Theater Therapy (or, Why I Love Action Movies)

I find it amusing how everyone sees me as so nice, sweet and easy-going. I have had many people compliment me on these characteristics. Some have even asked me how I do it. I smile and give credit where credit is due - Jesus lives in my heart and I try my best to let Him shine through. But... I AM human. There are those times when my flesh overrides my spirit. When that happens, I go for my secret weapon - Theater Therapy! And I'm not talking sweet little kiddie movies, tearjerkers or romances; I'm talking fist-flying, shoot 'em up, hooves pounding (or tire squalling), fireball-filling-the-sky-kaboom-filling-your-ears action!! Those are my hands-down favorites!

Aristotle coined the term catharsis in connection to theater. He used the term to describe the emotional cleansing experienced by the characters or the audience of a play. Audiences often feel a release of pent-up emotions or energies in response to the drama they watch. That is an exceptional description of what happens to me when I watch movies. I do enjoy all kinds of movies, including kids movies, tearjerkers, romances and comedies. And I do experience some level of catharsis from all of them. But, action movies are the best. Why?

What can I say? I was raised on westerns! On TV... Big Valley, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Cheyenne, Bronco Lane, Sugarfoot, High Chaparral, Rawhide, Lancer, Rifleman, Lone Ranger... you name it, I watched it! And movies? John Wayne has always been (and still is) my favorite! It's so thrilling to watch horses running across the plains with their hooves flying and their nostrils flared, riders firing at each other and the shots echoing. The Searchers, The Three Godfathers, True Grit... and later... Tombstone and Silverado. I love it.

Sadly, there are only a handful of westerns that I actually got to see on the big screen. Most of them were before my time. Back in the 80's, I came to the disheartening realization that westerns were out. So, I latched on to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Wow! Now there was action!! And the creature features - Jaws, Aliens, Predator - action AND hunting of bad beasties...cool! I remember sitting in a theater watching Terminator 2 and having an epiphany. There's Schwarzenegger, riding the motorcycle, chasing the bad guy in the diesel truck, and Arnie fires his shotgun and chambers the next round by twirling the gun!!! The same move that John Wayne used!!! So, I realize, these action movies are the new westerns!! I began to see all the similarities. Horses = motorcycles or cars or spaceships. Guns are guns whether they shoot bullets or lasers. Bad guys are still bad and the good guys still need to defeat them. And don't forget those one-liners!

So, this realization could not have come at a better time. It was the early 90's and I was at home all day with small children. About once a month or so, I would announce to Rick that I needed Theater Therapy. He would smile (I just love him for that) and watch the kids while I went to sit in a dark theater and watch tough guys blow stuff up. Die Hard, Con Air, Stargate, Armageddon, Speed, Executive Decision, Men in Black, The Rock, Mission Impossible, Escape from L.A. (yes, I know it was really bad... but "call me Snake"...c'mon), and the list goes on. I would go home feeling better and ready to deal with my toddlers again! All the frustrations and repressed emotions had been blown away.

Rick and I actually got to see some movies together in those days and that was quite a treat - Jurassic Park, Cliffhanger, The Matrix, Independence Day, Twister, Backdraft... oh yeah! So, it's no surprise that we now have two sons who love action movies. Today we all went to see The Expendables. It rocked! Although, someone should tell Stallone that words like "relationship", "emotional" and the phrase "I love poetry" should be left out of future scripts! So, my favorite parts? Jet Li vs. Dolph Lundgren, the BIG GUY with the BIG SHOTGUN, and the general mayhem that is the climax. I feel better after the past month of pulled muscles, ceramic tile, deadlines, and oppressive hot weather. I can be a nice person again.

