Picture: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7; Luke 6:20-49) is believed to have been given at the top of the ridge (near the buiding) in the vicinity of Capernaum.The Write of Passage Screenwriting Competition is underway! Over 130 writers are now sweating it out, their assignment is to make a story out of this verse: Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
The final participation includes: 24 Mentors or RCPs, 8 countries: Canada, England, Ireland, Turkey, France, Netherlands, Japan and 23 US states. Want to know what it's like to compete:
See below for "The Writer Stumbles" a hilarious promo from 168 alumni Mark Blitch.
What would Jesus write?
Mark 4:33-34 "With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything."
Regarding the Kingdom of God, Jesus told many parables when he was with the masses. Some were plain and some required deliberation, wrestling and even argument.
This argues for a great diversity of films, from "Gospel" variety to "JGF," or Just Good Films. Yet, much of what we see out of Hollywood is banal, pedantic and dishonest.
Like great filmmakers, Jesus posed many questions, always with a point of view. He never talked down to his audience, but assumed that seekers would find answers.
Has our culture discouraged this seeking and finding answers? Have we become so lazy that we want it handed to us, even to the point of intellectual welfare. To teach a man to fish or to think for himself is the most humane approach.
For spiritual artists, the debate will never end regarding content for movies and TV. The question will always be asked and second-guessed, "How Much Faith is too Much?" One key to this question is "as much as they could understand."
How much do you think people can understand or tolerate? How does your attitude reflect in your art?
Imagine a giant movie screen installed at the site of the Sermon on the Mount (pictured above). Would Jesus have used the tools of the times. You bet!
4 comments:
Absolutely. I believe He would have certainly used any social media available too. But who would He have texted, Facebooked or IM'd to come to the big event? All the "losers" on society's fringes that would have Tom as their only friend on MySpace. People who had nobody else write on their Wall. Whose YouTube video only had one view. Is there any reason to doubt that penetrating light has lost any of it's ability to go round corners since apostolic times?
Faith or religiousity? I think that people can consume a lot more faith than religiousity. So, through humility we eliminate religious jargon from our presentation but, by no means, would we eliminate God or faith. Takes a little more thinking on our part, no more taking the cheap way out by using words that only my four friends and I understand. I think people are much more open to spiritual ideas than we think.
Faith or religiousity? I think that people can consume a lot more faith than religiousity. So, through humility we eliminate religious jargon from our presentation but, by no means, would we eliminate God or faith. Takes a little more thinking on our part, no more taking the cheap way out by using words that only my four friends and I understand. I think people are much more open to spiritual ideas than we think.
Great stuff John, glad I was finally able to get to it. You do know you could've embedded the promo video with the code provided at YouTube, right? ;)
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