Where the truth lies.

I wrote the following comment on a blog posted yesterday on my friend Cobus’ blog: emergingsa.wordpress.com titled “Some instinctive ideas”.  I hope that it could get us thinking about how open we are to other denominations (ecumenism) and new things in our own churches.

Sex and the Media, thanx for your contribution to HIV!

After attending the 1st Voices of Reason Conference on Wednesday (22 Nov 2006), I was once again made aware of the incredible influence sex is playing in South African culture. 

We definitely can’t deny the huge influence, music, movies, television, and advertisements has on all of us.  We are confronted by images of “perfect people” with “perfect muscles”  and 3% body fat every way we turn: on billboards next to roads, +/-80% of adverts (whether in magazines, on radio, on the TV).  Most of the young female celebrities (in the past these people should have been role-models) have their own documented sex-tapes, available wherever!  Characters in movies go to bed after the first date – that’s if they even make it to dinner!

Stay

In this film on dreams, near death experience and tapping into someonelse’s reality a very serious question is raised about what lies ahead in our moments of dying.

Discussion on movies I’ve seen.

I would really describe myself as a movie fanatic.  I loose myself in the plot, associating with characters - like most viewers.  But I also think that movies has a huge influence on my life, on how I perceive things.  Movies help me as pastor in relating to people, listening to their stories, trying to find out what people’s motives are for their reactions.  People I have to thank for this perspective on life is my father – also a movie fanatic, Freedman and Combs – for their narrative approach to pastoral counseling and Julian Müller also a huge influence in my life concerning approaching people and also on the narrative approach to pastoral counseling.

The movies I like won’t nessicarily be liked by others, and I’m fine with that.  I would however like to warn anyone reading my take on the films discussed that I’m not going to be sensitive whether I give away the plot or not.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

Most of the movies I watch, I try to interpret from a theological, social or psychological view.  I always think about how it could be used in a message to someone, whether in a sermon, in a discussion, on a camp etc.

I am posting about movies that I have seen to gain insight from others and really hope that this category will form a large part of my discussion.