Wow, I like this music video from Aradhna. They’re a group of Christian musicians who play in the Hindi tradition. Most of the vocals are in Sanskrit. However when translated to English they show thoughtful lyrics deeply rooted in Scripture. It’s some of the most refreshing music from Christians I’ve experienced in some time.
Here’s a song titled Mukteshwar, based on the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy; Praise the name of the God of Liberation; Sing my soul, Sing my soul; Those who are poor in this world; Blessed are they, blessed are they; For the kingdom of heaven is theirs …” [Full lyrics]. Enjoy!
Here’s a telling poem about suburbia by Andrew Swansson. I found it tonight on his blog The Soap Box Truth:
Sunshine soft
Sunshine warm
Wattles swaying over fresh cut lawns,
Dancing birds singing bright
At the rays of dawns first light.
The smell of toast, coffee, tea
Float on past on a morning breeze,
Souls raised high on a wing and a prayer
For a day without despair.
……….
Movement and clatter as the day awakes
People start to move in haste
Cars are started
Tempers fray
Here we go on another day.
Office opens
Boss demands
There goes that bloody phone again
No time for lunch
No time to breath
No time to smile
No time to be.
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Here’s the trailer to an interactive web based documentary called Highrise: Out My Window, which looks at the lives of people living in highrise dwellings around the world. This isn’t a “suburban” theme, but watching the trailer reminds me all the more how isolated suburban life can be. Would there be many stories to tell if this were Subdivision: Out My Window?
The fact that society no longer protects a sabbath should not awaken either nostalgia for cultural homogeneity or desire for economic slowdown. Rather, it should alert all of us, whatever our faith, to become more mindful about opening the gift of time. If we are not mindful, the culture will not be mindful for us.
Isolation is rampant in suburbia. It poses a challenge to any church seeking to develop meaningful community. One reason for isolation is lack of urban planning. Most of the suburbs (exurbs too) grew like cancer cells, making interaction with others difficult. Things are changing mostly due to a weak economy. This week New Urban Network posted a story about the Re-Working Suburbia Conference near San Francisco, where urban planners are addressing these issues.
A friend just introduced me to The Wilderness Downtown project Arcade Fire is doing with Google. It’s based on Arcade Fire’s song “We Used to Wait” from their new album, Suburbia. It’s worth your time, especially if you grew up in the burbs. My childhood home in Northwestern New Jersey hasn’t escaped from suburban sprawl, but its still considered a rural community, so it didn’t have the emotional impact on me it has for others. If you check it out make sure and use Google Chrome browser.
I love movies, especially looking at them from a theological perspective. One genre of film are the Jesus movies. I’m not only fascinated how Jesus is portrayed in these films, but also the way the story is told. Lately I keep stumbling on these films, here’s a couple that have stuck with me recently:
Barabbas (1961)
My friend Rob Simmons, a huge film aficionado and movie critic, gifted me the 1961 film Barabbas, starring Anthony Quinn. While not a typical Jesus film, the opening scenes begin on Good Friday, when Barabbas is freed by Pontius Pilate. We witness the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and an encounter with the disciples, even a conversation with a ghostly Lazarus, all through the eyes of Barabbas. The rest of the film traces his life from being a slave to a gladiator in Rome. Barabbas is “haunted” by the reality that Jesus of Nazareth gave him his freedom. A film years ahead of its time, Barabbas, is a hidden gem of the Jesus films.
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
I have the The Greatest Story Ever Told on DVD, but it was on television this Sunday morning, so my daughter and I watched the last forty-five minutes together. This time around I was struck by literally license of the film, particularly Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin. The film’s director/writer George Stevens, takes the man who was healed of blindness in John 9, and brings him into the trial as a witness against Jesus. The witness is questioned, similar to the questions by the religious leaders, in John 9, but the final response of the witness is phenomenal:
The Suburban Pastor is the personal blog of Jeff Gang. I’m a pastor at the CrossWalk Seventh-day Adventist Church in Redlands, California. This blog is a place for me to share my thoughts about ordinary life as a Jesus follower, pastor, husband, father of three, friend, and triathlete in my spare time.
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