Beauty Fades, God is Forever

I have no movie review this week. We were so busy trying to get the children ready for school and adjusted to new bed times that we simply did not make family movie night a priority. Instead, I decided to watch some television with my mother. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t mention this, but my mother and I have very different ideas of what makes good television watching. She likes American Idol, I like Lost. But on Sunday night, I was flipping through channels. I noticed that the Miss Universe Pageant was on and thought it might be some fun. My mother loves this stuff and, after a few minutes, I was hooked. I stayed up far too late waiting to see if my favorite contestant would win. The following morning, I realized I had nothing to blog about except the pageant. I was faced with a bit of a quandary.

Obviously, I am not Perez Hilton. I don’t make a living out of attacking beauty pageant contestants because of their beliefs. I only try to make some observations about what is happening in our society and what impact that has on Christians. There are plenty of sound arguments that beauty pageants exploit young girls and women. There are many Christians who believe that participation in pageants is not appropriate for Christian women, and certainly not for Christian children. However, I would like to suggest another perspective to which one of the contestants, Miss Puerto Rico, alluded. Beauty is a complement.

I am certain that most people are familiar with the clichés about beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is skin-deep. Pretty is as pretty does. These commonplace expressions reflect the idea that real beauty is defined by a person’s attitudes or actions, not by their physical body. There is certainly a bit of truth in this statement. It seems to me, however, that not everyone accepts that argument. In fact, it almost seems that an ever-increasing number of people have become obsessed with their outward appearance. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery claims on their blog that 80% of cosmetic surgery patients feel pressure only from themselves to look better. If beauty isn’t physical, then why bother with this or this?

I must admit, I struggle with these contradictory values myself. My self-worth is not connected to my body image, but my whole attitude changes when my 3 year old tells me “Mom, you’re boo-tiful.” I am perfectly aware that this comment is connected to a desire for cookies, but it has an effect on me nonetheless. I see the attitude in my daughter as well. She somehow feels beautiful when she wears a dress or plays dress up. I’m certain the desire for attractiveness explains our teenage sons’ obsession with their hair and clothing. But where does this desire come from? And how can Christian parent's help their children put this desire into perspective?

The desire for beauty is imprinted on everyone’s heart. God has placed it there for His divine purpose. Any Christian can glimpse at a field of wild flowers in the springtime and recognize the splendor of God’s creation. In it, Christians can see the reflection of our Creator. Every person, at times, is drawn to the smell and sound of the ocean’s waves hitting the beach or the sight of the fresh fallen snow on a mountain top. Somehow, they calm and center us. But, God also created men and women with the same splendor. The physical body is a source of power, strength, and beauty. This image of King David is one of the most viewed in the world. God created the physical world, including man, to be full of beauty and pleasure. Through it, God is able to draw mankind to Himself.

Unfortunately, sin came into the world. Because of sin, men and women have taken God’s gift of beauty and distorted it. Many people, including Christians, no longer view the world as beautiful and good. They also no longer trust the beauty of human beings. Men who find pleasure in this are considered effeminate. This sparks outrage instead of joy. Instead of understanding beauty as a reflection of God, modern Christians see it, at the very least, as a distraction from God. At worst, they completely reject that beauty has a place in Christian thought or worship. This idea is very similar to the philosophy of Gnosticism.

Gnosticism is a philosophy that developed prior to Christianity. Although it is a complicated conglomeration of thoughts and ideas, one central theme is the idea that the world and all things in it are evil from their creation. According Gnostics, knowledge of God can only be attained through the spirit. Therefore, only spiritual matters are good. Material things, including the body, are evil. This concept follows two paths--disengagement and immorality. One form suggests that, since the material realm is evil, believers must disengage from anything earthly. Some reject wealth, property, and even basic needs. Another form suggests that the evil of the material world cannot be avoided. As such, the body is of no consequence to the spiritual reality. As a result, anything goes. This attitude oftens leads to immoral actions, like drug use and sexual depravity.

While many people insist that Gnosticism is not a threat to Christianity, some form of this thought is pervasive in modern society. Young people are particularly susceptible to some of the Gnostic ideas currently popular. Large numbers of Evangelical youth are attracted to Wicca, or Paganism, perhaps because of the spirituality without religion aspect. Young people are also vulnerable to belief systems where they are encouraged to draw their own conclusions, especially with regards to sexuality and sexual behavior. They are attracted to ideas that offer some tangible explanation of evil and suffering. They are looking for something that speaks to their hearts. Some of these themes and ideas have also drifted into mainstream Christianity. Young children are exposed to it in their youth groups and from their pastors.

Even though it seems sinister, Gnosticism is easy for parents to combat. The Mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is the ideal place to start. When I talk about this with my younger children, I ask a very simple question. "If our bodies are not beautiful and perfect, why in the world do you think God would have become a human person?" This is the heart of Christianity. The Word became flesh. God used the human body to reveal Himself to mankind in the physical world.

I've tried to remind the children that God created our bodies and expects us to take care of them as best we can. Of course, that gets translated into "I can't mow the lawn in the hot blazing sun or my skin will burn." Who says teenagers don't hear what their parents tell them?

Reflecting on this reminds me---I'd better start shopping for Christmas.....

Mid Week Movie Review

My family loves to watch movies. Yet, I’ve found sorting through the plethora to find something appropriate for children can be quite a challenge. Generally speaking, I’ve discovered that the MPAA ratings are quite helpful but not necessarily reliable, at least for content. I usually don’t allow our young children to watch PG-13 movies, for example, unless we have viewed them first and likewise with our teens viewing of R movies. Other than that, I allow a lot of flexibility with movie watching. I believe that movie watching can actually be a very beneficial experience. I’ve learned a lot from movies---biographies of people I’ve never heard of, historical events with which I’m unfamiliar, and ideas that I’ve never really considered. I’m particularly fond of science fiction, as are most of our children. While I often feel comfortable using the ratings as a guide for movie selection, I’m convinced there is nothing to really help Christian parents discern which movies might be suitable for their families. I believe there are a lot of really good movies that Christians avoid simply because they are unsure of the topic or misinformed of the intent of the film. I know that Hollywood isn’t particularly friendly toward Christians but I don’t believe that is an excuse for parents to avoid watching movies. On the contrary, I believe movie viewing can be an excellent opportunity for Christian parents to discuss moral values and Christian theology as they apply in the modern world. I hope, then, that my Mid Week Movie Review is both informative and useful.

This week, we watched the sci-fi thriller, Knowing (PG-13). Nicholas Cage stars as John Koestler, an astrophysics professor at MIT. This man of science has recently lost his wife, seemingly a woman of faith, in a tragic event and is now raising his young son, Caleb, alone. Both John and Caleb cope with the loss and sadness in their own way---John by attempting to reconcile his scientific belief with his loneliness and Caleb by hoping in the possibility he will see his mother again. John soon begins to question everything he believes when a time capsule, buried 50 years ago by elementary school children, is uncovered at Caleb’s school. While all the children receive drawings of spaceships and other visions of the future, Caleb receives a paper with nothing but lists of numbers. John, upon briefly studying the paper, comes to believe the numbers are actually predictions of catastrophic events in the last 50 years. Attempting to decipher the numbers, John tracks down the daughter of the child who created the list to discover what may have possessed the young child. All the while Caleb is experiencing voices and visions that he is unable to explain. John eventually has to confront his reductionist scientific beliefs, make difficult decisions about his son, and face the future of the world itself.

At this point, I have intentionally tried to eliminate the spoilers because I think Christian families should watch without really knowing what to expect. Although the movie is captivating and thrilling, I also found it distressing and dark. I enjoyed the visual effects, especially near the end of the film, but I found several scenes involving strange men that I think might be frightening to young children. I think older children can comprehend the implications quite well. I was, however, disappointed at the conclusion, even though I had already suspected how it might end. I also don’t think the movie itself addresses anything new---it’s just another end of the world movie. I do think, however, Knowing can provide an excellent opportunity for parents to discuss Christianity with their teenage children. I have a few suggestions to make regarding topics for discussion, so I warn you that the following paragraphs will contain SPOILERS.

Of course, I have no way of knowing the writers or producers intentions when they made this film. I was able, though, to pick up on some central themes that are in opposition to mainstream Christianity. Rather early into the movie, I discovered the main character grappling with the philosophy of determinism vs. randomness. Although these ideas can be quite complex, I believe the basic principle is something like this: either life is a series of cause and effect events of which individuals can do nothing to prevent or life is composed of completely random occurrences that one has no knowledge of or capacity to alter. Both of these ideas actually reach the same conclusion---that humans have no control over their destiny, either it is determined already by some outside force or it is a compilation of random events. Most Christian theology rejects both of these ideas completely, or at least in part. While God is, of course, omnipotent and omniscient, He also created mankind with free-will. In other words, God created humans with the ability to make their own choices and thus, they are responsible for their own actions. While it is true that some “natural acts” are beyond personal control, individuals can respond to those acts for good or for evil. Humans, then, are not simply observers in a cosmic play. Christian parents can welcome the opportunity to discuss the concept of free-will, especially in the context of a contemporary culture that focuses on individual feelings and desires.

The references to determinism are quite subtle, but another anti-Christian idea is also implied in this film. At various points in the movie the characters see strange looking, silent men standing in the forest or driving by in vehicles. They also hear these men talking to them in “mental” whispers. While this adds some suspense to the thriller, the viewer soon learns that these men are actually aliens who have taken on the physical form of human men. The aliens, at the end of the film, save the children from the destruction of Earth and safely “plant” them onto another planet in the universe. The implications are obvious---life begins because the aliens brought life from elsewhere. This idea is called panspermia and suggests that life existed on another planet and was brought to earth by some force---in this case, aliens. According to this form of direct panspermia, when one planet dies, aliens are responsible for the continuation of life. In spite of what contemporary Christians think, the theory of panspermia is actually centuries old and finds its roots, to some degree in Christian Gnosticism. Authentic Christianity, of course, clearly proclaims God as the Creator of the universe. God alone is responsible for the continuation of life. Christian parents may find it useful to investigate this subject more closely, particularly as it relates to Gnosticism. Gnosticism, though denounced as heresy in the Middle Ages, continues to attract many modern Christians.

In addition to determinism and panspermia, the movie Knowing makes an assertion about Christianity that is growing in popularity---Christianity is acceptable as long as one views it through the eyes of science. The movie makes several references to this school of thought. For example, the movie suggests there is a resurrection but a resurrection by aliens. It also seems to indicate that the guardian angels God gave humankind are also aliens. It also seems to imply that heaven is actually another new planet. The movie also impresses that Christians can use their faith only for comfort, especially if they are ignorant to the truth of science. Christian parents can use this opportunity, though, to share with their children that faith and science do not have to be in opposition to each other. In fact, science, though limited, enriches our knowledge about the universe and creation and gives us a deeper understanding of the greatness of the Creator.

As I said earlier, I believe movies can be a useful tool in educating children in their Christian faith. Christians are called "to live in the world but not of the world." This task can be difficult, especially when one is unsure of what the world is offering. Young Christians can be easily mislead and confused. That is why the role of Christian parent is so important today. I plan on adding a movie review each week. I hope some of this information is helpful when watching movies with the family.