This Changes Everything

A lesson in reading Scripture from Superman Returns?

In SUPERMAN RETURNS, the 2006 Warner Bros picture, Perry White walks the newsroom as the Editor-in-Chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet. Within the first 40 minutes or so, we learn that Clark Kent has come back to work at the newspaper, and thus, Superman has returned to life in the big city.

He’s Back—and near the beginning of the picture, there’s his big-time Baseball-stadium-size rescue involving the foiled launch of the Genesis space shuttle, which had been in flight setting atop a Boeing 777… With aircraft plans gone amok, Superman makes his saving splash back on the city scene.

Do you remember the Daily Planet action right after Superman saves the 777 passenger airliner from crashing into the stadium? It’s the classic newsroom situation of bedlam and hubbub—“We’ve gotta get this story out, and yesterday!”—with Perry White at the helm.

All of White’s writers are gathered around at the ready; his monologue demonstrates cadence like an army Lieutenant on one knee with sweat beading down his cheeks informing his platoon about the next maneuver:

OK…everybody, listen up. I want to know it all…everything!

 

Olson, I want to see photos of him everywhere. NO, the photos of…

 

Sports: How are they going to get that plane out of the stadium?

Travel: Where did he go? Was he on vacation, if so, where?

Gossip: Has he met somebody?


Fashion: Is that a new suit?

Health: Has he gained weight? What has he been eating?


Business: How is he going to affect the stock market? Long term? Short term?

 

Politics: Does he still stand for truth, justice and all that stuff?


Lifestyle: (pause…camera pans over to Lois Lane): Superman Returns….

Just after a rushed exchange with Lois, Perry turns to the entire newsroom and barks out: The story is NOT the black out, it’s SUPERMAN.

I couldn’t help see the comprehensive nature of the redemptive work of Superman! He affects all of life! It’s Travel, Fashion, Health, Business, Politics—the whole gamut.

The church must take a cue about seeing Christ’s work affecting all of life. It’s clear: He is the central event of history with ramifications for the cosmos. Learning to read the Bible marking the ways of seeing its own single thread of the message of the suffering and rising of the Son of God (Luke 24: 26) is key. One reason we fail to see Jesus Christ—His person and work—integrated into all areas of life is because we’ve failed to see all texts and subjects of Scripture integrated into their single focus on the person and work of Christ.

When we divide Christ from subject matters like history, government, business, education and health so as not to see His redemptive work affecting and reforming such subjects, we fragment all of life.

Editor Perry White wanted his writers of the Daily Planet to focus on Superman from every angle conveying the comprehensive nature of his rescue. He affects everything. This scene of rescue changes everything.

G. Mark Sumpter

Learning to Discern

Where do we first go for learning proper critique of movies?

“For the first time in human history, the stories are told not by parents, not by the school, not by the church, not by the community or tribe and in some cases not even by the native country but by a relatively small and shrinking group of global conglomerates with something to sell.” Media analyst George Gerbner

I don’t buy it, figuratively nor physically.

Gerbner over-reaches in this comment. It’s too, too technologically, consumer-digitally-driven.

Stories are always generated and passed on by the culture-shaping influence of the home, the church, the schools, the artists, writers, teachers, counselors, and others.

I think it would be more accurate to say: nowadays, we have the means to disseminate the stories quickly and widely. In this way, those who are pushing things onto the consumer public have the quick-draw ability. That’s important and measureable and attention-getting for popular culture, but that’s all. Faddish things are faddish, and they make money.

Still the best stories are told by the best story-tellers, not marketers.

In the book, Eyes Wide Open: Looking God in Popular Culture, William Romanowski of Calvin College comes so very close to locating a grid for a proper, faithful critique of art, theater, movies, literature and such using the service of the gathered people of God for public worship.

But he misses the mark.

He sweeps the effort of movie critique under the rug of the totality of living for the Lord. In essence, if you want to learn to discern, remember all of life is under God’s Lordship. He owns it all and rules it all. Since He is owner, redeemer, sustainer and ruler, then, all needs to be seen through the lens of what He says about it. True and helpful.

Romanowski quotes Romans 12:1-2, but only as a world-view grid.

He fails to tap into the passage as a worship-grid. He writes: “As living sacrifices, all the activities of life—including engagement with the popular arts—make up our spiritual worship of God (Rom. 12:1).” Look at movies with the eyes of faith. Take up the call to discern as a form of worship; it’s your stewardship to do so. In short, do all your movie evaluating—do everything, unto the glory of God. That’s fine.

But what about the culture-shaping role of public worship on Sunday? I take the Romans 12:1-2 passage as the one-two punch. 1) First offer your bodies. 2) Be transformed with mind-renewal. Worship transforms. Worship shapes. Worship makes disciples. Worship will shape us week after week for renewal—a renewal either after God, for God or after man, for man and his worldliness.

The hope and basis for growth in good story-telling is in good liturgy. The hope and basis for growth in sound, faithful critique of movies is in good, sound, faithful liturgy.

I am hoping to get more and more into volumes that promise movie-watching helps and guides for being armed for critiques. The two pictured here might be ones to lean on. Do you know of others?

G. Mark Sumpter