is false will be revealed when we hold them up to standard that God have given us.

The second theme is not always so easy live with. For those who have not yet been bitten by radioactive spiders the strain of this kind of attack is quite heavy. Many are the attacks from outside of the faith against those that choose to follow both the letter and the spirit of Gods word, Jesus himself said as much in Matthew chapter 5, and even calls his follower blessed because of it. Blessed by the very words of our enemies for being what we already claim to be. But what if the attack came from within the Church, from fellow Christians? What if those we trusted turned out to be the ones misleading us? That is the type of betrayal that Spider-Man is dealing with and many believes deal with as well.

As Proverbs 11:3 states “he who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” Whether you know the person or not, every time some pastor or leader within the church is caught in a sexual sin or accused of stealing money it always seems personal. Always seems like an attack on our faith, on the Church, and it is just that. It drives people away. People who were already a part of the Church, and people looking at those situations and seeing ‘that’ as the church.

If one superhero is a killer aren’t they all? Who can we trust?

How can that pastor have done this when they claim to believe the Bible? Is this what all Christians are like?

The Bible is a shield to the barbs of the enemy, not a wall to cover the sins of humanity, yet we cannot simply hide behind that shield. Our part is simple enough when confronted with untruth, when attacked in our faith: we must remain peaceful with everyone, in all we are able to do (Romans 12:18), innocent yet shrewd (Matthew 10:16), always doing good and ultimately relying on God’s Justice which goes beyond anything we can provide. (Romans 12:19-20). The world is a dark place, full of lies and danger, and yet we can take courage because Christ walks with us, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). We are not the heroes, God is.

I look forward to seeing what happens next to Spider-Man; his heroic deeds and his exoneration. I hope you all are excited as well. Not only about the next movie but also in how this piece of art and entertainment is able to change us, if only in some small way. To be better Believers and better people to others. To be a part of the truth and a part of the source of true hope.

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