People are often shocked when they find out I watch such violent movies. At times, I've been judged and told that "Christians shouldn't watch those things." Yes, I do believe that we should all be careful what we subject our eyes and ears to. And I believe that different people have different tolerances. There are certain kinds of movies that I absolutely will not watch. When I rededicated my life to the Lord in 2001, I stayed away from certain movies for a year or so, while the Lord did a work in my heart. Now, I find that the Lord uses most of the movies I watch to teach me, inspire me, or just plain get my fight back. The world tends to wear me down. I get battle weary. I get to that place where giving up starts to be an option. But watching a good battle up on that screen inspires me to stand and fight the good fight of faith another day. God created me to be a warrior. Sure, my kind of warfare is done in prayer in the spiritual realm; but sometimes that warrior needs to come out and play! As Jessey loves to remind me, I'm that 43-year-old woman that freaked out two Karate instructors!

Do I worry about the violence I see in movies? No. The Bible is full of it. I remember reading about Jael driving the tent stake through Sisera's head (Judges 4). I jumped up and cheered!! Besides, I've read the end of the Book. The greatest of all good guys, Jesus, rides in on a white horse for the final showdown and defeats that nasty bad guy, satan!! Classic western! I can't wait to see that one!!!

Unfailing

Across the sea
A raging storm
Tosses a ship about.
But there is an anchor
Cast deep and true
And it will not fail to hold.
It will keep the ship secure.

Massive legions
Of fearsome hordes
Lay siege to the castle keep.
But there is a bar
Against the gate
And it will not fail to hold.
It will keep the castle secure.

A gust of wind
On a mountainside
Plummets the climber down.
But there is a rope
Tied strong and taut
And it will not fail to hold.
It will keep the climber secure.

Raging river
Flooding its banks
Sweeping a child away.
But there is a Father
Reaching his arms
And he will not fail to hold.
He will keep his child secure.

Faithful servant
Confused and torn
Commits a careless sin.
But there is a Son
Who shed His blood
Whose love will not fail to hold.
He will keep his beloved secure.

ZAP!

Have you ever felt like you were overloaded with negative sludge that has built up from all the cares of the world? Wouldn’t you love to simply zap all that junk away?

Many times I have found that natural scientific principles help me to understand spiritual principles. The best example of this is seed, time and harvest. Jesus used that example of a natural principle to explain the spiritual principle of giving and receiving. My own examples are not always that perfect an explanation, but I find that they help me to grasp and visualize aspects of the Kingdom of God that are otherwise elusive for me.

Yesterday, I pondered the thought that the human spirit is like a rechargeable battery, continually being drained by the world and in need of a Divine recharge. Chasing that line of thought, I discovered a natural principle that gave me a new revelation.

Lightning is a large scale static discharge that operates on much the same principle as touching someone’s hand or something metal and generating a shock. This is the stripped-down ultra-simple explanation of how that works. All atoms have either a positive charge (protons), negative charge (electrons) or no charge (neutrons). The charged atoms are called ions. Static discharge occurs when an object (such as a cloud or a person’s body) becomes overloaded with electrons. When that negatively charged object comes close to a positively charged object (such as the earth or a doorknob), the electrons discharge or jump to the positively charged object. When that happens, the first object loses its negative charge and becomes positively charged. The overload of negative ions is moved to the second object and the first object does not have them anymore.

I see this as a good illustration of 1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you. Picture this: We go through our daily lives gathering negative cares and worries from the world around us until we are overloaded with them. We become negatively charged. James 4:8 tells us that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. When we come into close contact with our Father, who is positively charged, we are able to discharge all our negativity onto Him. He can handle it and He won’t be affected by it. Then, we are positively charged. So, another interpretation of 1 Peter 5:7 might be – Discharging all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.

I like the idea of discharge. When I think of casting, I think of a heavy load that I have to lift and heave over to God. The notion of discharge makes me think of myself in a dark cloud that zaps off of me when I come close to God. I understand that the literal meaning of the word “cast” is to “throw off”, implying that I must take action in order to make it happen. Yet, throwing something off seems to involve such effort. Whereas, if my cares are discharged; then the action on my part is simply to draw near to God. I can visualize that. I can get my faith behind it. I can choose to believe that by my act of drawing close to my beloved Lord, I am surrendering all my cares and burdens, all the negative sludge that has accumulated in my soul, over to Him. Zap! It’s gone.

