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Thanos During Passion Week

 

The chief villain in the Marvel’s movie series culminating in Infinity War and End Game is a blue-purple giant with a large chin. His name is Thanos. His maniacal goal of killing off half of all life in the universe is made more complex by the underlying reason behind his goal: he hopes to relieve the environmental tension resulting from overpopulation.  In this, he finds resonance in the climate-concerned audience, who are now torn with sympathy for him despite his draconian approach and his general cruelty.

 

Doesn’t this strike a chord within us? That yearning to know what is death, why is death, and when is death appropriate? When is war and killing the right thing, if ever? And what is our ultimate meaning as human beings in this world? As we know more and more of the damage we mete out, it becomes increasingly difficult to live with ourselves in our self-indulgent nature, though we cannot seem to rid ourselves of it individually or collectively.

 

Why bring up Thanos now? What about this time of year makes a re-look at this movie series appropriate?

 

This is the Passion week in Western Christian tradition. When the last days of Jesus’ life on this earth are recalled and reviewed. On his very last day, says gospel-writer Mark, the Chief Priests and Elders met together and discussed the method of which they would put Jesus to death. The word used for this putting-to-death is θανατῶσαι (Thanatosai). "Thanatos" means death in Greek, where comic writer Jim Starlin got the name Thanos for his super-villain in 1973.

 

Thanos and Jesus have more to do with each other than only Greek words. In the movies, Thanos was the universe’s best attempt to deal its selfish over-consumption and other wrong choices. And that attempt in itself was so wrong and inadequate, obvious to all. Yet no alternative in the end was presented, except to ignore the problem and move on to the next group of young and beautiful people in hopes that they could distract us as momentary heroes.

 

Jesus, the Bible says, took all the wrong choices, the selfish decisions, the overconsumption, of all the universe, and put it all on his own back with a wooden cross and allowed himself to be destroyed in compensation. It was all of our bad choices, all our nation’s bad choices, all of our leaders’ bad choices, that took Jesus down that road he could have avoided. Once and for all time, Jesus took the cup of Thanos and, instead of finding a solution of balance, or a solution of justice meted out on the world, he drank it himself. The whole cup, full and forever.

 

John put it this way: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Thanos is about judgment and death. So are the Avengers: the judgment and death of Thanos. But God loves us, despite all of our bad choices individually and collectively. And he has a plan for Salvation: both for us and for the world. That plan starts with Jesus.

 

So let us think about Jesus this week: his words, his suffering, his sacrifice. His story is worth considering. No sequels needed. A story that in itself brings life where there was only Thanos.

Following

It appears that a good church upbringing will do many marvelous

things for you, but one of the unfortunate things it also does is

convince you that Jesus is to be worshiped but not followed.

                                                                                                - Frost/Hirsch

Death

Everyone knows they're going to die...but nobody believes it.

                                                                                   -Mitch Albom

The Very Best Cell Phone Plan for your Child

I found this awesome new cell phone plan for kids! I wanted to just let

people know what a great investment it is! This is only a partial list of its benefits:

1. No monthly fee (one time charge only)

2. No hidden fees, late fees, or any other fee!

3. It rings when you want it to (just press one of the buttons). It does

 not ring when you don't press the button so you have complete control!

4. It is really easy to resist texting while driving

5. It is very colorful

6. The screen won't break if you drop it (so you won't need a screen

 protector, or a case)

7. No crank calls

8. No one can use this to steal your identity

9. The NSA cannot track you

10. It blocks sexting, 100%

11. Your kid can't ask you for money using this phone

12. No Youtube in bed

13. Prevents screen addiction

14. Encourages outside activities

15. Doctor recommended (I'm a doctor and I recommend it)

16. Can be used by any age child! 

17. Blocks access to extremist web sites of all flavors (though there is

 a one-eyed monster as you can see; you have to deal with that one)

I am sure you can add to this list (please do!). I highly encourage the

dollar store cell phone plan for your child!

Faithfulness

Long-term faithfulness to its calling, rather than short-term relevance to culture, should be the church’s goal.

                                               -Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (3^rd ed, p988)

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Community

Christianity is a corporate matter, and the Christian life can be fully realized only in relationship to others. 

While acknowledging the distinction between the visible or empirical church and the invisible or spiritual fellowship, we should do whatever we can to make the two identical.

                                                           -Millard Erickson, Christian Theology(3rd ed, p969)

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God

God is not a bureau

                                    -Millard Erickson, Christian Theology

Preaching and Living

(A congregation) will give you leave to preach against their sins, and to talk as much as you will for godliness in the pulpit, if you will but let them alone afterwards, and be friendly and merry with them when you have done, and talk as they do, and live as they and be indifferent with them in your conversation.  For they take the pulpit to be but a stage; a place where preachers must show themselves, and play their parts; where you have liberty for an hour to say what you list; and what you say they regard not, if you show them not, by saying it personally to their faces, that you were in good earnest, and did indeed mean them.

                                                -Richard Baxter, Puritan Preacher, 1615-1691

Truth

"When you see something, say something. And you say it with the facts and the reporting to back it up. You make the choice everyday to exemplify honest because the truth exonerates and it convicts, it disinfects and it galvanizes. The truth has always been, and will always be, our shield against corruption, greed and despair -- the truth is our saving grace"
                             

                                                                         -Oprah Winfrey 

 

There is but one question of the hour: how to bring the truth of God's Word into vital contact with the minds and hearts of all classes of people.      

                                                                             -William E Gladstone

Invested

It is not that people are necessarily so opposed to the truth; it is that they are so incredibly invested in the lie.