Servants Quarters 2007 is in full swing. We convened last night for the third time to continue our year-long dialogue exploring the implications of biblical stewardship principles for living in a culture captive to materialistic ideals. During this latest gathering, we planned to discuss the worldview perspectives reflected in a specific product of American culture: the critically-acclaimed and highly popular film, The Shawshank Redemption. God had other plans.
I hope and trust we were following His lead, as we shelved our Shawshank examination in favor of a spirited discussion concerning the crisis facing The Episcopal Church (TEC). In particular, we explored what it means for The Falls Church (and other parishes who only recently disaffiliated from TEC) to be wise and faithful stewards of the property with which they have been blessed – as the Diocese of Virginia and TEC press headlong into litigation aimed at reclaiming that property.
Given the dynamic and volatile nature of the situation, I abstain, at this time, from sharing my specific thoughts on the matter. What I will say is that we are striving to approach the situation with not just a Christian ethic and Christian spirituality (which no doubt are important) but also a Christian mind. We are striving to help each other “think christianly” – “to accept all things with the mind as related, directly or indirectly, to man’s eternal destiny as the redeemed and chosen child of God” (Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think? p.44). We are striving to “set[ ] all earthly issues within the context of the eternal, . . . see[ing] all things here below in terms of God’s supremacy and earth’s transitoriness, in terms of Heaven and Hell” (id. at 4). In one sense, that’s the primary business of Servants Quarters.
Because of that fruitful detour, we’ve decided to hold our Shawshank discussion here in this forum. All are welcome to pose questions, share observations or take issue with what I’ve written previously. (In short, I observed that (1) Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) reflected in important ways the biblical notion of how important it is to maintain an eternal perspective, while living here and now; and (2) the redemption of Andy’s best friend, Red Redding (Morgan Freeman), was suggestive of a Christian-like process of repentance.)
If you prefer specific to open-ended questions, let’s begin the discussion with the subject of beauty. What is attractive in the film? What people, places, behavior or ideas? To whom? How is it made attractive?
Our movie of interest in March was Gladiator, winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Picture. Gladiator tells the heroic tale of Maximus (Russell Crowe), the general turned slave turned gladiator turned liberator of ancient Rome. His is a life marked by gruesome violence and agonizing grief. David Edelstein of Slate was “appalled” by the “combination of grim sanctimony and drenching, Dolby-ized dismemberings.” Roger Ebert says the film “lacks joy. It employs depression as a substitute for personality, and believes that if the characters are bitter and morose enough, we won’t notice how dull they are.” 