Hereafter – Film Review

The unknown matter of death continues to fascinate us, whether or not we form our view from a religious, spiritual or nihilist perspective. This film, directed by Clint Eastwood, weaves together the disparate stories of three characters, all intimately touched by death in different ways. Rising French career journalist, Marie Le Lay, survives the 2004 South East Asia tsunami, having drowned and been revived. George Lonegan, in San Francisco, flees a life long psychic “curse” of being able to contact the dead, an ability his older brother is always pressing him to exploit. A few cameos illustrate how destructive to living a normal life this is for George. Meanwhile, in London, 12 year old twins Marcus and Jason ward of Social Services to keep their small family together under the care of a loving but drug-addicted mother. Marcus’ world falls apart when Jason is hit by a truck and killed while running an errand. Slowly these stories come together, each seeking answers to their respective dilemmas. Marie Le Lay finds her career trajectory changed as she investigates the meaning of her and others near death experiences. George Lonegan flees across the Atlantic to escape his bane, but, ironically, finds himself in a place where he must confront it. Marcus must find resolution to his experience of abandonment and incompleteness as a surviving twin. These are each compelling human questions in their own right. Easy and contrived answers are demonstrated to be unsatisfactory, both in the story line, and unfortunately for the film, in the conclusion of its own narrative.

Of course, as a Christian pastor who has sat many times with those passing over the “great divide”, I acknowledge the particular bias to which my critique leans. Life and death alike are both mysteries to be fully engaged. Eastwood’s film almost makes it in places, recognising our strange simultaneous curiosity and aversion to matters of what happens after death, but doesn’t quite know how to bring a conclusion that has integrity. I came away feeling a bit like the boy Marcus when the plethora of mediums he consults leaves him speechless at their foolishness and ineffectiveness.

Compassion – a “spiritual technology”…

Krista Tippett: Reconnecting with compassion | Video on TED.com.

Compassion has become a cliché through overuse and overexposure, contends journalist Krista Tippett. With story and lateral thinking, she explores new ways to reclaim and implement a sorely needed collective value. By linking it with everyday expressions such as “kindness,” “curiosity without assumption” and “beauty”, she invites us to reinvest in and reinvigourate a core component of being human. She wants to marry creativity with compassion in a “spiritual technology.”

Worth a listen if you are contemplating the climax of this week’s lection in Matthew 5:28-38 “Be perfect, therefore, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (rendered by Luke 6:36 as “Be merciful (compassionate) even as your Father is merciful (compassionate.”)).

[Memo to the pedantic: the contextual and theological relationship between the words “perfect” (teleos), and mercy/compassion (to yield, give way, commiserate, put yourself in place of the other) is defendable]

Turning the other cheek is not for sissies

Yep – it’s up for preachin’ this Sunday (Matthew 5:28-38)

Turn the the other cheek to the one who strikes you, give your cloak also to the one who sues you for your coat, go the extra mile. What’s the rationale?

According to Walter Wink:

Turn your cheek, thus indicating to the one who backhands you that his attempts to shame you into servility have failed. Strip naked and parade out of court, thus taking the momentum of the law and the whole debt economy and flipping them, jiu-jitsu like, in a burlesque of legality. Walk a second mile, surprising the occupation troops with a sudden challenge to their control. (Walter Wink, “Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination [Menneapolis, Fortress Press, 1992])

Sounds like roses on tanks in Manila, grandmas kissing soldiers in Tahrir square and asylum seeking detainees in Darwin passing the hat around for Queensland’s flood victims.
Sounds like creative and compassionate responses by the powerless to those who would wield power.

Is this what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like?

It’s now three years since saying sorry…

What has it meant?

If it has been a grudging acknowledgement in order to relieve the pressure of a collective nagging and vague sense of guilt, not much at all.
If it has been an empty vocalisation in order to finally silence, irritating and scolding voices we’d rather not hear – then zilch.

If it has been a genuine and mutual reaching out to one another in order to reconcile and entertain the possibility of real partnership, then something!

Reconciliation Australia’s “barometer” released  early this week reveals that mutual trust is the big challenge, with low percentages on both sides of the divide. Yet there is optimism about progress. See CASE STUDY 3: TRUST BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IS LOW

Kevin Rudd, the author and deliverer of the prime minister’s apology in February, 2008, reflects on what was involved in coming to the occasion. See Apology To The Aboriginal Stolen Generations. His reflection reveals what is needed on a large scale if  meaningful progress is to occur – and the foundation is relational before it can be political. This is what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been telling us for decades. Let’s hope more of us are starting to  listen.