Random Musings of the Day

Goal of the Day: To have more fun with this blog and stop being so uptight. Everything I write does not have to be some profound insight. Duh! :P I am free to be myself and find my voice. I will stop getting twisted up with who might read this and what they might think! I am going to R-E-L-A-X! Oh dear, what a concept!

Good News of the Day: According to the LA Times, polling data indicates that younger viewers are more likely to love the movie "Inception" and older viewers are more likely to dislike it. Hooray! I'm young!! Loved the movie!

Accomplishments of the Day: Grocery shopping and finally getting around to creating the worksheets that I have not wanted to do. And, hopefully, this blog.

Pet of the Day: Shadow in his favorite spot! He is an Australian Shepherd/Keeshond mix that we have had since birth. He got very depressed when his mom, Chewie, died in 2006 and put on a lot of weight. I haven't helped matters by supporting his Milkbone habit. The guys fuss at me for supplying his "fixes". Shadow is Quinten's best bud! He is also a 75 pound lapdog if we let him be. He catches tennis balls like a pro and will bring them back every time (unlike his sister) until he gets tired. He and his sister Faith turned 10 years old last May. Shadow is a bona fide good dog!

Pet Peeve of the Day: Generalizations! I had a wake up call this morning and I've decided that I'm very displeased at being told things like, "everything you do..." or "you never ever..." or "you always say..."! Such things are exaggerations and usually downright lies from the father of lies and I'm not buying into that nonsense anymore. I have been told such generalizations before and been absolutely guilt-ridden with myself only to wake up to several examples that blatantly disprove the accusation. So, fair warning mankind, if you speak to me in the future using such a generalization, I'm closing my ears. And I will do my best to keep it out of my dialogue because it is poor, self-serving, defensive, psuedo-communication that accomplishes nothing positive.

Jessey Quote of the Day: "Come kill it please?" Followed by an explanation of how he can generally kill things on his own, but this is a wasp... in his room.... (BTW, Dad killed it and no one got stung.)

Observation of the Day: Kitty Mau just stormed past me with a look of indignation. Guess she wanted to be Pet of the Day.

Spiritual Insight of the Day: The human spirit is like a rechargeable battery. If we plug into the things of God - love, joy, peace, faith, kindness... - we recharge. All the negative things of the world drain us. We should recharge daily! ...or constantly!!

Be Blessed...

Go the Extra Mile in Someone Else's Skin

I just finished reading Joshua and the Children by Joseph F. Girzone. It is a sequel to his previous book Joshua. Both are very good books that tell stories of Jesus returning to modern times and living in communities as a man named Joshua – unrecognized for who he truly is. I read Joshua several years ago and was delighted at how the author captured the character and compassion of Jesus. I came to the second book hoping for that same sense of Jesus’ presence. I was not disappointed.

I have also been reading the Gospels – particularly the passages of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. This reading combination has been a good one. They dovetail together beautifully and the Lord has been speaking to my heart.

Joshua and the Children dealt with the second part of the greatest commandment – loving your neighbor as yourself. It especially challenges the reader to love your enemies as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44. In the book, Joshua arrived in a rural village that was experiencing a great deal of enmity between the Catholic and Protestant churches. The adults were so ingrained with prejudice, that Joshua bypassed them and went straight to building a relationship with the village children. Through them, opportunities arose for Joshua to reach the adults. There are several passages in the book that specifically spoke to my heart. All of them involve Joshua speaking to adults about relationships and dealing with people. I have been processing all of this along with the scriptural teachings of Jesus that likely influenced the novel’s author.

