How do the forty days of Lent relate to the Bible and Saddam Hussein? Forty days mark our annual Lenten journey. We are almost at Easter, folks. Ask any Catholic. They’ll tell you that Lent lasts forty days. But why forty? What is the significance of that number? And why does the number forty show up repeatedly in Scripture? What does it mean? This video presentation explains— Biblical Forty We see forty everywhere throughout the Bible. It rained and flooded... Read more
What if there were no Jews or Christians to be found in the Scriptures? Trick question: how many Jews and Christians are there in the Bible? Ask almost anyone, and they’ll tell you that the Scriptures are filled with both. But what if I told you the correct answer is zero? What if I told you there were no Jews or Christians in the Bible? Before continuing with this blog post, let me explain by way of a video presentation... Read more
In this Year of Joseph, here’s a Joseph-Test quiz to see how well we know the saint. So today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And I’ve got a fun quiz for you, a Joseph-test if you will. Pope Francis declared December 8, 2020, till December 8, 2021, Saint Joseph’s year. This commemorates the 150th anniversary of Joseph being declared Patron of the Universal Church. See Francis’ Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”),... Read more
Jesus wasn’t Christian, and neither were the Twelve, Paul, or any other first-century persons. Do you think of Jesus as the founder of Christianity? And do you imagine his disciples and the Apostle Paul as the first to convert to the religion he founded? If so, better think again because Jesus wasn’t Christian, and neither were his immediate followers. We are no longer in Sunday school, brothers and sisters. To see what I mean, watch the following presentation— Jesus Wasn’t Christian... Read more
An old, funny American expression about Shinola helps Bible readers understand the importance of context. Most American “Bible Christians” don’t know Shinola about the Bible. Of course, many younger Americans don’t know Shinola about Shinola, either! Look at that first sentence of this paragraph. If you don’t get Shinola and the old American saying I’m alluding to, you may not understand what I just said. To help you get Shinola, and understand the rest of this blog post, watch this... Read more
Theological complacency is a pandemic, but four controversial films might help us grow as healthy Christians. Recently, we looked at why Jesus-movies like “The Chosen” aren’t realistic portrayals of Jesus. Last week, we explored other films, both educational and recreational, that help U.S. Christians better understand Jesus’ cultural world and the Biblical texts. It may seem controversial that none of these movies were explicitly about Scripture or Jesus. To my knowledge, there is no film explicitly about the life of Jesus that... Read more
The magnificent WandaVision finale to the series on Disney+ is the most profound thing yet from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Haven’t given up WandaVision for Lent, and I am not sad about that. Thursday morning, the WandaVision finale dropped. What a remarkable conclusion to such a rich, fantastic show, indeed the most profound production from the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. Be forewarned, true believers—spoilers are ahead! So back out now before proceeding with this video, and come back after you watch... Read more
Are there any films helpful for understanding Scripture?—Yes, there are! Last week, we looked at why popular Bible movies and shows, such as “The Chosen,” fail to “get” Jesus. This is true because, despite their artistic merits, these films almost always present a Jesus congenial to mainstream U.S. culture. In other words, they commit identity theft on the real Jesus, substituting a counterfeit-Jesus that buys American cultural values. Are there any films helpful to people wanting to better understand Scripture? Here is... Read more
Aloneness or privacy in the Gospels, as in the Transfiguration story, means being with a group, even when in Alternate Reality. This Sunday’s Gospel is the Markan version of the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-10//Matthew 17:1-9//Luke 9:28-36). Jesus experiences Mediterranean-style aloneness and goes into Alternate Reality with three of his closest followers, Peter, James, and John. They go up a high mountain, indicating Jesus’ desire for aloneness in prayer. But what is aloneness to Jesus? What Aloneness... Read more
This is the first of a series of posts about the good and bad of Jesus-movies like “The Chosen.” Some weeks ago, I finally gave “The Chosen” a fair shot. Months earlier, I found some clips of it moving, impactful, and well-acted. I get sentimental too, okay? But even those highlights were soaked in Western distortion. This amplified a thousandfold when I watched entire episodes. As with “The Passion of the Christ” before it, “The Chosen” doesn’t give you the Gospel scenes realistically, but instead Westernized... Read more
Messy Inspirations
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