The Burr in the Burgh

Watched "Ray" the other night. Then watched it again the next night. Ray Charles was no paragon of moral virtue, but his music was outa sight. This bio-pic is probably 60% music and it was pure Ray Charles, starting from his crooning days in the late 40s, through his country vibe, and his R&B/Gospel blend that became his distinction. I didn't realize I was such a Ray Charles fan until I saw this movie. And Jamie Foxx, the actor playing the lead role, was definitley in the zone.

Here's what I'm looking forward to in the cineplex in coming months:

May - Star Wars 3 or 6 or whatever. "The Revenge of the Sith." I know, I should have grown out of this stuff, but can I help it if a big part of me is still nine years old? It was the last day of school in 1977, finishing the 3rd grade, when my mom and dad surprised me and picked me and took me to see the original Star Wars in downtown Kansas City, MO. It was at one of those old-timey movie palaces still in use at the time with chandeliers and velvet curtains and such. Besides, this gives me and the resident nine-year old boy something to talk about.

Summer - War of the Worlds. I loved the 1950s original and just recently saw it again. A couple of years ago, I read a bunch of the novels of H.G. Wells. "The Invisible Man," "The Island of Dr. Moreau," "The Time Machine," and "The War of the Worlds." I've also always been intrigued by the scare caused by the radio broadcast Orson Wells did in 1938.

Sometime - King Kong. Peter Jackson, the director who did such a magnificent job with the Tolkien trilogy is back at it. I dig the original with Fay Wray, but hated the 1970s remake. This one looks promising.

December - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I've been told that this will be of the same production quality as the "Lord of the Rings" and that it will not try to water down the Christian imagery. The Chronicles of Narnia are some of my favorite books and have often been adapted for the screen, never well, in my opinion.

One of my flaws (some would say, "one of his 'many' flaws") is that I can never just read one book at a time. So here are a few of the things percolating in my brain lately:

"State of Fear" by Michael Crichton - One of my favorite sci-fi authors. Also one of the most successful authors of all time. Did you know he created the TV show "ER?" His newest book is a story that takes you from the courtrooms and boardrooms of Los Angeles to the jungles of Indonesia to the glacial plains of Antarctica. Crichton's book is fiction, but it addresses real issues. The baddies are eco-terrorists and ... lawyers. So you think you know what global warming is? Crichton's research and footnotes may give you something new to ruminate.

"Son of Laughter" by Frederick Buechner - A novelization of the biblical story of Jacob, the patriarch. I am usually pretty cautious toward novels based on stories from the Bible. A lot of the time, they introduce too much speculation, interpretation, and revisionism. But this one is exceptional. I find that Buechner is very respectful of the subject matter and the authority of Scripture, while at the same time fleshing out these familiar characters and stories in fresh and interesting ways.

"The Fire and the Staff" by Klemet I. Preus - The subtitle of this awesome book is "Lutheran Theology in Practice." I sincerely wish this new tome from CPH had been available while I was still a seminarian. Pastor Preus writes about Lutheran doctrine and practice in a very down-to-earth manner, sprinkling in a healthy dose of illustrations and personal anecdotes. He is also quite humorous at times. But this isn't just a book for pastors. Nosireebob. I wish everyone would sit down to relax with a nice glass of Pinot Noir in one hand and "The Fire and the Staff" in the other.

What I wish I were reading right now:
"Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss - I just keep on checking this out from the library but just never seem to get around to it. The reviews have been intriguing, including my wife's. I enjoy these kind of books. Books about language, grammar, and punctuation. Sounds dry, but there are some lovely texts out there.

Along a similar line, I recommend "Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose" by Constance Hale.

So many books, so little time. It grieves me that our culture is becoming a-literate. We can read, but we don't.

I'm not biased or anything, but I want to heartily plug the latest children's book by Julie Stiegemeyer, married to some clown named "Scott." It's a very colorful picture book called "Bright Easter Day" for kids approx. 5-9 years. It's just the latest in my wife's growing list of outstanding Christian materials for children and families from Concordia Publishing House. In coming months, you will also be able to find 2 new books from secular publishing houses.

Conservative and traditionalist Christians are often criticized for making a fuss over their doctrinal distinctives. Admittedly, we can sometimes be obnoxious. There's no excuse for that, but frankly, anytime a person takes a stand, no matter how sweetly, it is likely to offend someone else.