In one particular passage, Joshua is talking about the reaction that people had to Jesus. “They followed him everywhere because they knew he understood their anguish and their pain and looked past their failings. Sinners felt comforted in the presence of Jesus, and their lives changed in time.” In another passage, Joshua teaches about forgiveness. “And that is the key to peace, personal peace and peace among peoples – do not allow yourself to take offense. Always try to understand why people say and do the things they do, the inner anguish that gives rise to those things, and then it is hard to take offense. Indeed, you can even pity them. You may be wary, so you can protect yourself, but you can still reach out and be a brother and sister to those people, never despairing of trying to heal their troubled, tortured souls. Jesus himself lived that way. He never took offense, and his last words were ‘Father, forgive them, they know not what they have done.’”

Harper Lee expressed the heart of this idea very simply in To Kill a Mockingbird, when Atticus Finch explained this concept to his young daughter. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” This idea has been expressed through many sayings in many different cultures. One of my favorite versions is from The Big Valley TV series when Jubal Tanner told Jarrod Barkley that an oak tree looked very different to a hoot owl than it did to a ground squirrel.

The world has many variations on this idea; but what about scripture? In Jesus’ day, there was a law that enabled a Roman soldier to require any citizen to carry his load for one mile. In Matthew 5:41, Jesus said: “And whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.” He spoke this in context of loving our enemies and blessing those who persecute us. He is telling us to go that extra mile to help our enemies, to carry their load so that we may better understand them.

This may seem like a strange requirement. How can we possibly see things from someone else’s point of view? It’s easy when we have the Holy Spirit. Through His gifts of discernment and word of knowledge, we can. We can even see a person as God sees them. Our Father knows all the secrets of people’s lives. He sees the abuses, the wounds, the betrayals and all the ugly things that have been heaped onto people’s souls that cause them to lash out to harm others. Make no mistake, He does not excuse the behavior; but He has compassion for the person. When we tap into His divine gifts, we are able to see people through our Father’s heart. We are filled with compassion for them and therefore we are able to extend grace and mercy as our Father does.

Years ago, I found myself sitting across a table from a man that I did not like in the least. I was very offended by his arrogance and intimidating attitude. There were others around the table as well and the man across from me was determined to prove his point to us all. I was about to just leave the table in disgust, but the Lord stopped me. He spoke to my spirit to stay put. I proceeded to have a silent argument with the Lord, but stayed at the table. I stopped arguing when the Lord managed to get across to me that He wanted me to see this man as He saw him. So, I got still. I watched the man and listened to the tone of his voice. I read between the lines. I allowed the Holy Spirit to give me discernment. I saw the pain and misunderstanding of the man. My heart filled with compassion and my attitude towards him was changed. After that, I saw this man from a different perspective. Sometimes he still got on my last nerve, and at times I stumbled in my love walk towards him; but I was able to honestly care about the man and show him kindness and mercy. I don’t know how my change in attitude affected him, but it helped me to remain in a place of peace and forgiveness. It changed me.

That’s the whole point of seeing another person’s point of view – for our own attitude and emotions toward that person to be changed. Yes, there are many times that the Lord will give us discernment or a word of knowledge to speak change into a person’s life…or to plant a seed for change. When that happens, it will always be a change that will benefit the other person, regardless of how it affects us personally. In other words, it is wrong to use what God reveals to us through His gifts to try to change a person for our own benefit. Changing people is God’s business, not ours. He may use us to facilitate, but we should never go about it freelance. What the Lord reveals to us is meant to change us – our perception of the other person, so that we may fulfill His commandment of love.

"Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again. And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:1-5

Father, please forgive me for the countless times that I have fallen short in these areas. I have a desire to do better. Please help me to master the gift of seeing people through your eyes and your heart, so that I may better understand them. Help me to change my attitude towards people, setting aside frustration and offense and replacing it with compassion and mercy. I am grateful for your patience with me. Thank you for forgiving my failings and teaching me how to turn them into victories. Help me to do the same for others. In Jesus' name, Amen.