God's Provision, The Joys of Giving and Receiving, and Living with Thanksgiving; A Review of 'Unsung Hero.'

 Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!
It's now time for me to do another entry I've been meaning to do for quite a while now, looking at a movie I saw last year that had a big impact on me as well as on my now- fiancee Hannah who saw it with me.

First, though, before talking about the movie, I think I'll talk a little bit about music. As anyone who knows me personally can tell you, my undisputed favorite singer is the contemporary Christian singer Rebecca Jean Smallbone, aka Rebecca St. James.

Her beautiful voice and the heartfelt and Godly songs she has written blew me away when I first started getting into Christian music in the early 2000s, and continue to do so today. I've seen her live in concert multiple times (Including one concert in Fort Myers in 2006 that was recorded for her "aLIVE in Florida" album), and personally met her twice. She has been a well- loved figure in Christian music for over 30 years now, and her songs have not just entertained but also helped untold scores of people, myself included, to better connect with the Lord Jesus Christ. The books she's written are great, too, including one new book she just wrote with her husband Jacob "Cubbie" Fink (Former bassist for the pop group Foster the People) a couple months ago called 'Lasting Ever.'

Rebecca's success also enabled her younger brothers Joel and Luke, who acted as her backup singers for years, to eventually become a very successful Christian music group of their own called For King and Country.

However, Rebecca's initial rise to fame was definitely not an easy one, and a movie was eventually made about it called 'Unsung Hero.' 

(Credit for this picture goes to the user ALTRGAMING2007 on Moviepedia at https://movies.fandom.com/wiki/Unsung_Hero?file=Unsung_Hero_poster.jpg)

It premiered in theaters in late April of last year, did very well in the box office for an independently- produced Christian film, and is now on DVD/ Blu- Ray and streaming. I of course saw it with Hannah on its opening weekend, and figured I should give my thoughts on it here. I'd have done so sooner, but life got in the way a LOT.

This movie tells the story of a teenaged Rebecca (Played here by singer/ actress Kirrilee Berger) and her family, the Smallbones, and the struggles they faced up until she eventually made a name for herself in Christian music.

At the start of the film, Rebecca's father, David Smallbone (Played here by his son Joel Smallbone), is a concert promoter for contemporary Christian artists in the very early 1990s. He personally invests a fortune in helping the singer Amy Grant arrange a concert tour through his home country of Australia, as he believes this could be extremely profitable and his ticket to the big time. Problem is, Australia then out of nowhere goes through a severe economic downturn, leading to Amy's tour being cancelled and the Smallbones losing everything. To top it all off, David learns all of this awful news just before his wife Helen reveals at his surprise fortieth birthday party that she is now pregnant with what will be their seventh child. Not exactly the best time to learn that his family will soon have another mouth to feed.
Desperate for another gig that can save his and his family's financial security, David apparently works out another deal to be the promoter for a Christian singer named Carman, and moves himself and his entire family from Australia all the way to Nashville for this. Almost immediately after arriving, however, this deal falls through, and the Smallbones are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and in their bags and a little house with no furniture at all.
In spite of this, the family remains committed to each other and to God, and are willing to do what they can to survive in their new home. The whole family finds work cleaning houses and doing yard work, finds ways to make their limited income from this stretch as far as possible, and are helped a LOT by the generosity of the church they begin attending, particularly a kind wealthy couple who worship there (Played by Lucas Black and Candace Cameron Bure).
Amid all this, it quickly becomes clear that 16- year- old Rebecca has a real talent for singing, but needs to develop it a little and find a record label that will give her a chance. The rest of the family help her however they can as their circumstances slowly but surely start to improve, leading eventually to her auditioning for the eccentric but well- meaning Christian singer- turned- record label owner Eddie DeGarmo, and the start of something amazing.

It should come as no surprise that I thoroughly loved 'Unsung Hero'! It's easily one of the best and most engaging Christian films I've seen in years. I've known about many of the details of the Smallbones' initial struggles and Rebecca's rise to fame before this from when she's talked about it in interviews and testimonials in her concerts, and the movie adapts it very faithfully for the most part. The movie has loads of heart, a few funny moments sprinkled in, and some nice moments of drama and character development.
A VERY cool element of the filmmaking process for 'Unsung Hero' is that each of the actual Smallbones makes at least a brief cameo in the movie, from obviously Joel playing his father David, to Rebecca herself appearing as a flight attendant early on when we see the Smallbones' flight to America, to (I thought this was REALLY clever) their youngest daughter Libby appearing as a nurse during the scene when baby Libby was born! So, it's like she assisted in her own birth!
The acting is all great, particularly for a Christian film. I love that, rather than just focusing on Rebecca or one of the other members of her family, they are all fleshed out quite well and we see many of their respective struggles. Joel Smallbone brings a lot of emotion to his performance as a younger version of his father David. You genuinely feel for him in all that he is going through, his struggles to provide for his family and feel like he's doing something good with his life. You can see where he's coming from with his decisions, but at the same time tell when he's unwittingly letting his pride get in the way of doing what's best for his family.
Daisy Betts shines through as the mother, Helen. She wrestles with so much, trying to support her husband while initially not being sure if his decisions are the best, and doing everything in her power to keep her family together and help them make the best of their new situation in life, just like a good wife and mom should.

Kirrilee Berger is marvelous as a teenaged Rebecca. She looks almost exactly like how Rebecca looked at around that age (So much so that apparently, when the real David Smallbone came to the set and first saw her, for a fraction of a second he almost thought she WAS his daughter somehow turned back into a teenager), demonstrates excellent acting range, and has a lovely singing voice that mirrors Rebecca's. We see her at first just pitching in to help the family stay afloat with this new life, then when it's clear the time has come for her to really step up and become the singer she was meant to be, that proves to be quite complicated; Initially she sings well in informal settings, yet struggles with her nerves whenever she has to do an audition tape or perform before record- label execs. It's incredibly satisfying to see her eventually overcome this and nail her audition for Eddie DeGarmo in the end of the movie.

Another great aspect of this movie can be found in the title, as who the "Unsung Hero" in the Smallbones' story is depends a great deal on the viewers' individual points of view, and whom in the movie they can most identify with. For fathers and other middle- aged men dealing with disappointment and trying to ensure that they can provide for their loved ones and make their own lives mean something, that hero is David. For wives and mothers who try to support their husbands and children and ensure that the bonds of love and faith that hold a family together remain strong, that hero is Helen. For teenagers trying to follow their dreams, ignore naysayers and do what God has called them to do, that hero is Rebecca. It's all about perspective.

