20 Movies that Make Men Cry

I recently ran across this on sportingnews.com. As a guy who is not afraid to admit that he’s cried a few times while watching a movie… ok, more like twenty… I found this list to be interesting. Some of the movies on this list baffle me, some are obvious to me. Each movie is followed by the original commentary in the article and I’ll add my own two cents in italics.

 

1. Brian’s Song (1971)

This Emmy-winning movie of the week focuses on Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and his friendship with fullback Brian Piccolo (James Caan). Coach George Halas (Jack Warden) encourages Piccolo to be Sayers’s roommate during the season — the first white-black pairing of its kind in professional sports. When Piccolo develops cancer, Sayers stands by his pal. Perfect for all ages.

This is an obvious one for me… I was named after Brian Piccolo. I’ve never known a guy named Gayle, though. 

2. Rudy (1993)

In this fact-based drama about the triumph of the human spirit, scrawny high schooler Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) dreams of playing football at Notre Dame. But his father (Ned Beatty) can’t afford to send him, and his mediocre grades don’t cut it, so he ends up at a college across the street instead. Undaunted, Rudy eventually transfers to Notre Dame, where he begins assisting the groundskeeper (Charles S. Dutton) and joins the practice squad.

“Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!”  You’re crying just reading this. Don’t lie. 

3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain Tom Hanks and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home. Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski paint a harrowing picture of the price of war and heroism — one that netted them Oscars for Best Director and Best Cinematography, respectively.

To be honest, I’m not sure I cried. I was in too much shock. What a brutal movie. I still have refused to see it since I watched it at the theatre.

4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

The first movie since It Happened One Night to win all five major Academy Awards (picture, director, actor, actress, screenplay), Cuckoo’s Nest still has the ability to entertain and inspire. Implacable rabble-rouser Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is committed to an asylum and inspires his fellow patients to rebel against the authoritarian rule of head nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher).

????? I saw it. I did not cry. I did laugh though. 

5. The Natural (1984)

A bat made from a tree struck by lightning and a passion for baseball define Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford). But when he’s shot and severely wounded, his career gets cut short. Years later, Hobbs tries out for a struggling team. He steps to the plate and knocks the ball out of the park in this mythic film that’s as epic as America’s national pastime.

I hate to be mean but the saddest part of the movie is the realization that his girlfriend is Glenn Close. I would cry. 

6. Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Upstanding banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is framed for a double murder in the 1940s and begins a life sentence at the Shawshank prison, where he’s befriended by an older inmate named Red (Morgan Freeman). During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates for his upstanding moral code and unquenchable sense of hope. Co-stars Gil Bellows and Bob Gunton (who’s memorable as the amoral prison warden).

 Prison rape always draws a tear or two out of me. Seriously, I’m sure the moment when most guys cried was when the old guy hung himself after he couldn’t acclimate himself to the outside world. That was sad, but I probably cried at the end when Andy and Red are reunited as free men. 

7. Schindler’s List (1993)

Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust epic won seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and is an unforgettable testament to the possibility of human goodness. Greedy factory owner Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) was exploiting cheap Jewish labor, but in the midst of WWII became an unlikely humanitarian, losing his fortune by helping to save 1,100 Jews from Auschwitz.

Another movie that I have refused to watch since watching it at the theatre. I’m sure I cried, but I was probably in shock. I did like this better than Saving Private Ryan. 

8. Old Yeller (1957)

Disney’s heartwarming family classic Old Yeller tells the tale of young farm boy Travis Coates (Tommy Kirk), who learns valuable lessons of courage, loyalty and trust from an adopted yellow mongrel.

I watched this as a little boy. I cried. I haven’t seen it since. Another movie that is in the same genre, and one that I liked better is “Where the Red Fern Grows.” I definately cried in that one. 

9. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

This is one of the greatest American stories about one of the greatest American heroes: baseball phenomenon Lou Gehrig. The film follows the Iron Horse (Gary Cooper) from childhood to his later glory on the diamond. Gehrig embodied the American ethic of humility and hard work, playing in 2,130 consecutive games until he was forced to retire because of the disease that now bears his name.

Never saw it.

10. Terms of Endearment (1983)

Mothers are from Mars, and daughters are from Venus in this warm, offbeat story adapted from Larry McMurtry’s novel. Director James L. Brooks seamlessly tells the story of a mother and daughter whose lives are changed by the men they love and their abiding love for each other. Terms of Endearment won five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress (MacLaine), Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Director and Best Screenplay.

I’ve never seen this one either. I do remember playing in my room as a young ‘un while my mom and aunts watched it on t.v. and hearing them cry. I’m not sure why this is on a list of movies that make GUYS cry, though. 

11. The Iron Giant (1999)

In rustic 1957 Maine, 9-year-old Hogarth finds a colossal but disoriented robot (of unknown origin), and the two form a strong bond of friendship. Before long, however, a government agent is on their trail — and he’s intent on destroying the automaton. This beautifully rendered parable based on British poet Ted Hughes’ feted short story features the voices of Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel, Harry Connick Jr. and Cloris Leachman.

Denise and I rented this about two years ago. I had heard really good things about it – it’s directed by the same guy that did “The Incredibles” which I love. We were quite disappointed. I did not cry. 

12. Philadelphia (1993)

When attorney Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) reveals his HIV-positive status — and his homosexuality — to his co-workers, he soon finds himself unemployed. Seeking to sue for wrongful termination, Hanks works with the only lawyer who’ll take the case: ambulance-chasing, homophobic Joe Miller (Denzel Washington). Hanks received an Oscar for his work in this Jonathan Demme-directed film — the first major-studio picture to tackle the topic of AIDS.

Uh, no. I did think it was a good movie, though. 

13. Big Fish (2003)

William Bloom (Billy Crudup) tries to learn more about his dying father, Edward (Albert Finney), by piecing together the facts out of the various fantastic tales and legends of epic proportions he’s been told over the years. Edward was a traveling salesman, and his journeys throughout the South are the seed of the tales. Directed by Tim Burton, the movie co-stars Ewan McGregor (as the young Edward), Helena Bonham-Carter and Steve Buscemi.

I have seen this, but I don’t remember crying. In fact, it was quite forgettable.

14. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

This multiple Oscar winner follows a determined young athlete who, through her sheer determination, awakens a long-lost fire within two aging boxers. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) isn’t prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) to enter his life. Maggie’s determined to go pro, and she eventually convinces Dunn and his cohort (Morgan Freeman) to help her get to the top.

One of my all time favorite movies. I absolutely cry every time I watch it… which is frequently.

15. Life is Beautiful (1997)

In this poignant tragicomedy, a clever Jewish-Italian waiter named Guido (Roberto Benigni, who won an Oscar for his role) is sent to a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, along with his wife (Nicoletta Braschi) and their young son (Giorgio Cantarini). Refusing to give up hope, Guido tries to protect his son’s innocence by pretending that their imprisonment is an elaborate game, with the grand prize being a tank.

I have never seen this, but would like to. It seems like I would cry from the synopsis.

16. Love Actually (2003)

An ensemble comedy that tells 10 separate (but intertwining) London love stories, leading to a big climax on Christmas Eve. One of the threads follows the brand-new, unmarried Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) of the United Kingdom, who, on his first day in 10 Downing Street, falls in love with the girl (Martine McCutcheon) who brings him his tea. Denise Richards, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley and Rowan Atkinson co-star.

huh?

17. Rocky (1976)

Gritty, grim and epic, Rocky is the real deal, a crowd pleaser with a less-than-storybook ending. When Muhammad Ali-esque boxing champ Carl Weathers wants to give a nobody a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers pick palooka Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Rocky won the 1976 Best Picture Oscar thanks to John Avildsen’s solid direction and Stallone’s root-for-the-underdog script.

Great movie. Not sure that I’ve cried though. 

18. The Pianist (2002)

Famed Polish concert pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody, who won an Oscar for the role) struggles to survive the onslaught of Nazi tyranny during World War II in this autobiographical film. Already lauded at the time for his talents as a musician, Szpilman spent those years holed up in Warsaw, subsisting on scraps of food and barely able to stay alive. Grace comes in the form of a second chance — at music, at freedom, at life.

Another one I haven’t seen. I would like to.

19. Mystic River (2003)

Three childhood friends, Sean (Kevin Bacon), Dave (Tim Robbins) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) are reunited in Boston 25 years later when they are linked together in the murder investigation of Jimmy’s daughter. This taut thriller from director Clint Eastwood won two acting Oscars (for Robbins and Penn) and was nominated for several more in its exploration of human behavior when faced with pain just beneath the surface, justified rage and scars that never heal.

I just bought this movie. I saw it at the theatre, but I don’t remember crying. I’ll let you know when I watch it again. 

20. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Southern comforts abound in this classic adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his role as Atticus Finch, a widowed lawyer who takes on the task of defending an innocent black man (Brock Peters) against rape charges, only to wind up in a maelstrom of hate and prejudice that threatens to invade the lives of his children, Jem and Scout (Phillip Alford and Mary Badham).

Another wonderful movie adapted from a wonderful book. I didn’t cry though. 

 

Here’s my list of movies that made me cry that did not appear in the above list… in no particular order:

1. Frequency – the end of the movie where father, son, and grandson are playing softball – couple with that song – gets me every time. 

2. Where the Red Fern Grows – my Ol’ Yeller alternative.

3. The Sixth Sense – when the boy and his mom are sitting in traffic because of the accident and he tells her his “secret” and proves it by telling the story about her and her mother.

4. Steel Magnolias – hey, if Love Actually and Terms of Endearment can be in the above list… When Sally Field comes home from the hospital after her daughter dies and her grandson comes running up the driveway to greet her… wow, I’m tearing up now just thinking about it.

5. Lars and the Real Girl – I absolutely love this movie. There are a number of misty moments for me, but a highlight is when Lars’ brother apologized for abandoning him when he was younger.

6. Reign Over Me – Man, there are at least three scenes that make me cry.

7. An American Tail – I still cry when I hear “Somewhere, Out There”…. not the radio version, the movie version where the mice sing. 

8. In America – a number of scenes. Mostly tears of joy and hope. I love the portrayal of family in this movie.

9. Return of the King – after 9 hours, there better be some emotional payoff!

10. Children of Men – in the midst of war, the cry of a baby brings everything to a halt. That scene is so beautiful and powerful.

Ok, your turn. 

The Time For Fasting is Fast Approaching

Well, it’s that time of year again. Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, and Wednesday begins the season of Lent. I was re-reading a couple of posts I wrote a couple of years ago on the Lenten season…. if you’re interested they’re here and here. If you’re still wondering about the roots of the Pancake feast that is historically celebrated on Shrove Tuesday I have an answer: Many of the ingredients that used to make pancakes – flour, eggs, etc. – are items that were commonly fasted during Lent. Therefore, the pancake feast began as a way to clean the house of these items – thereby removing temptations, as well as creating an excuse to party! Sounds good to me. Also, as an update to my Ash Wednesday post, I had mentioned that I was unable to attend my church’s Ash Wednesday service. Well, that was two years ago and I was able to attend last year. It was pretty awesome. Our whole family participated, kneeling together at the railing and receiving the sign of the cross on our foreheads. Even little Lucy participated, which was special. We also participated in fasting as a family. We plan on doing it again this year. At the risk of crossing the fine line between accountability/encouragement and boasting, I’d be interested in reading what some of the items you have either fasted from in the past or would like to fast from in the future. We’re contemplating fasting from sweets, which would be extremely hard. It seems easy enough in light of the fast that Jesus undertook in the wilderness, but the girl scouts are out in full force with their evil temptations of samoa’s, thin mints, and tagalongs. I’m not sure I’m strong enough.

Happy Halloween

Halloween: A Distinctly Christian Holiday

James B. Jordan

It has become routine in October for some Christian schools to send out letters warning parents about the evils of Halloween, and it has become equally routine for me to be asked questions about this matter.

