Monthly Archives: March 2012

“THE HUNGER GAMES” AS A MIRROR

Posted on March 27, 2012 by stanwiedeman

Okay, so I have neither seen the movie nor read the book – yet. That will not stop me from commenting on the latest box office “blockbuster that doesn’t seem like a blockbuster,” The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins wrote the young-adult trilogy and collaborated with director Gary Ross to adapt it for the screen.

Collins offers the readers/viewers “a terrible kind of mirror,” according to Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the teenage leading role, Katniss. “This is what our society could be like if we become desensitized to trauma and to each other’s pain,” said Lawrence. The book/movie tackles subjects like totalitarian government, invasive media and dehumanization. Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Movies, Violence | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

WHEN LOVE IS ABSENT

Posted on March 22, 2012 by stanwiedeman

In moral terms, bullying must qualify as conduct contrary to love. Conduct contrary to love must be defined as a form of hate. Hate crime laws do not go far enough, because they restrict the definition to a few protected classes. Any action aimed to hurt another person physically or emotionally describes an act of hate.

Justice defines the penalties for violations of the laws formally enacted by legislation. If no law exists, no penalty can be exacted. Anti-bullying legislation moves closer towards the moral principle established by the Old Testament and reiterated by Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All behavior should be judged by this immutable and comprehensive principle of love. Continue reading →

Posted in Bullying, Hate Crimes, Justice, Love | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BEAUTY FROM ASHES

Posted on March 13, 2012 by stanwiedeman

At 2:46 P.M. on Sunday, March 11, horns sounded across the entire island nation of Japan. People everywhere stopped and bowed their heads in a minute of silence. Special ceremonies throughout the country commemorated the devastating disaster that occurred at … Continue reading →

Posted in God and Nature, Natural Disasters, Sovereignty of God, Suffering | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

REALISTIC HOPE

Posted on March 6, 2012 by stanwiedeman

Recently my niece was interviewed for a job. The interviewer asked her, “If you could have any three things you wanted, what would they be.” My niece thought for a moment and then answered, “I would want to eliminate world hunger. I would want to eliminate world poverty. And I would want to evangelize the entire world.”

Before you chuckle about her noble idealism, take a more careful look at what members of the Millennial generation (aka Generation Y) are doing. Different writers use different terminals to identify this generation, but Thom and Jess Rainer have determined to study those people born between 1980 and 2000 (inclusively). Continue reading →

Posted in Kingdom of God, Millennials, The Gospel, Transformed Lives, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment