I like watching movie trailers. Depending on the genre of the movie they usually highlight some of the main action scenes like a clip from a fast paced car chase, a skillfully choreographed fight or a particularly funny part of the movie. Carefully chosen, these short clips are pieced together to draw us into wanting more, without spoiling the main plot of the story.
Ninety-nine percent of the time when I study the Bible I read from the New International Version. Recently as I worked my way through the book of Mark I was thinking about all the different sections or headings found between the chapters. These sections read like a movie trailer, they highlight the action and essence of the story within the text. Consider these titles: “Jesus Calms to Storm”, “Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man”, “John the Baptist Beheaded”, “Jesus Walks on Water” or “Jesus Predicts His Death”. Each of these titles have the potential to draw us into the larger narrative.
The Gospel of Mark is “divided” into 73 sections, 43 of those section titles include the name of Jesus, each pointing us to the the main focus of Mark’s writing. The focus is all about Jesus. Even though Mark doesn’t focus on the birth of Jesus he walks us through His life, he concentrates his message around the power and majesty of a sovereign God who came to walk with us and be like us. The life and actions of Jesus in that time and for today were to establish His presence and power so that people would believe in Him. There is an incredible amount of detail and instruction found throughout the book of Mark; in the day it was written people witnessed first hand the power and majesty of Jesus. Today we have the “movie” or narrative that communicates the very same message, a message of hope, a message of power and a message of good news.
Every family has one, I’m sure you will know exactly who I am talking about. This person has a memory like an elephant, they can tell you the name, birth-date, height and most likely the last known location of every one of your relatives that is perched on the branches of your family tree. They spent countless hours pouring over records trying to establish a lineage that ties us back to the beginning of time when Adam walked with God in the Garden.
There is always a story behind a story.
As I was considering some thoughts around the idea of encouragement my mind wandered a little bit and I started to think about sports. Now, this is strange because I am not much of a sports guy so bear with me. Have you ever watched golf or been out on the course with someone who “talks” the ball to go where they want it to? Usually that person takes the time to skillfully line up their shot with the hole whether it is to be hit off the tee or is laying on the green. After taking the shot they will sometimes expressively talk the ball towards the hole, especially if it’s going off course. What about the basketball player getting ready to take a foul shot from the top of the key or is going the for the distance of a well timed three point shot? Often they will verbally encourage the ball to hit its target.
How do you define the word action? Are you the type of person who perches on the edge of your seat while watching an exciting action movie? Have you or someone you know ever experienced the tragedies associated with the acts of war? As a fly fisherman I enjoy the action of the rod as I cast the fly line back and forth anticipating the explosive action of setting the hook and eventually playing the fish into my hands. Often as we teach our children to memorize scripture or songs we use actions to help support their learning; and as we raise and help them grow we teach them to be responsible for their own actions.
Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider man) and Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) share a few things in common that run deeper than the obvious fact that they are fictitious characters possessing a particular “superpower” that makes them into the superhero they are. Like many of us they each have a story, a story that shapes and defines who they are. Both of these unlikely heroes share a similar start in life, both were orphaned as young children and were raised with the help of family and friends. Both went through some sort of transformation that led them to a place where they were compelled to do good and save the lives of many people.
Have you ever played one of those three of a kind connection type games? You know the game where you get three words and you have to find the common connection. For example, you are given these three words: [school, skate, dart] What three things do these words have in common? Well if you’re like me I will stare at these words for about a minute (that is being generous) before I give up and the person beside me blurts out “boards” don’t you see it? It boards, school board, skate board and dart board.
Your sitting in a dark room with only a faint light above your head, there are no windows. It is cold and damp, you feel like you have been through a storm, you don’t know how you got there and can’t see a way out. Unexpectedly out of nowhere you hear a loud thundering voice call out to you “Brace yourself like and man; I will question you, and you shall answer me”. Your heart is pounding, the questioning begins. One question after another, questions you don’t have answers for, questions that force you to examine who your really are.
Leonardo da Vinci found inspiration from the study of nature. He was fascinated by the fluid motion of water as it moved over and around obstacles in its path. He observed the intricate patterns etched into the face of leaves and was intrigued with textures and colors. Today we can find inspiration in nature just as he did or we can be inspired by the words of a great speaker, a powerful song, or a beautiful piece of art. But can we find inspiration in something difficult, hard or even devastating? The tough, difficult things of life typically bring us down but sometimes we can find a spark of inspiration or hope through these times.
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