“Halloween” is simply a contraction for All Hallow’s Eve (Hallow-Even—Hallow-E’n—Halloween). The word “hallow” means “saint,” in that “hallow” is just an alternative form of the word “holy” (“hallowed be Thy name”). All Saints’ Day is November 1. It is the celebration of the victory of the saints in union with Christ. The observance of various celebrations of All Saints arose in the late 300s, and these were united and fixed on Novemeber 1 in the late 700s. The origin of All Saints Day and All Saints Eve in Mediterranean Christianity had nothing to do with Celtic Druidism or the Church’s fight against Druidism (assuming there ever was any such thing as Druidism, which is actually a myth concocted in the 19th century by neo-pagans).

In the First Covenant, the war between God’s people and God’s enemies was fought on the human level against Egyptians, Assyrians, etc. With the coming of the New Covenant, however, we are told that our primary battle is against principalities and powers, against fallen angels who bind the hearts and minds of men in ignorance and fear. We are assured that through faith, prayer, and obedience, the saints will be victorious in our battle against these demonic forces. The Spirit assures us: “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

The Festival of All Saints reminds us that though Jesus has finished His work, we have not finished ours. He has struck the decisive blow, but we have the privilege of working in the mopping up operation. Thus, century by century the Christian faith has rolled back the demonic realm of ignorance, fear, and superstition. Though things look bad in the Western world today, this work continues to make progress in Asia and Africa and Latin America.

The Biblical day begins in the preceding evening, and thus in the Church calendar, the eve of a day is the actual beginning of the festive day. Christmas Eve is most familiar to us, but there is also the Vigil of Holy Saturday that preceeds Easter Morn. Similarly, All Saints’ Eve precedes All Saints’ Day.

The concept, as dramatized in Christian custom, is quite simple: on October 31, the demonic realm tries one last time to achieve victory, but is banished by the joy of the Kingdom.

What is the means by which the demonic realm is vanquished? In a word: mockery. Satan’s great sin (and our great sin) is pride. Thus, to drive Satan from us, we ridicule him. This is why the custom arose of portraying Satan in a ridiculous red suit with horns and a tail. Nobody thinks the devil really looks like this; the Bible teaches that he is the fallen Arch-Cherub. Rather, the idea is to ridicule him because he has lost the battle with Jesus and he no longer has power over us.

(The tradition of mocking Satan and defeating him through joy and laughter plays a large role in Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is a Halloween novel.)

The gargoyles that were placed on the churches of old had the same meaning. They symbolized the Church ridiculing the enemy—they stick out their tongues and make faces at those who would assault the Church. Gargoyles are not demonic; they are believers ridiculing the defeated demonic army.

Thus, the defeat of evil and of demonic powers is associated with Halloween. For this reason, Martin Luther posted his 95 challenges to the wicked practices of the Church on the door of the Wittenberg chapel on Halloween. He picked his day with care, and ever since, Halloween has also been Reformation Day.

Similarly, on All Hallows’ Eve, the custom arose of mocking the demonic realm by dressing children in costumes. Because the power of Satan has been broken once and for all, our children can mock him by dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches. The fact that we can dress our children this way shows our supreme confidence in the utter defeat of Satan by Jesus Christ—we have NO FEAR!

I don’t have the resources to check the historical origins of all Halloween customs, and doubtless they have varied from time to time and from Christian land to Christian land. “Trick or treat” doubtless originated simply enough: something fun for kids to do. Like anything else, this custom can be perverted, and there have been times when “tricking” involved really mean actions by teenagers and was banned from some localities.

We can hardly object, however, to children collecting candy from friends and neighbors. This might not mean much to us today, because we are so prosperous that we have candy whenever we want, but in earlier generations people were not so well off, and obtaining some candy or other treats was special. There is no reason to pour cold water on an innocent custom like this.

Similarly, the jack-o’-lantern’s origins are unknown. Hollowing out a gourd or some other vegetable, carving a face, and putting a lamp inside it is something that no doubt has occured quite independently to tens of thousands of ordinary people in hundreds of cultures worldwide over the centuries. Since people lit their homes with candles, decorating the candles and the candle-holders was a routine part of life designed to make the home attractive or interesting. Potatoes, turnips, beets, and any number of other items were used.

Wynn Parks writes of an incident he observed: “An English friend had managed to remove the skin of a tangerine in two intact halves. After carving eyes and nose in one hemisphere and a mouth in the other, he poured cooking oil over the pith sticking up in the lower half and lit the readymade wick. With its upper half on, the tangerine skin formed a miniature jack-o’-lantern. But my friend seemed puzzled that I should call it by that name. ‘What should I call it? Why a tangerine head, I suppose.’” (Parks, “The Head of the Dead,” The World & I, November 1994, p. 270.)

In the New World, people soon learned that pumpkins were admirably suited for this purpose. The jack-o’-lantern is nothing but a decoration; and the leftover pumpkins can be scraped again, roasted, and turned into pies and muffins.

In some cultures, what we call a jack-o’-lantern represented the face of a dead person, whose soul continued to have a presence in the fruit or vegetable used. But this has no particular relevance to Halloween customs. Did your mother tell you, while she carved the pumpkin, that this represented the head of a dead person with his soul trapped inside? Of course not. Symbols and decorations, like words, mean different things in different cultures, in different languages, and in different periods of history. The only relevant question is what does it mean now—and nowadays it is only a decoration.

And even if some earlier generation did associate the jack-o’-lantern with a soul in a head, so what? They did not take it seriously. It was just part of the joking mockery of heathendom by Christian people.

This is a good place to note that many articles in books, magazines, and encyclopedias are written by secular humanists or even the pop-pagans of the so-called “New Age” movement. (An example is the article by Wynn Parks cited above.) These people actively suppress the Christian associations of historic customs, and try to magnify the pagan associations. They do this to try to make paganism acceptable and downplay Christianity. Thus, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc., are said to have pagan origins. Not true.

Oddly, some fundamentalists have been influenced by these slanted views of history. These fundamentalists do not accept the humanist and pagan rewriting of Western history, American history, and science, but sometimes they do accept the humanist and pagan rewriting of the origins of Halloween and Christmas, the Christmas tree, etc. We can hope that in time these brethren will reexamine these matters as well. We ought not to let the pagans do our thinking for us.

Nowadays, children often dress up as superheroes, and the original Christian meaning of Halloween has been absorbed into popular culture. Also, with the present fad of “designer paganism” in the so-called New Age movement, some Christians are uneasy with dressing their children as spooks. So be it. But we should not forget that originally Halloween was a Christian custom, and there is is no solid reason why Christians cannot enjoy it as such even today.

“He who sits in the heavens laughs; Yahweh ridicules them” says Psalm 2. Let us join in His holy laughter and mock the enemies of Christ on October 31.

James Jordan is the founder and director of Biblical Horizons. This essay was originally published as “Concerning Halloween” in Open Book: Views and Reviews, an occasional newsletter published by Biblical Horizons, P. O. Box 1096, Niceville, FL 32588.

Illogical Liberalism

One of the scariest things about liberalism to me is it’s convenientness. Take abortion for example. At it’s root, it’s simply about justifying irreponsibility – albiet to a murderous extreme. For a less extreme example, look at evolution. Ultimately it’s not about scientific fact – because there is none. It’s about the absense of God, and consequentially, accountability. Look at socialism: Let someone else take care of my children’s education… or welfare… or health.

But let’s take a closer look at socialism. I don’t want to be extreme and say that it’s an evil system… all it is is a system, albeit a faulty one. I’m sure many who support socialism do so based on good intentions. But it’s always been a failure everywhere it’s been implemented, and it will certainly fail here in America. Why? Well, one reason is the worldview it’s founded on is broken. In fact, it’s inconsistent.

One fundamental aspect of socialism is based on the belief that everyone is equal and should be given every opportunity to succeed as anyone else. Well, that’s how they would describe it, but that’s actually a better description of capitolism. Socialism is the belief that everyone is not equal, but should be, and it’s up to the state to ensure equality. Why do I say this? Well, let’s look at the two examples of liberalism that I gave earlier: abortion and evolution. At the outset, let me say that I realize that not every socialist is pro-choice and an evolutionist, but really, most are. In fact, if they’re not, then they haven’t put much thought into their systems of belief and are just going along with what the media tells them… hmmmmm.