When the circus accentuates tragedy…

I’ve just been listening to politicians conscientiously “questioning” the rationale for flying bereaved asylum seeker detainees the long distance from Christmas Island to relatives’ funerals in Sydney. These are the victims of the shipwreck off Christmas Island late last year. “Why not lay them to rest on Christmas Island?” they opine. Forget the fact that there is already extended family in Sydney where the traumatised refugees hope to relocate and would surmisably gain some degree of comfort that their loved ones were laid to rest nearby. What’s the cost of a plane fare compared to the extraordinarily extravagant cost of off-shore detention?
I want to know why both Government and Opposition persist in singing the praises of off-shore detention when mainland community based assessment and resettlement was healthier, more integrative and humane for so many years.

Celebrating the Unthanks

Festivals of arts always give us the opportunity to dip into a smorgasbord of genres we may not otherwise take the trouble to encounter. Jenny and I celebrated belatedly her birthday by having a night out with the Unthanks, a unique folk group blending traditional and contemporary music from the north east of England – (Unthanks is the surname of the two lead vocals – not a disposition!). The setting was great – a warm balmy night on Perth’s esplanade, a mob of happy Egyptian born Aussies celebrating at one end and us gathering at Beck’s Music Box at the other. The Unthanks connected quickly with the audience with their wry, self-deprecating humour and their repertoire of lullabies, clog dancing, sea shanties and ballads depicting historical and contemporary social commentary. It is true what the reviews said – they “inhabit” their music. It was a marvelous and winsome 90 minute immersion in Geordie song and dance. Here’s a taste (from a file clip):

Singing for flood relief

I often grab a snack in this food court and have thought how well it might lend itself to a “flash mob” performance.

Well, now it has! And it’s for flood disaster relief.

http://www.youtube.com/user/StorytellerMedia

(For some reason I’m unable to directly embed the video here.)

Edit: Ahh – good reason – it’s on a page where each click generates a donation to the flood appeal from Google ads! So go there and click!

Praying with the Coptics…

Many of Perth’s Egyptian community endured a sleepless night as the dramatic events of their homeland unfolded and the seat of government changed. Such was the background for the 40th day commemoration of those who died in the Alexandria bomb blast on New Year’s Day following midnight prayers. It was my privilege to attend the newly renovated St Mary’s cathedral in Perth and represent my communion at the Ecumenical Prayer Service for the Christian Martyrs of the Middle East organised by the Coptic Orthodox Churches of WA and the Syrian Orthodox Church of WA.

There is nervousness amongst Coptic people about the future for Egypt, and indeed, the whole Middle East. As a minority people with very deep and ancient roots in the region, they have suffered a great deal. There is no guarantee that persecution will not continue  as opposition to their presence and the drive for sharia law persists, even in spite of strong shows of unity in the recent street demonstrations.

This morning’s prayers were indeed for those who have recently died as a result of their Christian faith, but also for the land of Egypt, that opportunities for a peaceful transition to a just and peaceful life for all  might be availed.

Saying sorry – the continuing journey

The third anniversary of the Australian government’s Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is rapidly approaching (13th February). What of substance has occurred since then? A bi-partisan response to the audit presented to federal parliament this week, Closing the Gap, revealed some challenges, unfulfilled intentions and a degree of frustration on all sides. What is encouraging, however, is the political will to keep engaging. Such is the nature of this long journey.

Reconciliation Australia describes a cooperative entity called The Healing Foundation that was established one year after the Apology. It describes initiatives taken within indigenous communities that work towards the healing process. Crucial elements include the community basis of control, recognition of and patience with complexity, and the diversity of healing approaches required. There is a wisdom here that I hope the parliamentary and wider Australian community are beginning to hear and receive.

Healing (making whole) is a total community project.

What Would Jesus Cut?

There will be considerable angst in Australia’s Federal Parliament today as a minority government seeks the support of the cross-benches to pass a flood tax levy. The Opposition prefers that post-flood reconstruction be funded by budget cuts, targeting a range of so-called “soft” options such as our commitment to overseas aid. Our friends across the Pacific and a little to the north are also debating budget cuts, hence the Sojourners project “What Would Jesus Cut?” Not a simple question to answer, as Jesus was never in governance, but many in government claim to to be inspired by his wisdom and guided by his principles. So “what would Jesus cut?”