Of course, as 'Unsung Hero' is a Christian movie, it obviously has a good amount of Scriptural messages in it, but manages to deliver them in a much more subtle way than many Christian films do.

One of the first of these is on trusting in God's provision at all times, even after losing everything. The Smallbones are left with pretty much nothing after David's deal with Carman falls through, yet on the night when he breaks the news to his family and he and Helen let them know about their financial situation, they also make it clear that the family must lean on the Lord more than ever to ensure they will be provided for and endure. They know that, as bad as things can get, God will provide a way for them to make it through if they work hard and trust in Him, and indeed He does provide for them as they continue to trust in Him. This calls to mind Proverbs 3:5-6, which says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." The Smallbone family learns the truth of this firsthand in the movie, and so can we. I know all too well what it is like to be in maddening uncertainty and have my anxiety over the future and what to do next almost consume me, but I also know that God is looking out for me, and if I put my faith in Him rather than just in my limited understanding and my fears, He will always provide me with a way out, and so He has, time and again. He can do the same for all of you. 

Another important message to 'Unsung Hero' relates to both giving AND receiving. As I said, while the Smallbones struggle a lot to stay afloat financially upon moving to Nashville, they are helped a great deal by the people in their church who do an amazing job demonstrating Godly compassion and generosity to this new family they haven't even known for very long. We see this in a lot of ways, from the gift of a car, to everyone coming together to ensure that the Smallbones' first Christmas in America is a genuinely happy one worth celebrating, to them even anonymously helping to cover the medical bill when Libby is born. It's the exact sort of thing that Jesus talked about when He instructed believers that coming to the aid of "The least of these brothers of mine" when they are in need is the same as coming to the aid of Jesus Himself.
On the other side of the coin, there's also the matter of receiving the generosity of others well. We see David for a while starting to become resentful of the wealthy couple in the church providing for his family so much (He sees it as kind of a blow to his pride, particularly the paying for Libby's delivery when he was just about to negotiate a payment plan of his own). He eventually realizes that this is not a good attitude to have; These forms of generosity to the Smallbones were a kind of ministry on the part of the other people in the church, a way for them to serve and glorify God by helping other people who they could see were in need. I myself have learned to not turn away or refuse the generosity that others might extend to me; I try to do things myself, sure, but when people might see that I'm in need of something and attempt to help, I'll accept any help they can offer, because I know that it can indeed be a form of ministry for them by putting God's love into action, and a way of bringing joy into their lives by giving them the knowledge that they are performing an act of kindness.

 Together, these two points demonstrate Galatians 6:2, which says "Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Notice there, it's part of the LAW of Christ for believers to provide for each other. That means not only being willing to help those you see who may be in need, but also not being too proud to accept help from others when you are in need, so that the cycle of mutual help and fellowship among believers in Christ can endure.

A final point to be taken from 'Unsung Hero' relates to prayer and thanksgiving. One lovely aspect of the Smallbones adapting to their new life in America and their vastly changed financial circumstances is that they continue to make prayer a key priority in their lives. We see that in one room of their house, they have a wall divided between a "Please" section in which they would tape up pieces of paper with their prayer requests for things that they would pray for, and a "Thank you" section in which they would tape up all their blessings that they were grateful to God for. As the movie continues and the Smallbones' circumstances gradually improve, we start to see things being transferred from the "Please" section to the "Thank you" section quite regularly. I'd say all of this is a great example of Philippians 4:6- "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Another verse that ties in perfectly to this is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 Prayer is vital to the life of a Christian, both making your requests known to God when you are in need of them, and thanking Him in prayer when those requests are met. The latter part can be tricky, because once our requests are met, it can be easy to forget about them and move on to what we want or need next, so we need to remember the ways God has blessed us and properly thank Him for it. If you don't have the space to make a wall for it like the Smallbones did in the movie, a simple notebook could become a prayer journal so you could record your requests, remember when they are met, and thus remember to thank God for always being there for you.

That about sums up my long- overdue look at 'Unsung Hero,' a marvelous Christian film showing how my favorite singer and her family gradually achieved what God called them to, which teaches equally marvelous lessons about trusting in God to provide for us, the importance of both showing and receiving generosity, and the important roles that prayer and thanksgiving play in the life of a believer.

That's it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Keep your eyes peeled, as my next entry is coming soon, my top 10 favorite movie characters of 2024. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

Faith in God's Goodness, Avoiding Idolatry, and Finding Joy Through Christ: A Look at Some Interesting 'Dogma.'

Hi, everyone! Happy Easter, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
We are now well into 2025, and I will be doing something a little different: Usually, the first blog post I make each year is my Top 10 favorite movie characters of the previous year. While I am still working on compiling that list for 2024 movie characters, this year I have a couple other entries that are almost finished and that I really meant to put out last year, so I want to get them out of the way first this year.
 For this installment, to finish my three- part look at pop culture media that directly involve religion and faith, I will be looking at the 1999 comedy- drama film 'Dogma,' which very recently celebrated its 25th anniversary!

(This image was taken from the View Askewniverse wiki at https://viewaskewniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Dogma?file=215px-Dogma_%28movie%29-1-.jpg)

This movie is part of what's known as the "Askewniverse," a series of several movies in the same universe, all directed by Kevin Smith, and each feature among their casts of characters two goofy potheads named Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith himself) in various levels of prominence. Jay is a gutter- mouthed moron who hardly ever shuts up, while Silent Bob is much wiser and more reflective, and as his nickname indicates, he generally only talks once or maybe twice in each movie, usually saying something really brief and/ or really profound. The two of them play off each other well, and are always good for a laugh in every movie they appear in.

Now, on to 'Dogma.'
DISCLAIMER! As you can probably tell from my description of Jay and Silent Bob, this movie is definitely not suitable for all audiences. It's rated R, mainly for the fact that it has a ton of bad language, and its ending is very bloody. So, use caution before seeing it or letting kids see it.

The central plot of 'Dogma' revolves around two angels named Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck). For defying God long ago, they were banished from Heaven forever and forced to reside in Wisconsin of all places.

Loki and Bartleby's situation takes a major turn when they receive an anonymous letter pointing out to them that if they can reach a certain New Jersey cathedral on a certain day, they can get back into Heaven by exploiting a somewhat obscure loophole in Catholic dogma. They quickly set out on their way to do this. Problem is, we eventually discover that if they are able to pull this off, it will completely unmake all of existence.