First, evolution. One aspect of evolution is randomness. Mankind was not created with a purpose… it just happened. Mankind is at the top of the food chain because of natural selection. Naturally, even within mankind itself there are degrees of evolution. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be equal (even with the animals), but it’s still true, none the less, and something should be done about it. So we rely on the state to ensure equality. Keep the stronger from becoming too strong by taking from them and giving to the weak. Isn’t this being compassionate? It would seem like it. Problem is, it’s unnatural… or non-evolutionary. Now you’re just playing God, and well, a sinful being trying to play God winds up looking like the devil… or Stalin… or Mao… or Pol Pot, etc. And really, this is what has ALWAYS happened with socialism – genocide.

Now abortion. Pro-choice advocats will tell you that their beliefs are based on the privacy and protection of the mother. They’re not pro abortion, per se. They’re for protecting the mother if she decides to be pro-abortion. The truth, Watson, is evolutionary. The unborn is weaker than the born. But isn’t socialism supposed to protect the weak? Ah ha! I knew you’d say that. So, life must not begin at conception. But when does it begin? Well, let’s not talk semantics…. No. Please. Lets. How about Life begins when it’s wanted? This is the socialist’s only option, because, well, then abortion would just be mass genocide…. oops. Hmmm, maybe we are already a socialist nation after all.

The truth is, socialism is a religion and government is their god. Rousseau grew up in a Christian home… in fact, he continued to attend church his whole life – mostly out of guilt. He understood that man was created equal and is intended to be so his whole life. I believe most socialist’s have this inherent belief. The problem is, they reject the only possible answer to the equality problem: Jesus Christ. The government’s job is to ensure that every man has an opportunity to succeed. The Church’s job is to ensure that everyman has the opportunity to be equal.

Media Bias

I’m tired of listening to the conservative talk radio guy talk about how McCain is the “lesser of two evils.” Why do we have a two party system? Because the liberal media chooses their guy to promote, and the conservative media choose theirs. How come the Constitutionalist Party candidate, or the Green Party candidate, or the Libertarian candidate do not get equal time? Is it really because no one out there will vote for them? Really? I doubt it. This is the power of the media… the abuse of power. But even worse….

I’m tired of the sports talk guy saying that the Tampa Bay Rays will make for a boring World Series. Boston vs. LA? Very compelling… the whole Manny factor. These are the same guys who were talking about the MVP race a month ago and arguing that Manny should not receive it because he quit on his team in Boston so that he could go somewhere else. But now he’s the only reason to watch the World Series. Yet here is a Tampa team that everyone is praising for “doing it the right way.” Here is a team that they say is boring – yet has hit 9 home runs in the last 3 games. Here is a team with no superstars – yet there are at least 4 or 5 superstars in the making that people will one day be able to say “I saw them in their first World Series…” Anyways, the point is, the sports talk guys could be promoting the Rays on their shows, but they don’t. They’ve trained the audience to believe that the only compelling teams to watch are the ones with big payrolls and big names. One radio host today – Colin Cowherd – was talking about football and how its not his job to give merit to the Dallas Cowboys of the league based on hearsay. He gives merit to the Atlanta Falcons because of what they’ve done in the last two weeks. “Show me what you can do on the field!” Then in the next segment he was talking about the potential snoozer if the Phillies and Rays meet in the World Series. Hypocrite! Talk about doing it on the field?!!? That is the Rays (and the Phils) and that is why everyone should be excited about this series. And vote on the best candidate from all parties.

Obama Observation

Barack Obama is a socialist. I don’t say this as a term of condemnation, but just as a statement of fact. His policies, his worldview, and his past action in office prove this. State controlled education, health, and finances, redistribution of wealth, etc. That’s socialism. He calls it “being neighborly” because socialism is a bad word, but it is what it is. You can put lipstick on a pig, but… Anyways, the point of this post is that I really wanted to understand why so many liberals are socialists – from their point of view. I’m not satisfied with hearing the conservative talk radio host’s rant on the subject or the liberal media’s slanted description either. There’s always a danger in delving into the mind of a different viewpoint – I found that out during my theological journey 3 years ago – because you may just wind up sympathising with a totally different viewpoint and having your world rocked…. but that’s a risk I’m willing to take (obviously, says all my friends from seminary )

