Saturday, December 13, 2008

Narnia Disappoints

I was reading through the reviews on Amazon's page for the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian and I was amazed at all the good reviews it got. I was totally disappointed in the movie, which I saw in theatre last spring. They tried to improve from the book, but anyone with a lick of sense would know that no one, absolutely no one, can improve on C.S. Lewis.
The romance between Susan and Caspian was so out of place and completely atrocious.
Way too much battle, hardly any Aslan.
And the plot was really screwed up while most of the characters were far departed from the pen of Lewis.
It made me sad because I love the Chronicles, and I was really excited about the movies. The first stuck to the book well enough that I even bought it. Cannot say the same for the second. I hope they do better if they make the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Maybe the sea serpent will be a squirmy Michael Jackson and the Star's daughter will be Hannah Montana. Ouch.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Unimpressed

What is "Christian spirituality" exactly? I've been wondering where the sold-out-for-Christ people are hanging out, so I checked out the websites of some of the on-campus RSOs. Yowzas! I saw the word glorify once. Mostly the descriptions were fuzzy and made no real statement of what the intention of said Christian organization actually is.
I should feel no surprise. This is just another fruit of the modern American church, but it still feels pretty ooky. "Christian spirituality" sounds nearly cultish, at least tribal. Are Christians spiritual? No doubt, but I've seen way too many charismatics defend their complete lack of understanding and totally unGodly way of living with "spirituality." Though this spirituality is usually nothing but occasional floods of emotion.
Anyways, I'm just bummed. Really, where are God's people? Christ didn't die so you could live a well-balanced life and have a slightly higher moral standard than the world around you. Christ died because you (and I) are wicked, depraved, and totally separated from God. The death of Christ is the only thing that could ever pay in full for our sins outside of our own eternal damnation. And ultimately, Jesus suffered on the cross to glorify God.
So balance? Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Period.