Tonight I watched a fantastic fight (boxing) between Gerard Hopkins and current middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins retired from boxing 3 years ago and is 43-years-old (three years older than me) compared to Pavlik who is 6’1" and 26-years-old. So what do you think happened? Old man Hopkins dominated this fight from start to finish and gave us one of the best 12th rounds I’ve ever seen.

 

So, Hopkins, 17 years older easily wins the match in fantastic fashion. The only other fighter to win with such an age difference was George Foreman vs. Moorer who was 19 years younger. Sweet.

 

strange

there’s my flesh

walking before my eyes

wandering round

                             my blood

                             my heart

                             my eyes

                             my love

standing right there

all my pride

wrapped in rhythm
lyrical voice

singing a different song

harmony & discord

moving slowly away

to write his own symphony

carrying Father’s fire

to feed his own

to carry his own

cross and yoke

strange

wonderful

              and

                   strange

 

there is pearl

hiding in plain sight

mighty, strong and able

 

but what would it profit a man

to sell his everything

to gain an opalescent world

in forfeit of his soul

 

black pearl white

depends on the light

to sing and cry

and maybe

                take wing

and

     flame-fly

 

but still…

what would it profit?

 

Son of Rambow is a good movie. I think it is important to start out with that statement because the movie is not as simplistic as it might sound. The story revolves around two british boys growing up in the 1980s. One, Lee, is living in an environment with no boundaries, no rules, being raised by his older brother who clearly resents the task while mom is enjoying life in Spain with her boyfriend. As a result older brother tends to take his anger out on Lee despite the fact that Lee clearly idolizes him. In return Lee manages to ensnare a younger boy, William, in school to become his own servant. Someone whom he can take out his anger and frustration of a life adrift without an authority figure who loves him.

 

The boys meet in the hall of the school because Lee has been kicked out of gym class while the William is not allowed to watch a television documentary in class because his family is Plymouth Brethren. In the hall Lee bullies William, taking his sketch book away and causing a fishtank to fall to the floor shattering. With both boys in trouble Lee convinces William to become the stuntman in a movie he’s making to enter into a youth movie competition. Despite the fact that the initial relationship is based upon the abuse by worldly Lee of innocent William something happens that transforms them both. Friendship. William’s father has died recently and he lives in a stark, somewhat repressive, legalistic environment where judgement far outweighs grace. It is an enviroment that contradicts the great commission of Christ to "go into all the world and make disciples" because this Brethren lifestyle modelled in the film is not capable of doing this. It is William’s stark existance and need for a father figure that drives him to Lee who initially sees William as someone he can take his own anger out on. William’s acceptance of Lee and willingness to accept even the abuse and the lies, are what transform Lee from an angry loner bully into someone who genuinely accepts and needs others.

 

William does not come through this unscathed however. While he gains a friend he loses a great deal of innocence by being exposed to Lee because he was never prepared to deal with what the world can be like. William lies to his mother, steals because he see Lee steal and eventually runs away from home for a day to help complete the project he and Lee have begun.

 

The film juxtaposes two extremes – extreme isolation and abandonment on the one hand against extreme religious isolationism and legalism on the other. Both are wrong and lead to damage in people. Happily the movie ends by bringing the two extremes together in the middle. It is an ending that manages to show the beauty of both faith and the world.

 

The movie contains some mildly offensive language, a few Sh_t’s and a few uses of the Lord’s name in vain. While within the context of the story the language fits it is unfortunate the writer couldn’t resist. Without the language the film becomes accessible even to pre-teens. With the language it would best be viewed by Jr. High students and older unless accompanied by an adult.

 

I highly recommend the movie with the caution regarding language.

 

 

 

This circle stands

hand in hand

while every eye

looks out for –

 

the empty ones

solitary islands

stone sanctuaries

dry bones and dust

 

thirsty, thirsty, thirsty

 

this circle cries

come and be here

join us

 

we will thirst with you

we will join our dry bones

we will be stone together

we will be partners in dust

we will mix in our tears

and make bricks of our pain

 

then we will fall

into the endless spring

that pours within our midst

and remember why we are…

I just came back from a fantastic mini-retreat at Camp Koinonia with 7 other youth pastors/community youth workers. We had a fantastic time! We spent the night in a cabin and I cannot express adequately the fellowship we shared and continue to share. I know that it is not common for most pastors to share such a genuine level of friendship with the other pastors in their community. We are all aware of the blessing we find in one-another and mourn that it does not happen more often amongst our brothers and sisters elsewhere.

There are many I am glad to be journeying with – family and friends; the youth God has led my way; my co-workers – each brilliant and passionately faithful; and I’m glad to be journeying with my fellow disciples. Thanks for a crazy-fun, moving, ridiculous evening. Thanks for sharing the yoke.

 

my kitchen lamp casts

a culinary angel in light

with outspread wings

sheltering overhead

a photonic reminder

that darkness

is nothing –

just an urgent waiting

to be cast away

 

love is a broken echo

that bleeds God

into the lives of His children

 

but this quiet Word

is life to the willing

turning stone to flesh

and raising the dead

 

the question is

do you want to live?

 

What’s this?

 

water and miracle

everywhere water

everywhere miracle

 

bow beneath the waves

I’ll lie upon the sandy bottom

 

walk on it

call me out

I’ll come to sink

 

sit by the well

I’ll be there and listen

while you

tell me of my loves

 

turn it  to wine

I’ll drink it

 

climb on a cross

and let it flow

an everlasting fountain

clear and cleansing

from between your ribs

I’ll be on your left

waiting to be washed

 

Sometimes

I hear the threads

silver platinum strings

bright tremors in my mind

pulled tight across the bridge

while bow draws truth

like devil-tongued Sirens

singing beauty to the damned –

 

"come crash upon these rocks…"

 

Most times

the signal’s distant

background radiation noise

no signs of life here

just a small, little man

spending days and nights

spinning gold into straw