Enter our main protagonist, Bethany Slone (Linda Fiorentino), a woman who works in an Illinois abortion clinic of all places. While Bethany is a practicing Catholic, she very strongly doubts that God exists due to some quite heartbreaking personal tragedies she faced. One night, she is visited by a top- ranking angel known as the Metatron (The late Alan Rickman in one of his most underrated roles), who fills her in on the Loki- and- Bartleby situation and tasks her with traveling to New Jersey ASAP and attempting to reach the cathedral before the two fallen angels can so that she can hopefully stop them from unwittingly destroying the world.

 Bethany soon gains a number of companions on her quest; First up, two "Prophets" who turn out to be none other than the aforementioned Jay and Silent Bob. They are deeply attracted to her, and decide to follow her on this journey. Next up, they meet Rufus (Chris Rock), the foul- mouthed yet often quite wise and witty thirteenth Apostle of Jesus, who was apparently left out  of the Gospels due to his race (Though, interestingly enough, Romans 16:13 does have the apostle Paul mention a "Rufus" who apparently was some kind of leader in the early church). Eventually, they also meet up with Serendipity (Salma Hayek), a former celestial muse who came to Earth to start a writing career, only to suffer from writer's block and work at a strip club to pay her bills.

We see Bethany and her little group on their journey, Loki and Bartleby on theirs, and we know that the time will come soon when their respective paths will converge in a thrilling climax with all of existence at stake. 

I consider 'Dogma' to be quite possibly Kevin Smith's best movie to date. It may not be his funniest movie (Though it does have tons of EXTREMELY funny moments), but I'd say it is his most thought- provoking, exciting, and intelligently- written movie. The assorted philosophical questions it raises on faith as well as other subjects are things that I could picture a lot of viewers talking with each other about over coffee or lunch afterwards.

I HAVE to do a character run- down since there are so many memorable ones in this. Loki and Bartleby prove to be fascinating characters, with their assorted banter with each other quite entertaining and natural- sounding. Big props to Matt Damon and particularly Ben Affleck for their performances. In the climax at the cathedral, Affleck brings an out- of- nowhere menace to Bartleby, showing how his obsessive pursuit of his goal has eventually driven him over the edge into sheer madness.

Bethany makes for a nice enough "Everyman" sort of protagonist, her reactions to all the strange and miraculous things she sees and is told about feel like how you or I would react under the circumstances. The more you see and learn of her and her assorted inner struggles (i.e. The personal tragedies she faced that had heavily hindered her faith in God), the more you sympathize with her. Linda Fiorentino gives a clever and yet heartfelt performance as her, conveying stress, sadness, exhaustion, and eventually, hope. By the end of the film, you'll DEFINITELY find yourself wondering where she'll go from here.

Jay and Silent Bob steal every scene they appear in, just as they do in all their other movies. Jay has so many funny lines, and Kevin Smith's performance as Silent Bob conveys a whole cornucopia of emotions just through simple facial expressions and gestures. They bring much- needed levity to the film to keep it from taking itself too seriously. A line of dialogue by Jay in one scene also includes a subtle but very amusing nod to an earlier Jay- and- Silent- Bob film called 'Mallrats.'
Chris Rock as the "Apostle" Rufus is an interesting case. In his first couple scenes, he's a LOT like how Rock usually presents himself in his acting roles and his stand- up routines: Very loud, short- fused, using a good deal of cursing, and rather obsessed with race. However, as the film progresses, he makes Rufus more thoughtful, wise and indeed thought- provoking. A scene later in the film when he and Bethany are on a train and have a conversation about what Jesus was like and about faith in general is wonderfully- handled by him, you could genuinely believe that this Rufus was a disciple of Jesus who faithfully followed Him.
I admit, Serendipity the muse was a bit of a wasted character. Salma Hayek's performance as her was good, but she doesn't do as much as she could; She shows up to meet Bethany and her group about halfway through the movie, but then doesn't stay with them for the next phase of their journey, and then out of nowhere shows up to help save the day near the climax of the movie. A couple more scenes with her would have been nice.

As I indicated earlier, I consider the angel Metatron to be Alan Rickman's most underrated role. He may be best known by the majority of movie buffs for playing characters like Hans Gruber or Severus Snape (Perhaps some day, I could look at Scriptural lessons that can be taken from the Harry Potter series? Let me know if you'd be interested in that), but his performance as Metatron is honestly brilliant, even though he only appears in three scenes of the movie. He's grumpy, cynical (Both rather typical traits for Rickman characters, I admit), but also loyal, frequently funny, dignified, and kind deep down. A scene about 2/3rds of the way through the film when he comforts Bethany while she is feeling deeply discouraged will genuinely move you, largely through the compassion and empathy that Rickman conveys in that scene.

Even though obviously the main threats for the heroes to overcome in this film are Loki and Bartleby, there is also another prominent villain in 'Dogma,' in the form of a suave yet sadistic demon named Azrael (Jason Lee) who it quickly becomes clear is working his own twisted agenda and seeking to exploit the whole Loki- and- Bartleby situation to advance it. He makes for an excellent baddie largely through Lee's performance (Lee would go on to be cast as the voice of the supervillain Syndrome in 'The Incredibles' largely because the Pixar execs were so impressed with his performance here), and the trio of quasi- demonic hockey- playing teens he uses as his henchmen/ muscle are suitably menacing, too. As for the grotesque monster known as "The Golgothan" that Azrael secretly sics on Bethany and co. halfway through the film, you'll have to see that thing to believe it!

In addition to everyone I mentioned, there are two minor characters in 'Dogma' that I feel also deserve mention: First, the late comedian George Carlin appears in it as a long- winded Catholic cardinal (This is especially ironic due to the fact that Carlin was known for being a hardcore atheist), and gets some laughs for some of his lines, rather embodying the pompous religious leader who talks a good game theologically but is almost certainly more worldly than Godly deep down. Second, in the very end of the film, the singer Alanis Morissette appears as God, and although she doesn't talk, she still conveys power, compassion, and an almost childlike love of the world and its simple pleasures through her performance. A likable enough take on the Almighty. 

Morisette also sings a really cool song called "Still" that is heard in the film's closing credits.

Oh, and one more thing to keep in mind if you watch 'Dogma': The movie opens with a seemingly- inconsequential scene of a homeless man on a boardwalk being attacked by Azrael's hockey- playing henchmen. Tuck that scene in your mind when it happens, as it will in fact have a TON of bearing later in the story!

As you can probably guess, in spite of how irreverent 'Dogma' can be at times (It attracted a lot of controversy when it first came out), it still conveys TONS of Scriptural truths, if you know where to look.
The first I can think of concerns faith not just in God Himself, but in what God has in store for us. During one scene on a train, Bethany is asked when she lost faith in God, and she responds that she can remember exactly when it happened: Shortly after going through the aforementioned personal tragedies, she was on the phone with her mother talking about it, and as she put it, "When nothing she was saying was making me feel any better, she said, 'Bethany, God has a plan.' I was so angry with her, I was like, 'What about MY plans?' You know? I had planned to have a family, with my husband; Wasn't that plan good enough for God? Apparently not."
On one level, I can deeply relate to Bethany's feelings in that statement. I too have had what I considered to be good, acceptable plans for my career, relationships, and life in general, only to have them yanked away from me in ways that at the time seemed completely senseless. However, when our plans derail, it is often because God has something better in mind for us that we could never have imagined at the start. This, too, I have seen firsthand; I'm a great deal happier and more fulfilled now with where God has put me on so many levels than I would have been if my initial plans had come through the way I had intended back then. This can even be seen through Bethany's experiences in the movie, if you look closely at it; Had she gotten her own plan (A family with her then- husband), her life would have gone in a completely different direction from what it took, meaning she likely would not have been able to stop Loki and Bartleby, and all of existence would have been destroyed. Furthermore, not to give away a big spoiler in the end of the film, but Bethany ultimately DOES get at least part of her own plan/ wish granted, in an unusual but truly wonderful and blessed way. This ties into one of my favorite Bible verses, Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" God has a much better sense of the big picture than we do, and He truly does know what He is doing. So, when your own plans get set aside in one way or another, have faith that God has something better in mind for you and faithfully follow Him.

A pair of additional theological lessons to be taken from this film can be found in a single scene of it. See, a very important scene in 'Dogma' for me occurs about halfway through it; Loki and Bartleby take a little detour from their trek to the cathedral to visit the corporate headquarters of a kids' entertainment/ fast food franchise called "Mooby, the Golden Calf," the title character of which appears to be based on a combination of Mickey Mouse, Barney the dinosaur, and obviously the Golden Calf that the Hebrews briefly worshipped in the Old Testament. Loki was the Angel of Death and dispenser of God's righteous judgment on sinners before being cast down (Noah's flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the 10th Plague of Egypt were all his work, apparently), and so he decides to do the same to the Mooby company's horrifically corrupt and morally bankrupt board of directors.

 When the two fallen angels confront the board, Bartleby first up rebukes them for the fact that this character they have built a franchise and mega- corporation around has become an idol to many, drawing worship away from God. He then points out that only one of the assembled executives in the room is a remotely decent human being, as God and His angels are able to see every detail of every life, even the closely- guarded personal secrets that they have. To prove this point, Bartleby then lists some of the deeply despicable sins that the other executives have committed (i.e. One of them cheated on his wife eight times in a year including at one point sleeping with her best friend in the bed he and his wife shared on an occasion when he was supposed to be watching their kids, another approved the production and sale of toys made from materials that he knew were toxic and unsafe in order to save money, and so on). It ultimately ends with Loki shooting each of them except for the one who turns out to be a decent person, who is allowed to live. The whole scene is disturbing, thought- provoking, and yet darkly funny all at once.

In an honestly brilliant bit of cinematography, there is a point or two in this scene when the camera does a close- up of the Mooby statuette at the center of the board's table. In the background whenever this close- up is done, through the board room's large window, we can see what is clearly a church/ cathedral from across the street. With the Mooby statuette centralized in the shot and that cathedral positioned behind it, this is a marvelous way of subtly conveying that Mooby has indeed become an idol, a symbol that draws worship away from the Lord, just like the Golden Calf from the Old Testament was.

(See what I mean? This image comes from the url https://fancaps.net/movies/Image.php?imageid=1346128)

We all need to be very aware that even the most seemingly harmless things in our lives can end up becoming idols to us. A hobby or job that takes up increasingly more of your time, a video game you can't stop playing, a celebrity or pastor you become obsessed with, each of these and many other things can end up dominating our thoughts and actions more than God Himself does and thus can become idols to us if we let them. I've certainly gone through this myself. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." While that verse is obviously pointing out how an obsessive pursuit of money can become an idol to people, it can also apply just as easily to the things I previously mentioned. We can enjoy all those things, but we as believers MUST make sure that God comes first in all things and that nothing replaces Him in our hearts.

Another point to be taken from the "Mooby massacre" scene is on God's omniscience and His sense of justice. After Bartleby outlines the horrific things that the board members have done and how there's only one remotely decent person among them, Loki continues, "Do you know what makes a human being decent? Fear. And, therein lies the problem; None of you has anything left to fear anymore. You rest comfortably in seats of inscrutable power, hiding behind your false idol, far from judgment, lives shrouded in secrecy, even from one another; But not from God." There is a sobering truth in there for all of us. Our God is merciful, but also just, and He sees all. Some people, like the other executives in the scene, delude themselves into thinking that God will never notice the awful things they did and they will never have to answer for any of it, but everyone on this Earth will one day have to give some sort of accounting before God for how they lived, including what they did behind closed doors. Proverbs 15:3 says that "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Jeremiah 16:17 has the Lord declaring "For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes." In addition, Hebrews 4:13 declares "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Thankfully, for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have salvation through His sacrifice on the Cross acting as an atonement of our sins, but we too must remember that God sees all that we do and we will have to give an accounting of all of it in time.

To take things into at least a somewhat more cheerful direction, one final theological message I've taken from 'Dogma' is on the importance of maintaining our Godly joy. During the scene when Bethany and her new friends first meet Serendipity the muse and talk to her a bit, when the discussion turns to the Loki- and- Bartleby situation and the loophole in Catholic dogma they seek to exploit, this exchange occurs:
Serendipity: "I always knew that thing was a bad idea; Leave it to the Catholics to destroy existence."
Bethany: "You have issues with Catholicism, I take it?"
Serendipity: "I have issues with those who treat God like a burden instead of a blessing, like SOME Catholics. You people don't celebrate your faith; You mourn it."

I love that last statement, and it and it carries a lesson not just for Catholics, but for ALL Christians. We need to keep from allowing sadness and despondency to rule our lives and keep us from feeling joy over what God has done for us. Philippians 4:4 states "Rejoice in the Lord always; Again I will say, rejoice." Furthermore, Nehemiah 8:10 states, "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Notice that last part: Our joy gained from knowing the Lord can be a source of strength for us. We all know that life can be tough, between personal struggles and (Particularly for people who spend too much time watching cable news) seeing the world as a whole as a sad, scary place full of evil. However, even in those times, lasting joy can be found by remembering that God loves us, sent His son to save us from our sins, has a great plan for our lives, and has set aside a place in Heaven for each of us who accepts Him.

Unfortunately, 'Dogma' is a VERY hard- to- find film nowadays. See, it was directly financed by the now- infamous Harvey Weinstein, and the contract for him to do so dictated that as long as Weinstein lives, he will receive a small share of all proceeds made from the film, from ticket sales to streaming deals to each individual DVD sale. When details of the awful acts Weinstein committed came to public light, Kevin Smith refused to allow another penny to land in that creep's pocket if he could help it, so he discontinued all DVD and Blu- Ray sales of it and refused to put it on any streaming site until after Weinstein dies or the contract is otherwise nullified. As frustrating as that is for me as a fan of the film, I can respect Smith for making that decision for the reasons he did.
The good news is, 'Dogma''s not COMPLETELY impossible to find: Your local library may still have a copy of the DVD available for rent, AND there are full rips of the movie available to watch on YouTube (Type in "Dogma Full Movie" as a search term, and one or two should come up).

Furthermore, it sounds like Kevin Smith and some outside parties have over the last couple months managed to buy back the rights to the film from Weinstein's people, as he is currently doing a nationwide tour of screenings of the movie! I think he'll be doing a lot more with 'Dogma' in the near future, as he should! With any luck, this will lead to it being available to watch in home- viewing formats again soon, God willing.
That about sums up my look at 'Dogma,' a slightly irreverent but awesome and thought- provoking film that teaches great lessons about trusting in God's plan, keeping away from idols, learning to be as righteous as we can, and finding the true joy that only comes from the Lord. Truly blessed lessons to learn.

With that, I bring a close to this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay alert, as I will hopefully have a new entry out (The other one I had been working on for a while) within the next few weeks. Until then, stay safe, have a very happy Easter, and may God bless you all!

Inclusion, Intercession, and Seeking the Scriptures: A Look At 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.'

Hi, everyone!
Merry belated Christmas and happy New Year from the Nightcrawler Experience!
I was going to have my next entry finish out the series I'm currently on by looking at the film 'Dogma,' but I got so wrapped up in Christmas planning (No pun intended) that I'll have to put that on hold for a little while, but it'll be out some time in the next month or so, I think.
And, speaking of Christmas and getting wrapped up in planning for it, that's the focus of the film that I'll be looking at in this entry: This year's family comedy film 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.' 

(Credit for this image goes to STHerbs97 on the Christmas specials wiki at https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/The_Best_Christmas_Pageant_Ever_(2024)?file=Poster-BestPageant2024.jpg)

This film, based on the 1972 book of the same name by the late Barbara Robinson, is told from the point of view of a girl named Beth (Played by Molly Belle Wright as a kid, and by Lauren Graham as an adult narrating the story). She lives in a town which is widely renowned for its church's annual Christmas pageant, yet the opening narration makes it clear that the pageant had started to become a little stale lately. On this, what will be its 75th anniversary, the longtime pageant director Mrs. Armstrong breaks her legs and so Beth's mother Grace (Judy Greer) decides to take over, even though she has never done it before.
This in and of itself would be enough of a challenge, but she soon gets an even greater obstacle to contend with: The Herdman kids.
These six siblings were born from an absentee father and a mother who works multiple shifts to keep a roof over their heads. So, in other words, they're wild terrors. They bully other kids, disrespect adults, shoplift, smoke cigars, and generally are a menace to everyone in town.

One Sunday morning, the Herdman kids out of nowhere come to the church for Sunday school, as they've been led to believe there'll be free snacks there. They come on the very day that Grace announces she's going to need children to play the various parts in the Christmas pageant.

The Herdmans take a surprising interest in the concept of this play (Particularly their tough- as- nails oldest sister Imogene, who's thought a lot about acting), and decide they want to play the main roles in it. The other children in the Sunday school class are all too afraid of them to compete with them for the roles, so the Herdmans get the parts; Imogene as Mary, older brother Ralph as Joseph, the younger brothers Leroy, Ollie and Claude as the three Maji, and their psychotic youngest sister Gladys as the Angel of the Lord. Literally everyone in the church thinks that letting the Herdmans have anything to do with the pageant is a REALLY bad idea, but the aptly- named Grace is determined to give them a chance as a way of demonstrating Christian love and compassion.

As rehearsals go on, the Herdmans look surprisingly deeply at the details behind the story of the first Christmas (Which they had never heard of before), at times raising questions that none of the others had really thought of before. All sorts of hijinks and revelations ensue, leading up to a Christmas pageant that will never be forgotten by any who witnessed it.

I absolutely ADORED 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'! It was funny, inspirational, heart- warming, and just a real treat to watch! It was also extremely faithful to the book. It added on some scenes and a subplot or two to pad out its run time which would have otherwise been extremely short due to how short of a book it was (There's a reason why the only other adaptation of this book was a TV movie in 1983 that was less than an hour in length), yet the additions didn't really feel out of place or unnecessary.
One thing I like is that, while the movie gives off the impression of taking place some time in the past (After all, Grace is a child about 10- 11 years old when the story takes place, yet narrates the story as a middle- aged woman), yet it keeps it vague as to exactly what time period it takes place in. I get the feeling that was a deliberate choice, and it works well. I also like that it includes a "Where Are They Now" epilogue showing what eventually happened to each of the Herdmans. It was cute, funny, and made a lot of sense.

The acting in the film is all solid. Judy Greer is wonderful as Grace, portraying her as someone who is under increasing stress to show she has what it takes to pull off the pageant even as things get more and more out of hand, yet remains as patient and kind as possible, both towards the people in the church and towards her own family. Pete Holmes also sticks out very well as Grace's husband Bob, a good- natured guy who gets a few laughs and remains loyal to his wife's decisions and optimistic amid everything that happens.

