Late to the party

As I sit down to write this post, I have to wonder: how did I miss it?

I am a huge fan of musical theatre - it's my favorite thing about New York and even London. (Although right now the Olympics are a pretty cool London thing.) And I've loved Elton John's music since middle school. So how did I go until last night without seeing Aida, or even knowing much about it?

For those as clueless as I was, Aida is a musical with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice. It's a story of love and war, fate and choices, life and death, set in ancient Egypt. The short synopsis from broadwaymusicalhome.com goes like this:

Egypt has enslaved Nubia and the great power's prince, Radames, is engaged to the fashionable Amneris. However, when Aida, the princess of Nubia, comes to the palace as a slave, love turns everything upside down and leads everyone down paths they never could have imagined.

A complete synopsis can be found here.

So last night, I went to see a local production at Tallahassee Little Theatre. It was extremely well done with some talented actors and singers, and I was spellbound. In fact, I've been humming the tunes from it all day long. But it was not just fun - it was a compelling story in so many ways. I want to briefly write about just one. To set it up, watch this video of the one song from the show that made it into popular music:



This song takes place as the Egyptian prince Radames and the slave (and Nubian princess) Aida realize that their love is doomed by the hatred and war between their two nations. It is born of frustration, and causes them to wonder about whether they had any choice at all, or was their love some cruel twist of fate.

We all wonder things like this sometimes, don't we? Things go wrong, tragedy strikes us, or even we have a bad day, and we think, "why me?" Is it, as the play asks, just some god's experiment in which we have no say? Is this stretch of mortal time all that we are good for? Or is there something more?

These are excellent questions! I love when culture asks all the right questions. and this is a question for which the gospel has an answer. There is a greater purpose. When we go through suffering, it is just the birth pangs for something much greater, the coming of God's Kingdom. Yes, for each of us some day. but even more important, for the world. The Scriptures make clear that we are to welcome the chance to be like him in suffering, because it gives us the chance to effect change in the world.

Aida portrays a model of that. Because although the lovers are doomed to die for their treason (come on - you didn't see that coming?), their deaths inspire Princess Amneris (Radames' fiancé) to bring about peace between their two kingdoms, and so they didn't die in vain. Yet another redemption story that provides a reflection (albeit dim) of the redemption that Jesus' death brings to us.

Another great story, giving a glimpse of the Great Story. I'm glad I saw it. Even if I was about twelve years late to the party.

The Dark Knight trilogy: A fitting conclusion

SPOILER ALERT: Read only after you have seen The Dark Knight Rises.

Who am I? What is my purpose?

Themes that haunt all of us as human beings. And themes addressed in great depth by Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Whatever the answers given in the movies, there is no doubt that they ask the right questions.

This Batman is one that has been searching for answers his entire life. After the murder of his parents, he grew up fearful and alone. His beloved Gotham City is under the total control of evil, and he is under the spell of one of the most evil of emotions - revenge. As the series progresses through the first two movies, he wrestles with revenge, and at an even deeper level, he wrestles with this question:

How evil does a society have to be to warrant tearing it down and starting over?

Grace vs. karma.

On the night TDKR opened, you all know that there was an unspeakably ghastly act of cowardice and evil at a movie theater in Colorado. As I write this, twelve are dead and scores more injured by gunfire. It is hard to even imagine what it must be like for those families. Acts like this tempt us to ask that same question: Is our world so evil that no one is worth saving. What would it take for God to reach that conclusions?

In the movie, Bruce Wayne (Batman) battles a lot of demons. He still feels guilt and anger over his past.  He only sees his own value in the symbol of The Bat, and so he has become a recluse as society has appeared to recover. Deep down, he knows the recovery is built on a lie. And whatever the good intentions, a lie is always a shaky foundation. Deep down, he knows this.

Well, despite the spoiler alert, this is not intended to be a synopsis, so I jump to the point.

Grace vs. karma.

Whatever demons he is fighting, Bruce is never, ever willing to give up on the people and the city he loves. At great personal cost, he fights. And the interesting thing to me is that he fights not the evil and the crime itself, but another force (The League of Shadows) that believes it's time to give up. Kill them all. There's no hope for redemption.

Uh uh, says Wayne. Nolan's Batman is, at his heart, a warrior for grace.
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Over and over, the Scriptures say that YHWH is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He exercises so much grace, grace that we don't deserve. We are so corrupt. We have anger, bitterness, revenge, selfishness, and so much more in our hearts. Always getting ready to bubble to the surface. Why is it tolerated?

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)


Because of his character. No other reason. He loves us, and wants to give us every opportunity to come back to him. There will come a day when it's over. But not yet.

Ands so, for all his faults, Bruce Wayne is fulfilling an important purpose in this movie. He is an agent of grace and patience, and thus he is helping to carry out God's purpose. Even with the pooler alert, I'm not going to talk about the ending, but let's just say that in the willingness to sacrifice everything, he found peace.
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The Dark Knight Rises was an awesome movie, just as the series was. It deals with dark themes, and some have associated that with the tragedy surrounding it. I think that's a mistake. I think it asks questions that can only be answered by the good news of Jesus. And anytime art can get us to think about that, it's a good thing.

What is your purpose? How can you be an agent of grace in your world?

Only a moment

So I sat in the chair, waiting for the doctor to come in. This medical procedure was not going to be pleasant. No, you don't know want to know any more, trust me. And it's not important.

What does matter is that I knew it was going to be full of, as doctors like to say, "discomfort". A lot of discomfort.

As the time passed, I got philosophical, trying to psyche myself up for it. I reminded myself of some great truths.

• Compared to all of eternity, it was only going to be a moment. I could take that.
• It was going to be nothing compared to the pain endured by the great saints as they were tortured for their faith.
• It is only physical pain. Physical pain is a warning system for a house that is temporary anyway. Physical pain is minor compared to spiritual or emotional wounds.

And so on.

The time came, and it was not fun. But it's over now, the results were good, and life goes on.

And so now I am reflecting on the waiting time. You know, the perspectives I reflected on are just as true about the sufferings of this life. If our hope is in the Messiah Jesus, anything the world throws at us is only temporary. There is a surpassing joy not only in the future, but now, that overshadows the difficulties of life. Stress at work. Grief. Arguments at home. All of those things are only a moment.

And so I can not only survive, but thrive. Because my joy is from another Kingdom, not this one.

Bring it on.

Africa slideshow 2012

Here's a slideshow from our trip this year, featuring the music of Ryan Long (check him out). What amazing kids. What an amazing team. What an awesome God.

Addis, until next time...