So I read Marx, Rousseau, Russell and Sartre. Hard stuff, but interesting. I read about some of the other leading personalities of socialism – some famous, some I’ve never heard of before. I looked up biogrophies on-line (I know, not always reliable) from various sources, both sympathetic and antagonistic. What did I find? Well, despite the brilliance of many of these people, they were all severely screwed up, but more importantly, they were hypocrites. They were men of ideas – not of action. In fact, that is how I would sum up socialism: an impotent idea that has never worked. The point of this post, though, is not to summarize the lives of socialists or the history of socialism. I want to make a few observations that stood out to me regarding these socialists that I read about and Barack Obama.

First, as I already mentioned, socialism is an idea – a utopian idea if you’ve read Orwell – but it has never worked. I believe one reason is this: the proponents of socialism never really understood the people they were trying to identify with. In fact, if they had – and they really had cared what the people thought – they would have given socialism up. But the common man was never what socialism was all about. That’s why they’re hypocrites. It’s well documented that Marx never even knew – or cared to know – a single worker that he was supposedly standing up for. Same for Sartre. None of them. In fact, Rousseau – the pioneer of socialism – promoted state education to justify dumping his children off at the local orphanage so that he could live an unburdened life. All their lives are wrought with immorality, hypocrisy, fraud, and laziness. (Notice I didn’t say violence – violence, which always goes hand in hand with socialism, would have required action on their part… they were much more content to write about it from their posh homes, stir up the workers with their rhetoric, and receive the praise from fellow intellectuals and celebrities). While I don’t want to accuse Obama of all the things above, I do notice some similarities. His life and career have been linked with fraud (ACORN), shady relationships (Bill Ayers), and slick rhetoric. He’s not a man of the people, but he has a way of winning them over. I’ve yet to hear anyone that’s not a tv personality or pundit, give a description of his policies – only that he is “inspiring” and “not George Bush.”

Second, Marx was pretty funny. He developed a uniform of the Russian worker (drap outfit, cap, etc.) so that people would look at him and make a relation to the worker. Brilliant. Obama does the same thing with his race. Again, looking to the common man – you could even include the pundits and personalities in this one – and he is the black presidential candidate. People eat this up and he plays right along… despite the fact that he is mostly white… then arab… then a little black. He has made himself into the minority, the one the common man can relate to – even though he’s more well off than any other candidate out there.

Third, and I mentioned this briefly already, but he has the overwhelming support of the celebrities. This has always been the case with socialism, and is quite enough reason for people to run the other direction. Celebrities, for the most part, are idiots when it comes to politics – especially economics. A good example of this is the McCarthy era and all the ridiculousness that occurred in Hollywood during this time.

Anyways, the point of my post is just to point out a few observations. Most people – democrats and republicans – don’t understand what socialism really is and have never really read the history of it. It’s fascinating stuff and solidifies in my mind the greater merits of capitalism.

Speaking of Communion…

We’ve spent the past week visiting family in Texas. We went to church with them on Sunday, and must have caught it just right – they were celebrating the Lord’s Supper – which they rarely do. While I am thankful that they were celebrating it that day – especially since my children are used to celebrating it weekly – I couldn’t help but notice a few things.

First, the sermon was about the Last Supper – which is fine – except that the pastor “internalized” the entire actions of the Last Supper account. Where Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and then gave it to the disciples, the pastor applied these actions to our lives as Christians: Jesus takes us, blesses us, then breaks us, and then gives us (service). Again, this wasn’t so bad - a bit of a stretch at some points – but not without merit. The problem was that he never discussed the reality of the Supper, thereby leaving people to concentrate on themselves rather than reality of the Meal. This is a reoccurring theme in the evangelical church today – individualism. Certainly there is an aspect of our Christian walk that requires us to reflect, repent, and reform our individual walks, but this is never divorced from our congregational reality. Instead, the focus was on our daily walk, the everyday blessings and the unavoidable “breakings” that we must recognize and use as part of our sanctification. The pastor missed the perfect opportunity! If we are taken, blessed, broken, and given, then this is what happens at the Lord’s Supper – or more specifically – every Lord’s Day when we renew covenant with God! He calls us(takes us) to worship, we confess our sins corporately, we are reminded (blessed) of His remarkable forgiveness, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices in praise and He breaks us with the sword of Truth, only to rebuild us and remake us into something better, something useful, and He invites us to sit and dine with Him, strengthening us before sending us (giving us) out into the world for another week.