The real stars in this movie, though, were the kids. The film and its young actors make the Herdmans out to be characters who, in spite of all the problems they cause to everyone, still manage to be likable and tons of fun whenever they appear. In particular, Bea Schneider gives a wonderful performance as Imogene Herdman, infusing her with real emotion in a lot of scenes. She definitely has potential to continue to impress as an actress. Also, Kynlee Heiman shines as little Gladys, making her terrifying (Especially when she screams, she has a real set of lungs on her) and yet adorable at the same time. Admittedly, I wish the film had given the cat- loving Herdman brother Ollie (In the poster above, he's the boy getting a headlock from his older brother Claude) a little more to do, but that's just a minor quibble. I pretty much guarantee this movie will be getting some Young Artist Awards nominations for its child- actor performances. Probably a win or two, in fact.

All in all, 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' is a wonderful film which I believe really does have the potential to one day join the ranks of 'Home Alone' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' as one of the great Christmas classics.

The original book was always meant to have a theological message to it, and as this movie adaptation of it is directed by 'The Chosen' creator Dallas Jenkins, it unsurprisingly contains a lot of spiritual truths.

The first I can think of relates to inclusion within the church. This movie, perhaps even more so than the original book, makes for a great indictment of the judgmental, ultra- controlling, borderline- Pharisaic attitudes that can be found in certain church settings, where a small group of church members feel like they have the right to control everything that goes on in the church and decide who is welcome there and who isn't. In this case, it's seeing how Mrs. Armstrong and a group of her fellow "Church- ladies" are practically champing at the bit for any excuse to get the Herdmans kicked out of the pageant and regularly pressure Grace on what a bad idea it is to keep them in. Their cruelty and snobbery (Particularly that of the character Mrs. Wendelken and her snotty daughter Alice, both of whom will have you practically tearing out your hair in nearly every scene they appear in) are a complete contradiction to the core teachings of the Christian faith that they claim to profess. I'm sorry to say I've seen people a lot like them in some of the churches I've attended over the course of my life.

In contrast to that sort of attitude, as Grace tells Beth at one point in the film, "The whole point of the story is that Jesus was born for the Herdmans as much as He was for us. We'd be missing the point of all of it if we turned them away."
That seems like a great depiction of the sentiment expressed in Colossians 3:11- “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Jesus came to Earth and died for ALL of us, even those we might see as "Bad." The inclusion and love that Grace and eventually Beth show to the Herdmans ends up touching the hearts of everyone in the church, and likely played a big role in the fact that, as the "Where Are They Now" epilogue showed, the Herdmans would (For the most part) go on to do much better as adults than anyone figured they would. We all, similarly, need to open our church doors and our hearts to everyone, demonstrating the love of Jesus towards all of His children.

Another theological point to be taken from 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' is on intercessory prayer. One of the characters who changes a good deal over the course of the film is Beth, and one of the ways it is shown is through how we see her pray at night in various scenes. Early on, Beth's prayers include that God would find a way to get rid of the Herdmans so she can have an easier time of it. Later on in the movie, however, as Beth gains a more compassionate and indeed Godly heart, her prayers become more selfless, praying a lot for her mother Grace to get by well as the pressures she's under continue to mount, and even eventually praying for the Herdmans themselves, that God would look out for them and help them.

This more selfless attitude to prayer calls to mind 2 John 5:14, which says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us."

Notice the term used: If we ask anything "According to His will." See, God most enjoys hearing us ask Him in prayer for things that will help fulfill His will for us and for the world. Simply praying for people who bother you to go away is not the sort of prayer that God is likely to answer, as such a desire is not in accordance to His will for our lives. In contrast, praying for the well- being of others, including your enemies, is a prayer that God will be much more likely to listen to.

One more Scriptural point to be taken from 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' is on learning more about the Scriptures and the lessons they have to teach. An important scene is in the first rehearsal for the pageant. Grace decides it would be a good idea to read the Christmas story to everyone there. The kids that were regulars at the church all groan, and say they've heard the story loads of times. The Herdmans, however, are genuinely interested in it. They listen deeply to it, wonder what certain words and terms mean, and actually ask questions about it (i.e. "What's a 'Manger'? Is that like a bed for a baby? Why would there be a bed in a barn?"; Their observations relating to Herod are hysterical, too). The Herdmans and Beth then go to the library to research the Christmas story in preparation for their roles, further expanding on their knowledge of the story.

This calls to mind the important truth that knowledge and studying the Scriptures are important for believers to expand their faith, and as it did for the Herdmans, can even lead those who are new to the faith to come to find Jesus as a result. As Romans 10:17 tells us, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." In addition, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." It's why even rereading Bible stories you've already read or heard of before is important; It can reveal new truths to you, and enable you to better explain them to those who are new to the faith.

That sums up my look at 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,' a marvelous new film that I can tell will become traditional Christmas viewing for me, both for its entertainment value, and for the timeless lessons it teaches on being welcoming to others, truly reaching out to God in prayer, and learning more about God's holy Word.

That's it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. I should be cranking out a couple more entries soon. Until then, I hope you had a very merry Christmas, have a happy New Year, and may God bless you all!

True worship, providence, and an effective witness; What to do about "Homer the Heretic."

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!

I meant to do a second Halloween- related entry this year, looking in a cautionary way at the film 'Late Night With the Devil,' but I've been so busy, and Halloween has come and gone, so I'll save it for next year.
For this installment, I'll be continuing my look at secular media that deals directly with the subject of faith in some way. This time, I'll be taking a crack at an episode of the legendary animated comedy show 'The Simpsons.' 

(Credit for this image goes to the user "The Great Bader Show" on the Simpsons Wiki at https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/The_Simpsons?file=Logo-tab_s33.png)

I'd imagine pretty much everyone has at least some knowledge of this show, now having 35 seasons under its belt; It centers around the Simpson family (Dim- witted father Homer, fussy mother Marge, bratty older son Bart, gifted middle daughter Lisa, and baby daughter Maggie), and the various exploits they have with each other and the MANY assorted residents of their hometown of Springfield.

I'll be honest here: "The Simpsons" is a show that has REALLY fallen hard over the last several years. In its heyday, it got my vote for being easily the funniest and cleverest show on television, particularly during the seasons when talk show host extraordinaire Conan O'Brien was one of its writers. However, it has gone on for way too long, outlived its novelty at least a decade ago, become increasingly heavy- handed and one- sided with its attempts at social/ political commentary, and most of its current episodes are about as funny as a wet sponge.
However, solace can be found in the fact that most of its earlier episodes (i.e. from the show's first 10- 15 seasons) largely remain as great as ever, plus the feature- length 'Simpsons Movie' that came out in 2007 remains very good as well; The movie would have actually made a wonderful series finale if the show had ended there.

