St. Paul and Popular Culture – 1

It is interesting to see St. Paul picking up ‘word-pictures’ from the world of sport and entertainment. Read these from Paul’s letters to the Church at Corinth and to Timothy:

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.(1 Cor 9:24-27)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4 : 7-8)

Entertainment [Games (read blood sports) and Sports] was an important aspect of the Roman Empire. The Ismithian Games were held at Corinth every two years, and apostle Paul drew from the world of sports and entertainment to speak to his audience (at Corinth and elsewhere). May be, he was a sport lover. May be, he himself was at the Ismithian games. Perhaps, may be not. But nonetheless, he uses sports to connect with his audience and help them grasp a spiritual truth.

Paul draws insights from important aspects of the games such as the race, atheletes, the prize, winning, training that goes along to make it a possiblity, the rules of the game, the skill and tact required etc to explain christian life. Apostle Paul does use the ordinary aspects of everyday life, perhaps the popular culture of his day to speak divine truths. What strikes me in this passage is Paul connecting with the ‘longing’ to win the prize that is present in the (not-so-spiritual) atheletic event (and in all of Corinth by extention) and uses it to speak about ‘be-longing’ to Christ.

The bible does offer us ways of connecting to the urban ‘longing and belonging’. Using aspects of popular culture is not something allien to the followers of Jesus, and definitely not to Apostle Paul. We must likewise pick up aspects of popular culture to speak to contemporary urban audience.

Forgiveness – What does it take?

Popular culture feeds on our instinct for anger and revenge. How do we deal with perceived ‘injustice’ and feelings of ‘getting even’. The christian message – to forgive runs contrary to the therapeutic suggestions offerred by psychologists. Is letting go one’s anger the best thing to do? Reservation Road takes us through a journey of exploration and evaluation of what we believe in, what we say, what we do and what we feel about perceived injustice.

1. What is forgiveness?
2. Why do we forgive?
3. What does it take to forgive?
4. Why is it difficult to forgive?
5. Can a transcendent resolution help us?

The film gets us thinking about the making and breaking of human relationships. WATCH IT!

I found this interesting article on Reservation Road: What Would Ethan Do?: Notes on Revenge

Other helpful links

Christian Life: The Road Less Travelled

Should life be a guessing game?

Commentary on the song Poker Face ( by Lady Gaga)

Lyrics and Video

We all seek meaningful relationships. Sadly, relationships (and friendships) have become a (poker)game. It is awful to enter into relationships purely by ‘luck’ and ‘intution’. And then, we keep the other person guessing. We love to keep it that way. We don’t want to reveal our ‘real’ face and ‘real’ intentions. we play the game of love with the poker face.

Sadly, we get see relationships through a hurt perspective. Pain colours our vision. Makes us shrink on the inside. Makes us withhold ourselves. We want to enter into a meaningful relationship and yet we want to withold ourselves. We don’t confess our love because we know it one big bluff. We like to have it as ‘game’and keep everyone guessing. We deny ourselves of true love, for what is love if it isnt real, excellent and delightful. When we deceive others we deceive ourselves too.

The hurts and aches (of failed love) we carry is addictive. We enter relationships wanting it to be ‘rough’. We honestly believe, “when it’s love if it’s not rough it isn’t fun, fun”. The more we deny ourselves love, the more we hurt ourselves. And the more we hurt ourselves, we lose the ability to love. It’s a vicious circle.

The poker face is no help at all. Love is self-giving. Of course, you become vulnerable within the relationship but if its a relationship of trust you find love, you find a new you (a me-in-relationship). There’s a lot of difference between ‘life’ and ‘play’. A poker face is of no help if you are seeking love – that is real, excellent and delightful.

Conversations

1) What is this song about?
2) Why do people rely on ‘luck’ , ‘intuition’ and ‘manipulation’ to enter into relationships?
3) “And baby when it’s love if it’s not rough it isn’t fun, fun”. Do you agree with this! Why?
4) “No he can’t read my poker face”. Can this deception lead to self deception? Why?
5) What did you (dis)like about the song? Why?

Where two or three are gathered

The Christian Life

Church – The Meeting Space

Church: Each for the other; All for the Lord

(Please don’t) Use Somebody!

Commentary on Kings of Leon’s song, Use Somebody

All the world is a stage, we are merely ‘performers’. We look down to see a real face amidst all the ‘painted faces’ and ‘plastic smiles’. We ‘play’ to the galleries and the ‘painted faces’ dance to our music.

We both perform our parts to perfection and yet there is a longing for the real, the excellent and the delightful.  We hate ‘painted faces’ and ‘plastic smiles’. We want to meet real people – those who will like us for who we are. We want to experience true love. We want to be truly happy. W want to live, love and laugh far removed from the synthetic world.

Unfortunately, contemporary culture has demonized the real, the excellent and the delightful and so we are scared when they stare us in the eye. We prefer to look the other way. We look into the dark, to find someone (amidst the ‘painted faces’) who can be ‘used’.  We desperately try to get noticed and invite attention, just to find someone who can be (ab)used.

We are all used and abused and now we are more than confused. We confuse lust with love love with sex, and sex with instints. After all, its use and throw world. We long to be loved but we don’t want to love. We long to be listened to. But, we don’t want to listen. We long to live. But, we don’t want to let live.

We only look to ‘use’ people to fit our flights of fancy. It’s all about I-me-myself and how ’somebody’ fits in. We look for ‘trophy partners’ not soul-mates. Waging wars to shake the poet (in us) and/or conquer the beat is not enough to help us (particularly when we wake up). It’s doing the right thing and not speaking the right words that will help us live, laugh and love.

When we use somebody we loose our humanity. To truly find meaning in life, love and laughter we need to regain our humanity. Who or what can help us?

Video

Use Somebody lyrics (Kings of Leon)

I’ve been roaming around always lookin down at all I see.
Painted faces fill the places I can’t reach.
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you
And all you know and how you speak
Countless lovers undercover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you
Off in the night while you live it up I’m off to sleep
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat
I hope it’s gonna make you notice
I hope it’s gonna make you notice
Someone like me
Someone like me
Someone like me
Somebody
(Go and let it out)
Someone like you
Somebody
Someone like you
Somebody
Someone like you
Somebody

My life will suck without you

Discusion on Kelly Clarkson – “My Life Would Suck Without You”

Guess this means you’re sorry
You’re standing at my door
Guess this means you take back
What you said before
Like how much you wanted
Anyone but me
Said you’d never come back
But here you are again
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye
Maybe I was wrong for tryin’ to pick a fight
I know that I’ve got issues
But you’re pretty messed up too
Anyway, I found out I’m nothing without you
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
Being with you is so dysfunctional
I really shouldn’t miss you, but I can’t let go
Oh yeah
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you

Questions for discussion ( prepared by Samuel Thambusamy)

1) What is this song about?

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2) Why do you think relationships get strained? What do people do when relationships get strained?

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3)Do you think the people in the relationship knew their problems? What did they do about them? Do they really belong together?

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4) “I know that I’ve got issues. But you’re pretty messed up too”. We are all flawed. How must we sort out issues with others and with ourselves?

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5) Love is not living with someone whom you can live with. It is living with a person whom you can’t live without! My life would suck without you! comment!

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6) We listen to stories of hurt, abuse and pain within relationships. How do we help people who are trapped within unhappy relationships?

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7) What answers does this song bring to relationship issues? What do you think about them?

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What do you like about this song? why?

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