Adam vs. Zeus

Everyone’s a movie critic, and I’m no exception.  I have two beloved family members in “The Industry”, and when I’m around them I try to be a least a little discreet in my comments so I don’t look like a total dweeb.  Or not.

(Then there’s our own bloggin’ bro, Mitch Teemley!  Go check out his site, and watch for his wonderfully reviewed upcoming movie next year!!  GO, MITCH!!) 

Anyway, my movie prowess is not, how would you say, sophisticated.  I cried at Bambie and Jungle Book…in college…even though I had seen them before and knew the story line.  I’m okay with reversal of fortune, but still need that contrived, oh-there-you-are-again-how-did-that-happen Hallmark thing.  And above all I have to have a happily-ever-after ending.  I mean, I might even allow the glass slipper to have a few smudges and scratches and cracks, but it still basically fits her foot as they dance their way into the castle, roll credits.

My perfect world.  No drama.  No pain. 

And we wonder why the mental health industry is a multi-million dollar business…

Funny how God will opt to communicate through our different forms of media if we just have our antennae up.  Here’s a clip from an old movie Bob and I recently enjoyed:

I remember an agonizingly painful time in my life, backed into the corner ring and being beaten to a pulp, and asking the Lord, “how much longer, God?!”  And the answer:

“As long as it takes.”

I think sometimes God have to push me into pain to help me truly perceive His love, and to recognize (and be properly equipped to utilize) His power.  What a strange and holy paradox this is, and not one that many can accept.  Paul put it this way:

“So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.”

Interestingly, as beaten up as the underdog robot was, he wasn’t destroyed, or forsaken by his trainer.  (I’ll just put the verses here, ‘cuz otherwise I’ll go over my self-imposed word limit: Hebrews 13:5; 2 Corinthians 4:9-11)

And, this little bot wasn’t really winning the fight until he was actually doing exactly what his trainer was doing, nothing more, nothing less, at all costs, seemingly even to his own detriment.  Which is the job of the Holy Spirit working in us, (Acts 1:8), and which is what Jesus Himself did, (this one’s so good I’ve got to put it out there:)

“So Jesus explained, ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.’” 

BTW, the underdog bot’s name was Adam, and his over-confident opponent was Zeus, which, chewing on that one a bit, I find a funny “coincidence”…

1 Corinthians 1:20-23; John 5:19 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.