For this entry, I shall be looking at an episode from the show's 4th season, with the admittedly worrisome title of "Homer the Heretic." Just bear with me on this:

This episode starts on an extremely cold Sunday morning. Marge wants the family to go to church, but Homer (Who often approaches church with a grudgingly tolerant at best attitude) doesn't want to because of the nasty weather outside, and gains an excuse to skip when he accidentally splits his dress pants. 

The rest of the family goes (A very funny dialogue between Marge and Bart ensues on the drive over when Marge tries to explain Homer's absence to the kids by saying that he's "Resting," and Bart asks "Resting- hung- over? Resting- got- fired? Help me out here!"), and has a horrific experience there as it's freezing inside the church due to a broken furnace, the pastor Reverend Lovejoy's sermon for the day is a long and depressing look at the Book of Lamentations, and at the end of the service, they are delayed in leaving by the fact that the church's doors have frozen shut. Another funny dialogue exchange occurs here when Lovejoy asks Groundskeeper Willy if he's making any progress on melting the ice off the door hinges with a blowtorch so they can get out, to which the surly Scottish caretaker responds, "Miracles are YOUR department, Reverend!"
As one final blow, when they DO get out, Marge and the kids find that their car has broken down.

Homer, meanwhile, has a wonderful morning staying at home. He sleeps in, stays warm, makes himself a ridiculously indulgent breakfast, and has many instances of good luck (i.e. He wins a radio call- in contest, watches a thrilling football game on TV, and even finds a penny). He calls it the best day of his life, and attributes all of it to skipping church.
His beliefs in that regard are further strengthened when he learns of the miserable time that Marge and the kids had at church. So, Homer then vows to never go to church again, much to Marge's horror.

That night, Marge prays for God to show Homer the error of his ways. This prayer is answered somewhat via a dream Homer has in which God attempts to talk some sense into him through a mostly friendly conversation, but when Homer suggests that he could just try to live right and worship the Lord in his own way, God agrees. Homer basically forms his own one- man religion around this concept.

(Homer talking about this idea with God; I love the detail that God is petting the Simpsons' cat Snowball 2 while listening to Homer, so wholesome! Credit for this image goes to the user "OptimusKryme" on the Simpsons Wiki at https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Homer_the_Heretic/Gallery?file=Heretic36.png)

Marge next tries inviting Reverend Lovejoy over for dinner to talk with Homer about it, but that doesn't change her husband's mind, either. Devout neighbor Ned Flanders and his family then essentially stalking Homer to try and pressure him into repenting just angers him (And, quite frankly, I can't say I blame Homer for feeling that way about it; The Flanderses definitely went too far by acting in that way).

Things get worse when Homer's heretical attitude begins rubbing off on the children and setting a bad example for them, and he rejects a truly sincere plea from Marge to not force her to choose between him and God.
It's not just Christians he shows disdain for, either; Homer also coldly dismisses Krusty the Clown's attempt to seek donations for a Jewish charity, and in a later conversation with convenience store owner Apu, he quite nastily mocks the man's Hindu faith. Clearly, the concept of "Love thy neighbor as yourself" has no place in Homer's hedonistic new theology.

Things officially hit the fan in the episode's climax: Homer once again staying home from church (Now occupying the extra time with beer, cigars and "Playdude" magazines) leads to him accidentally starting a fire that quickly spreads through the house, and he is almost instantly rendered unconscious by smoke inhalation. Ned Flanders sees what is happening, and immediately runs into the burning house, risking his own life to help save Homer's. This scene manages to be thrilling, moving, and yet honestly pretty darn funny all at once. For instance, there's a part in which Ned attempts to get Homer out of the house by throwing him out a second- floor window that he had previously thrown a mattress out of to cushion his fall, only for the mattress to bounce Homer RIGHT BACK INTO THE HOUSE! I triple- dog- dare anyone to watch that and NOT laugh!

Eventually, good old Ned does manage to get Homer out safe and sound, the fire is extinguished by Springfield's Volunteer Fire Department (Which happens to include both Krusty and Apu), and Homer at long last sees the error of his ways and starts attending church again. Admittedly, he falls asleep in the middle of the service, but hey, it's a start. He dreams that he's walking with the Lord, having a friendly conversation with Him, and so the episode ends.

"Homer the Heretic" may not be my favorite episode of 'The Simpsons' (That honor goes to the Season 6 episode 'Lemon of Troy'), but it's gotta be in at the VERY least my top 5! It's mind- bendingly funny, poignant and thought- provoking at times, and the fire makes for a pretty good action sequence.

As is typical for 'The Simpsons' at its best, it includes one hilarious moment after another. In addition to the ones I mentioned earlier, here are a few more of my favorites:
1. Shortly before the fire starts, Reverend Lovejoy is giving a sermon meant as an obvious criticism of Homer's heresy, and opens it by proclaiming "The Devil walks among us!" At this, Bart sees a man sitting in the pew in front of him with a rather stereotypically devilish appearance (Pencil- thin mustache, pointy goatee, wearing a red suit) and pounces on him, putting him in a headlock and shouting "I GOT 'IM!"

2. When Apu leaves his convenience store in order to help put out the fire at the Simpson house, a trio of local bullies initially intend on taking advantage of his absence to try and shoplift whatever they can find there, only for Apu to put his toddler nephew in charge while he's gone, and the cute little tyke out of nowhere pulls a double- barreled shotgun on the bullies to drive any thoughts of theft out of their minds.
3. Near the end, when Homer has been pulled from the burning house and the Volunteer Fire Department are putting it out, Lisa refers to the fire as "An act of God." Homer notes the fire starting to spread to the roof of Ned Flanders' house and says "Hey, wait a minute; Flanders is a regular Charlie Church, and God didn't save HIS house!" Just then, a small raincloud instantly shows up out of nowhere over the Flanders house, pouring rain to extinguish the flames on it, and a rainbow appears, all accompanied by angelic singing. Homer of course responds to this with his trademark "D'OH!"

4. In the episode's ending, as Homer dreams he is in Heaven, walking and talking with God, in the background Jimi Hendrix can be seen playing air hockey with Benjamin Franklin, both of them sporting halos. Sometimes the simplest of gags can bring the biggest smiles!

