Richard's cousin is a United Church pastor, and recently he did a sermon series entitled "Reel Theology", using several of the Academy Award nominees as a springboard for talk about spiritual dilemnas, social problems facing Canadians, and how Christians relate to the world. His Brokeback Mountain sermon was especially moving. He said the movie saddened him not because it was "offensive", but because what's happening in 2006 isn't far removed from the hostility faced by gay people in the '60s. And he was upset that Christian critics of the film took it upon themselves to speak for all Christendom when denouncing the movie.
(This reminds me a lot of the Lutheran pastor in my hometown, who adored The Eagles and once used "Desperado" as the theme for a sermon on maturity.)
The underlying message of the Brokeback sermon wasn't just about our shi**y attitude toward gays, though; it was about the tendency of all people to divide humanity into "us" and "them". In the Christian worldview, there should be no "they." Just "we", just "us". If we're hostile or unforgiving towards anyone, for whatever reason, we're acting out against ourselves. Think of mankind as a hive or a colony, where every part serves the whole in some small way. Abuse one, and you damage the whole community.
P.S. You can listen to the Reel Theology sermons here. Don't worry, they're short.
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3 years ago
4 comments:
That's COOL!! I'll have to listen to that series. Did he have a sermon for Crash?
Nice; my ex's parents are both United ministers and I find it a very liberal take on Christianity. Brokeback broke my heart for so many reasons, all among what you've already mentionned, but also because there was such deep, unrequited longing and love; I found it so sad and frustrating. I'll look for his sermons, too.
Yeah, he did have one for Crash! I haven't listened to it yet. He also did one on "Capote".
You gotta love the United Church. I don't understand all their theology (their eucharistic practices for one thing) but they are extremely liberal and we need more churches like that in the world.
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