“Those who tell stories rule society.”
- Plato

It has become increasingly evident to me how powerful stories are in shaping worldviews. The average person will get view-of-the-world ideas from mediums such as motion pictures, books, plays, etc… which are the fabric of our cultural entertainment. I can certainly say that I am influenced by these mediums all the time.

If you want to shape a person’s worldview, the best approach may not be a philosophical argument, rather… tell him a story. Not only does a person relate to the narrative genre better than anything else, but a good story is retained in memory. Think about it… if you asked your friends what their favorite movie is… they could probably recite large portions of content back to you. Actually, most everyone I know can recite most of Monty Python’s Holy Grail but that’s another story. Now ask your friends to recite back their favorite lecture, or Presidential speech… no chance.

btw… Jesus spoke truth by telling stories.

A good narrative isn’t just intellectually stimulating but it captivates your emotions. You are in the drama and the characters become important heroes and villains to you. You begin to relate to them in different ways. Stories can affect the way you think about life… and can influence change in your ideas. That is what makes stories an incredibly powerful medium in our culture.

Want to know what is shaping society… film, movies, drama, motion, all wrapped in this thing we call a narrative.

“A story isn’t an isolated fact; it’s a connected system of facts. Stories are presented in linear form, but they are understood as a mesh of interrelated ideas, which is why they must be experienced in their entirety to make any sense.” – Chris Crawford

Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are

Director Spike Jonze takes on the task of turning a 39 page classic children’s story into a 90 min film. Having been a fan of the book, I was very interested in seeing the movie, and came out with mixed reactions.

In this film adaption, Max lives at home with his single mom and teenage sister. Home life is a bit stressful for Max, where he shows signs of being lonely and neglected…leading him to throw tantrums and eventually run away. Like the book, this then leads to a boat and eventually an island inhabited by creatures. When the beasts try to eat him, he convinces them that he is a king and they are then eager to keep him around… to be their ruler and fix their problems. Unfortunately it isn’t any easier for Max to fix things in this fantasy world than it is in his real world.

Like the Wizard of Oz, it doesn’t really matter if the story is really a part of Max’ imagination, and the movie succeeds in pulling you into that world. The movie is also beautifully filmed, and captures the essence of the book. The unique development of the characters unfolding is also interesting to watch, and I had that ‘aha’ moment when I realized that each of the beasts portrayed a different part of Max. Carol had his tantrum side; KW his wanting to get away; Alexander wanting somebody to listen to him. It became obvious that Max had a bit of himself he was trying to resolve in each of the monsters.

So where then, does the movie fail? well… when I walked out of the movie, I turned to both my kids (ages 11 and 7) and asked if they liked it? Although they said they did, they were both a bit down, expressing that the movie was also sad and sometimes depressing. The reason is because the movie was trying to deal with the psychological aspects of anger, loneliness, jealousy, and even some abusive behavior. In doing so, the film lost its target audience… and at that point, it had me guessing on who exactly is this movie for? Young adults and teenagers would find the monster’s playful aspect too childish, and young kids would entirely miss the adult psychology.

Really good movies have a way of targeting kids (satisfying their playfulness) and also depicting character dynamics that adults would also enjoy. I think adults like myself would get this movie, even if it isn’t a feel-good depiction, the artistic aspect does keep you intrigued. However, the movie fails in targeting the same kind of kids that the book targets… which I think is the real problem.

In conclusion, the book will remain a classic, the movie will be an interesting remembrance of some fun moments and good imagination, but will not withstand the test of time.

My favorite music genre is Jazz. In my brief time studying some of the theory and history of Jazz, I always felt there were some good practical analogies and applications to life and faith. With that, I was excited to read Robert Gelina’s book titled “Finding the Groove: Composing a Jazz-shaped Faith.”

Gelina uses Jazz metaphors or what he defines as a ‘jazz way of thinking’. It is the essence that is responsible for a revolutionary movement that crosses racial, cultural, socioeconomic, denominational, and generational divides, and it is this type of essence that helped him discover the richness of the Christian Gospel.

“Jazz was born of the desire for freedom, independence, and autonomy within the bounds and bonds of America. The beautiful thing is that in the process, it was able to accomplish something that nothing else had. At a time where the Klu Klux Klan was on the rise, lynchinhs were commonplace, and segregation separated human beings – even according to their bathroom habits – something remarkable was happening: blacks and whites were coming together in the same room to play and listen to jazz, oftentimes as equals.” — pg23

Gelina sees Jazz as more than music, but he outlines some great principles to learn from . Here are a few:
Syncopation, the beats that accent the offbeat are prominent in Jazz. The Syncopated parts of life are the unnoticed and unheard, something Jesus was a master at elevating.
Improvisation is an aspect of creativity which God uses via the art of contextualizing.
Call-and-Response, is a process of listening and responding — repentance, affirmation, applause.

Other topics that Gelina discusses include the importance of Community ( Life in Concert), of spirirtual growth (Finding your Voice), of listening to scripture and calling (Developing your Ear), and of pain and suffering (Singing the Blues). All of which formulate a strong faith and foundation as a follower of Jesus. It’s not an easy road, and the history of Jazz too demonstrates the many struggles.

“Finding the Groove” is a creative book that enforces good principles of faith, and does so within the context of an American phenomenom. You don’t have to be a musician to like this book. If you are a Jazz enthusiast, you will deeply enjoy the connotations of what a Jazz-shaped faith entails. It was an inspiring book to read.

You can also read Robert Gelina’s excellent blogs here:
http://www.jazztheologian.typepad.com/