Second, this church had a number of big screens in use during worship.  (As an aside, I had forgotten how distracting these screens are. We were dead center, about 8 rows from the front in a pretty big church, yet I kept looking at the screen rather than the pastor – who was less than 20 feet away). Anyways, during communion, they had this nice, comforting picture on the big screeens of a wine glass and loaf of bread next to welcoming fireplace. Unfortunately, they served us miniscule wafers and thimbles full of grape juice. My kids were quite disappointed, to say the least. Especially the baby, who is used to eating off of Denise’s hunk of bread.

Finally, it has been a while since I was a part of a Lord’s Supper where the mood was solemn. What a drag! Here we are, dining with our Lord and other Christians, celebrating victory over death, and we have to sit there with our heads bowed, listening to some guy sing (we couldn’t even sing!!!) a rather depressing song – which is not surprising given that there was no other time in service dedicated to confession. Of course, our two youngest – who are used to a celebration – rejoiced out loud when it came time to eat and drink. Thankully we didn’t get any stink eyes.

On a positive note, regardless of the carelessness of the observance, it was still encouraging to look around the big church and see about 800 other Christians eating and drinking together, which, when I think about it, is what really matters most.

Communion?

Why does a mother feed her child?

Simple. If she doesn’t, the child will starve.

But even more importantly, what motivates her to feed her child?

Simple. A mother’s love.

How does this child learn to need her mother?

Simple. When she is hungry, her mother always feeds her.

But even more importantly, how does this child learn to love her mother?

Simple. A mother’s love.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if a child had to prove her love for her mother before she was able to eat?

Wouldn’t it be crazy if we expected a child to depend on her mother if she was never given the opportunity to eat what her mother offered?

Wouldn’t it be horrible if the child were reminded of this at every family meal?

PSA #2

On behalf of the Field Service Representatives at Nashville Electric Service, and Field Service Representatives everywhere, please consider the following suggestion….

If you own a home, or are building a home, with a bathroom window, please be sure to cover this window when the bathroom is in use – even if said bathroom is facing a private sector of your yard. Remember, your local FSR must sometimes obtain access to those areas of your yard that usually go unintruded by others, and your FSR would prefer to avoid any embarrassing episode or gag inducing incident. After all, it is quite uncomfortable enough to suddenly encounter another human being sitting on the john, but -as I discovered today – this distress is greatly expanded when the look on this person’s face strongly suggests that their diet is in serious need of some fiber. Plus, to add insult to injury, all the hard work he had put in to this point was lost from the surprise of seeing another man suddenly outside his bathroom window. So please, cover your bathroom windows. Thank you.

PSA #1

On behalf of the Field Service Representatives at Nashville Electric Service, and Field Service Representatives everywhere, please consider the following suggestions….

When you encounter an FSR in on your property and you feel the need to acknowledge him – or worse, initiate small talk – please refrain from these two possible phrases:

1) “Hey guy/gal, how ’bout a discount?” Other similar, but equally annoying phrases include: “There must be something wrong with my meter, its too high,” “Are you sure you’re reading my meter correctly?” and “Don’t worry about reading my meter, I didn’t use any this month.”

2) “Uh-Oh, it’s the electric/water/gas guy/gal, I better let the dog loose.” Other similar, but equally obnoxious phrases include: “I thought it was burglar sneaking around my yard, but when I saw it was the meter guy/gal, I got my gun,” or “Look, it’s public enemy #1.” All proceeding phrases are followed by cheesy laughs.

Seriously, quit it. We don’t find it amusing or clever, and in fact, after a long day in the hot sun, it’s usually enough to push us over the edge and read your meter a little too high that month. If you need to acknowledge us, a simple smile, head nod, or “Hi” will do. And if you feel you must go out of your way and engage us, we much prefer an appreciative comment to a wiseass crack. A bottle of cold water is also nice. Thank you.