Burning in my heart

Beyond Borders...a 2003 film starring Clive Owen and Angelina Jolie - I watched it last night. The second half seemed to be more...Hollywood-ish, but the first half, and the whole movie overall, was rather jolting. Especially the scenes of famine in Ethiopia...the faces of the people...the babies. So many dying. Raw suffering. Pure need.

Jeremiah 5:27-31...Read it this morning. What a perfect, sickening depiction of what we have become. We have our own "prophets" who "prophecy falsely," and local leaders and congregations who gobble it up as Gospel truth. You hear today's prosperity preachers talking about the good life and great wealth God's just waiting to dump on us...when we already live in such abundance....yet we have "grown fat and sleek...and do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper...[or]defend the rights of the needy."

Compare this...

To this...

We pursue affluence and luxury under the guise of seeking God's blessing...and neglect the starving, oppressed lives all around us. This should put fire in our bellies...

Reign Over Me

Just watched this with Sam and Mom....a great, great movie. Heavy. It was interesting to see the relational issues and how communication plays such a vital role. Interesting how Charlie knew he needed help but avoided it so passionately. The very things he really needed to remember and talk about were the things he avoided thinking about--but so much of his life was centered around not remembering his family in ways directly related to things that happened when they were still alive.
We naturally avoid pain--but pain is often how we grow.