Yesterday, while sitting in one of my new favorite haunts, the newly opened Caribou Coffee here in Brentwood, I read an article on witchcraft in Christian Research Journal. The author made an interesting point. He wrote: "There are similarities between flour and ricin. They both are made from plants; they both are white powders; but it is not their similarities that are interesting or important, it is their differences. One promotes life and the other effects death....I am only trying to show that with some issues the differences can be just as important, if not more so, than the similarities."

He's talking about people of different religions. But here's my point. Even within the Christian world, there are significant differences of belief. These are not unimportant. While it is true that some Christians fail to take seriously what various churches have in common, it is equally true that some Christians fail to take seriously the important differences which unfortunately divide us.

Here is the original uncondensed version of an article I wrote for Higher Things magazine.

“Who will deliver me from this body of death… (Romans 7:24)?”

Your biggest problem is not your zitty face. It’s not your love life or lack thereof. It’s not even Osama bin Laden and his band of merry terrorists. Your biggest problem is that you are going to die. Yes, the latest scientific findings have confirmed it. 1 out of every 1 person dies. You are dust and to dust you shall return.

As people have pondered the grave through the eons, they have imagined all sorts of specters, ghouls and goblins. As they have considered what lies beyond, they have dreamt of worlds and powers that chill the bone. Those with more active imaginations have conjured spooky campfire stories which have been handed down and modified through generations. And these eerie visions can now be projected on screens large and small.


The horror movie usually deals with one or two basic primeval themes. Evil and Death. And of course, these two go together like Barne’s & Noble or macaroni and cheese. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). Good horror movies grapple with that reality and express something true, even if unpleasant.

For whatever reason, scary movies are very popular, especially with young audiences. The scarier the better. The popularity of vampire movies, for instance, makes sense to Christians. After all, life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). But some of the most spooky movies today don’t rely on gross out gore-fests or gotcha tactics that make you jump out of your seat. They don’t have to. Movies like The Ring and, to a lesser extent, The Grudge, get the job done with creepy nightmarish images.

Others terrify us with tales from real life, even if slightly exaggerated. The Exorcist, for instance, still lives on as a classic of the genre. Maybe the jaded audiences of today aren’t likely to faint and vomit in the aisles or run out the theaters for the nearest church as was reported when it first came out in 1973. But one of the reasons it remains so effective is because it is loosely based on a true story. Stuff like this happens in real life. And certainly, the scenes of demonic possession in the New Testament are horrifying (Matt 8:28-33; Mark 5:1-5; Luke 9:38-42).

Christians can make two mistakes: think about the devil too little and think about him too much. We should take the devil seriously, but not too seriously. There is only one Almighty. Satan is strong, but Jesus is stronger.

Why does the New Testament tell us about people who are demon possessed and have super-human strength and have convulsions and froth at the mouth? Not to revel in the occult, but to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus Christ. And some of the better horror movies, though perhaps not intentionally Christian, still leave the viewer with the idea that priests and crucifixes and churches counter the devil. What is the remedy for being demon-possessed? God. If they don’t get the answers 100% correct, at least they’re pointing in the right direction.

A lot of modern people tend to be too optimistic about human nature. Is man basically good or basically evil? Is a checkerboard a white field with black squares or a black field with white squares?

Let’s answer those questions with another question: What would you do if you believed you couldn’t be caught? How would you behave if there were no consequences for your actions? This is the theme considered in H.G. Wells’ novel, The Invisible Man. We read about a decent fellow who turns into a barbarian and steals, lies and murders to achieve his personal aims. Or maybe he was always the barbarian. Maybe he was always a thief, liar and murderer in his heart, but it was only when he became invisible and so could not be caught that he acted out on his deepest urges. Kevin Bacon’s movie, The Hollow Man is a modern day telling of that same story. In neither case is the ending very happy. It actually is a good thing that we don’t act out our fantasies. The fear of getting caught serves a good purpose. The Law is a curb. God’s commandments and our fear of being punished for breaking them keep us from going too far off course. William Golding’s novel, The Lord of the Flies, is another excellent example of what happens when all governing authority is removed.

The freaky black-and-white vampire flick The Addiction is explicitly Christian (and unbelievably gross). One vampire says, “We’re not evil because of the evil we do, but we do evil because we are evil.” And the film makes it veeeerrryyy clear that Christ’s body broken and blood shed are the only answer. This horror movie has more truth than many liberal Christians who think the world is essentially rosy.

Some of the most terrifying films are not those that have ghosts, demons, or weird Stephen King plot twists, but rather those that deal with the evil that men do. From Hell with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham is a fictionalized telling of the true crime story of Jack the Ripper. The famous 19th century serial murderer of London signed his letters to the police “from hell.” Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs and John Doe, the killer in Seven with Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow are, in some ways, scarier than vampires and haunted houses because the villains are mere men, not monsters. Every day, American soccer moms will slit their babies’ throats and social misfits will rape strangers in parking garages. Hollywood doesn’t have to make this stuff up. Just Google “Jeffrey Dahmer” sometime to see how depraved real human beings can become. The people least likely to believe that man is basically good are prison guards, FBI homicide investigators and LCMS pastors. Why? “There is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:12).”

Sometimes horror movies can serve a wholesome purpose by pointing out something that should be obvious. There is evil in the world. This has to be pointed out because our world is so perverted that it calls good evil and evil good. We’re at the point where many can’t even tell the difference between the two. Evil has to be exposed for what it is. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).”

In addition to treating sin and evil as being real, good horror movies question the meaning of death and eternal life. Ghosts. Zombies. Vampires. Laboratory monsters created from stolen corpses. There must be a way to overcome the grave. And there is. But science won’t do it. Neither will witchcraft or magic. Jesus said,"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25).”

Of course, the typical guy or gal in the theater is not looking for religion. A lot of moviegoers go to horror flicks for the same reason some people like roller coasters. The exhilarating adrenaline rush induced by fear. It’s a charge.

Many, maybe most, horror movies at your local Cineplex are a waste of time. A lot of them do glorify sex and violence … or violent sex. And anything that glamorizes Satanism or the occult is dangerous. But when you are alone and the room is quiet, remember that Jesus Christ is the antidote to death. He is the unstoppable force bashing into that heretofore immovable wall.

SKRACK! FZZAK! FWOOSH! ZARK! And BAM! BAM! BAM!

“Crazy curmudgeons Batman! Higher Things magazine is doing a piece on comic books. What does this mean?”

“Don’t fear, Robin. All the forces of goodness and justice have to stick together in this world,” responded the dark knight.

Ever since Superman made his 1938 debut in Action Comics #1, comic book superheroes have been a major feature in American pop culture. Consider movies and television, for instance. Comic book superheroes, old and new, have been translated to the big screen in such examples as: Superman, Batman, Daredevil, Punisher, Hulk, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, X-Men, Spiderman and Hellboy. Most recently, I heard a vague rumor that the Fantastic Four movie will be released 295 days and 9 hours from the time I’m writing this article.

But even with all that eye-candy to look at on the screen, the good ol’ fashioned printed page is where it all began, and according to many fans, where it still works the best. For a long time, movie special effects were so primitive that two-dimensional illustrations were simply far more impressive. And though computer graphics have made almost anything possible on-screen, seeing real live human beings dressed in superhero costumes can brink on the edge of silliness. But on the printed page, it still works.

While comic book superheroes come in a wide variety of forms, there are generalizations that could be made about them as a whole. Usually you have a pretty ordinary person who one way or another acquires special abilities which leads them to fight crime, defend the weak, and just basically set wrongs right.

The X-Men are human mutants with extraordinary powers such as being able to control the weather, pass through solid objects, spontaneously heal, read minds or transport from place to place instantaneously. Spiderman is just an ordinary teenager who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gains spider-like abilities. He can scale smooth surfaces, possesses a heightened sense of danger, and has remarkable strength and agility. Batman has no superpowers. Instead he relies on his superior scientific knowledge, technology, physical strength and detective skills.

Superman, a.k.a. the Man of Steel, a.k.a. Clark Kent, is the exception. He’s not an ordinary human being at all. In fact, he’s not a human being. He’s an alien from the planet Krypton who was sent here as an infant to escape his home planet’s destruction.

Probably very few comic book writers are trying to convey any overtly Christian themes. In fact, a case could be made that they contain many elements which go counter to the Christian faith (ie. bad language, graphic violence, titillating sexuality, rebellious attitudes, a fascination with the occult). There is some truth to that argument, but as is often the case, there is also something more. At the risk of sounding like I’m trying to stretch my point too far, I would like to highlight some features of some comic books that, surprisingly, resemble basic Christian teachings.

First, the comic book superhero world has a strong sense of right and wrong. Justice is possible. Moral outrage is admirable.

Secondly, while a few superhero types walk around in costume (ie. the Fantastic Four), most of them want to keep their identities secret. Their powers are hidden by their everyday ordinariness. And they only reveal themselves when it becomes necessary. This should ring a little bit familiar to Christians Who worship a God who routinely hides His glory in humble forms – in the flesh of a Man, in bread and wine – and Who cloaks His majesty in human weakness.

Thirdly, the overarching theme is that the superheroes have a mission, a duty to fulfill. They realize that they have been given unique gifts and that it would be wrong to use them for personal gain. The great line from the first Spiderman movie put it this way: “In this world, with great power comes great responsibility.” Jesus expresses a similar idea: “To whom much is given, much shall be required.” In our world where people live to serve only themselves, comic books have caught a whiff of this counter-cultural theme that runs through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Fourthly, a lot of these characters are misunderstood and even persecuted by the very people they are trying to help. Similarly, Christ tells his followers that the world will not accept them any more than it accepted Him. They will be hated and rejected for doing good. But we don’t respond in kind. We respond to hatred with love, to evil with good.

And finally, young people are attracted to comic books for many reasons, not the least of which is their desire to believe that there is something, Someone, who is larger than life, Someone with terrific powers who – though appearances may deceive – is going to be there for us when we need Him most.

I can sympathize with this longing. I share it. Many comic books are quite offensive, to be sure. Many others are quite fun, but it all boils down to something very serious. Our need for a savior, a champion who can overthrow every foe for us. Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But he’s only fiction. When you put the comic books down, look at the real live God-Man, Jesus Christ, who can save us and has, in fact, already done so.

I disagreed with Pope John Paul II on important doctrinal matters. Otherwise, I would be a Roman Catholic instead of a Lutheran. However, with the passing of this giant figure of the 20th century, I must confess that I had long held a certain admiration for him. For the bulk of his papacy - until poor health overtook him - he was dynamic, outgoing and winsome. Yet, he was a firm traditionalist who sought to guard the church as well as advance it. I respect that. And who could not be impressed with a man who survived an assassin's bullet and visited the malefactor in prison to offer his forgiveness?

It seems to me that there were three, maybe four, great individuals who were chiefly responsible for the demise of the Soviet Union. Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbechev, and John Paul II (Margaret Thatcher too). People don't always realize the impact it made on the shape of the world to elect a Polish (Easter bloc) pope during the Cold War.

One of the chief reasons I have long been an admirer of this pope has been his clear, steadfast and articulate defense of the sanctity of human life. Wasn't it he who coined the terms "culture of death" and "culture of life" which politicians have used in campaign speeches and presidential inaugurations and which have been, amazingly, so much on the lips of the media with the recent torturous murder of Terri Schiavo?

My confession of a certain admiration for the deceased pontiff (God rest him) doesn't mean I'm a Romanizing Lutheran. The doctrinal differences between Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism are still very significant. I'd be the last person to sweep this under the rug for the sake of togetherness.

I recall attending an ecumenical gathering one time in Fort Wayne, IN. There were three speakers: Kurt Marquart (of the LC-MS), a theologian from the ELCA whose name I honestly cannot recall, and Cardinal Edward Cassidy, the Vatican's chief ecumenical officer at the time. And honestly, I thought that, of the three, Marquart and Cassidy were much more on the same page regarding the ecumenical task. The ELCA guy, as I recall, gave a bland talk about love and unity and other etheric abstractions. Both Marquart and Cassidy said, in their own ways, that unity of belief is the basis for true unity in the church. The ELCA guy seemed to want to blur doctrinal distinctives, to focus on the lowest common denominators, for the sake of some institutional oneness. Boy, was he out of touch. The LCMS and the Vatican were both saying that day that we can't ignore our differences. True unity springs from having a united confession of faith...and we don't. But we should prayerfully and humbly strive for that via dialogue and debate.

My favorite Biblical verse regarding ecumenism is 1 Corinthian 1:10. "I appeal to you , brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."

One of my parishoners referred me to this very informative article from the New York Times about the processes involved in the selection of the new Bishop of Rome. You will have to register, but it's free, easy and worthwhile.

Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, president of the LCMS, had this to say about the death today of the Bishop of Rome.

You can download two free lectures here from the Teaching Company. One is entitled, "How to Elect a Pope?' and the other is "Papal Elections: Then and Now." The lecturer is an expert in Medieval studies who teaches at Notre Dame University. I don't vouch for the content or opinions in these lectures. I just thought it might be interesting in light of the current pontiff's serious illness.

Meanwhile, I continue to pray for John Paul II. He has been a very significant figure in the 20th century and a key player in the unraveling of soviet communism. His pro-life writings have made a profound impact.

Disability activists have called for a national moratorium on death by starvation and dehydration for those diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state. This is a condition that is frequently misdiagnosed.

I think this interview about Terri Schiavo with former Green Party presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, is helpful. Speaking against the euthanasia of Terri should not be seen as a right-wing issue. Jesse Jackson, Ralph Nader, Joe Lieberman, Lanny Davis and Alan Dershowitz are hardly right wing or conservative and all of them have voiced opposition to what has happened, in addition to the expected conservative leaders.

Since the news media continues to lie and mislead the public about Terri Schiavo, it is necessary to balance the record. I was sitting in the barber shop watching the news this afternoon when they continued to say that Terri, now deceased, was in a persistent vegetative state. A neurological expert from the Mayo clinic who examined Terri for an hour last week disagreed. Saying something over and over again doesn't make it true.

A closer view

In between services.

In light of the current national discussion of euthanasia, you may wish to take a look at these helpful resources from Lutherans For Life. I particularly recommend "The Basics on Advance Directives: Thy Will Be Done," and "Before I Die: A Practical Guide for End-of-Life Issues." Every Christian should become familiar with these matters.

I am often amazed and delighted by the way the Pro-Life cause brings together people from widely different backgrounds. Bible thumping protestants and papists. Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians.

Nat Hentoff, a left-wing Jewish atheist who writes for "The Village Voice" is one of the more articulate voices in the pro-life struggle. I certainly don't agree with everything he writes, but his defense of Terri Schiavo is welcome.

I think of that famous photograph from the Yalta Conference in 1945 with Winston Churchill, FDR, and Joe Stalin sitting next to each other after discussing their post-war plans. Don't read any obnoxious subtexts in that statement. I'm not comparing anyone to Stalin, only pointing out that facing a great evil can bring together the most unlikely allies.

I keep telling people that I am 6 foot 2, and 230 lbs of pure muscle with a 175 IQ. But apparently saying something repeatedly does not make it so. The media STILL reports that Terri was on life support, which simply was not true. If food and water are "life support" then I'm on it and so are you. They continue to say that she is in a persistent vegetative state, which is, at least, controverted. Terri Schiavo has never had an MRI, a PET scan, or a thorough neurological exam. Doctors' reports are not unanimous.

Haven't you ever wondered why every major disability rights organization has filed a legal brief to save Terri's life? Perhaps it's because they know that once we classify severely disabled people as being better off dead, then we become no different than the Nazis who believed they could determine which lives have value and which ones do not.

When Ralph Nader, Jesse Jackson, George W. Bush, Pat Robertson and the Pope agree on an issue, maybe it's time to take a closer look. Could it be because this one is such a no-brainer that even people with wildly different political viewpoints and agendas cannot avoid being on the same side? Christians believe in something called natural law which is that God has written His Divine Law on the hearts of all people. I think everyone KNOWS this is evil. Everyone familiar with the facts, that is. But if one's conscience is seared in this area, then one will be calloused to Terri's plight.

People with disabilities have reason to be worried in America. If this does not make you nervous, it should.

The President of the LC-MS posted a statement recently on the Schiavo case. Check it out. But for more comprehensive Biblical information pertaining to Terri Schiavo, I direct your attention to the Lutherans for Life website. It warrants you attention. As those whom Christ has made salt and light to preserve and enlighten the world, it is necessary for us to be able to speak intelligently toward the issues which dominate in our culture.

With the slow and brutal murder of Terri Schiavo taking place before our very eyes, I find it sadly ironic that part of our Lord's torment included thirst. Because the media is lying to us, telling us that it is a painless way to die, the level of public outrage is shockingly low. The facts differ. I thank the editors of Touchstone magazine for pointing this out. Instead we are treated to the photos of small children being put in handcuffs and escorted into police cruisers for the apparantly abominable crime of offering Terry a glass of water. It is against the law in Florida to starve a dog to death because that is considered inhumane. But when a person becomes an inconvenience, we will stop at no lengths to eliminate them and call it mercy.