I also kind of like the way this episode portrays God in the two scenes when He appears to Homer. He comes across as indeed all- powerful, righteous, and just, but also as attentive, understanding and relatable; He is willing to listen to Homer's questions and complaints, can concede that Homer makes a good point or two, and admits that there are some days HE'D rather be watching football, too, and that He, too, isn't fond of how dull Reverend Lovejoy's sermons can be. In the end of the episode, He comforts Homer in a friendly way over the fact that Homer's philosophy/ one- man religion didn't pan out. That's a nice way to portray Him, I think.

Speaking of God, I can definitely think of some faith- based messages to be taken from "Homer the Heretic."
One is obviously on the importance of attending church. It is abundantly clear that Homer was wrong to completely forsake attending church simply because his family had a bad experience at one church service while he had a good experience skipping that day. Church attendance (If at a church that earnestly serves Jesus, of course) is vital for believers. The pastor can reveal important spiritual truths to them, and (This is a point that the episode admittedly fails to address) worshipping in community with other believers greatly helps build one's faith.

 This is conveyed well in Hebrews 10:24- 25, which says "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Worshipping together with other believers is how we can stay close to each other, and motivate each other to more fully live for Jesus and build His Kingdom. In addition, another verse pointing out the importance of church is 1 Timothy 3:14- 15: "I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth." This verse deals a lot with the importance of church, through its use of the term "Household of God" to show how believers at church are like family to each other and need to behave accordingly, its use of the term "The church of the living God" shows that it is through church that believers can most directly connect with God, and obviously pointing out that the church can be used to convey His truths to believers. Those are just some of the reasons for the importance of church.

A second theological point found in "Homer the Heretic" is on the right way to witness to others. As I pointed out earlier, when Ned Flanders and his family first learn of Homer abandoning church, they try to forcefully draw him back into the fold by flat- out stalking him, first at his home, then calling him while he's at work, and even chasing him by car, all while singing "The Lord Said to Noah." Well-meaning though the Flanderses were by doing this, it had the exact opposite effect they intended, as their harassing Homer in these ways just makes him angry and even more opposed to attending church. In contrast, Ned showing his love for his neighbor through action in the climax by saving Homer from the fire, risking his own life in the process, made a big emotional impact on Homer. Indeed, often the best way to influence people for the Lord and draw them to Christ is through actions of kindness that convey God's love to people, not basically trying to force them to convert. As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Actions truly speak louder than words, and such actions can make people much more eager to hear what you may later have to say to them about the Lord Jesus.

A final, similar theological point to be taken from "Homer the Heretic" concerns how God's providence works in people, and the forms that His intervention can take. In the very end of the episode, Homer is talking to Reverend Lovejoy about what happened, and says that he feels the fire was God's wrath poured out on him as punishment for his blasphemous ways. Lovejoy disagrees, however, pointing out that it's more likely that God acted in the situation by instead working on the hearts of Homer's friends such as Ned, Krusty and Apu so that they would come and help save him.
Considering that Reverend Lovejoy is usually portrayed as a boring, long- winded stick- in- the- mud who isn't very effective at providing spiritual guidance to anyone other than Ned Flanders, that was a genuinely wise and Godly sentiment for him to express. God intervenes in the world usually not to punish people, but to help them; It's the whole reason why He sent Jesus to the world. One of my favorite Bible verses, Jeremiah 29:11, helps convey this by saying "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" In addition, Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." What God seeks most is not to punish, but to guide on the right path, at times through difficult means. Also, it should be noted that God's miraculous intervention doesn't always come through dramatic displays of power; It can very frequently indeed occur through everyday means, such as by His subtly guiding friends and loved ones to come to your aid when you are most in need, as happened to Homer in this episode. I've observed this myself many times.

That sums up my thoughts on "Homer the Heretic," a classic episode of a legendary show that teaches timeless truths on the importance of church, the proper way to witness to others, and the ways God can act in people's lives. In the immortal words of the big bald doofus himself, "WHOO- HOO!"

With that, I bring an end to this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned, as I have an entry planned VERY soon to finish out this series before moving on to Christmas. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

Godly Compassion, and Loving Your Enemies: Freeing 'The Lonely Ghost.'

 Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience!
I unfortunately need to postpone my two remaining entries in my series on movies and shows that deal directly with faith until next month, because we're now well into October, meaning it's time for my Halloween entries!

For this first entry, I'll be again dealing with an episode of the classic 90s Nickelodeon show 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' What can I say, it's an awesome show perfect for October viewing!

The show of course is about a group of teens known as “The Midnight Society” who meet together around a campfire at a clearing in the woods to tell scary stories to each other. This Season 1 episode's story is being told by club member David, and after a campfire segment in which it becomes clear that he has a thing for fellow club member Kristen, he launches into the story du jour, which is entitled "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost."

(The title card for it; Credit for this image goes to the user "Superbionic 2009" on the Are You Afraid of the Dark wiki at https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Lonely_Ghost?file=Lonely_ghost.jpg#Gallery)

In this episode, we meet Amanda, a shy yet kind teenage girl with a love of reading. Her scientist parents are heading out of the country on a summer research project, so she is sent to stay with her aunt Dottie and cousin Beth. We soon see that this will not be an easy time for Amanda; Beth is spoiled, obnoxious, and unbelievably rude towards her cousin. She gives Amanda her couch to sleep on (Real hospitable, huh?), but insists that each morning, Amanda must then rearrange Beth's massive stuffed animal collection in their exact positions on the couch that they were in before. Amanda surprisingly handles this in stride, agreeing to it all with a smile. When Amanda asks if she could have some opportunities to hang out with Beth and her friends over the summer, Beth initially appears disgusted at the idea, but agrees on the condition that Amanda must first be "Initiated" into the group.

 As you can guess, what Beth has in mind is not pleasant; Amanda must spend the night in an abandoned house next door that Beth's realtor mother had been trying unsuccessfully to sell for years, and which is believed to be haunted. See, decades earlier, a little girl who was mute lived there. One day, the girl's parents left on a long trip, and the girl (Who was supposed to go stay with her grandmother as a surprise) was locked in her room by some bullies and, unable to call for help or contact anyone, she starved to death in there. Local legend has it that the girl's ghost remains in the house, but Amanda is so desperate to fit in, make some friends and have a good summer that she agrees to this challenge.

(Amanda's the one in the middle, Beth's the one next to her wearing a brown jacket and too much lipstick; Credit for this image goes to the user "Popprincess" at the Are You Afraid of the Dark wiki at https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Lonely_Ghost?file=06.jpg#Gallery)

Amanda enters the house and goes into the girl's room (The challenge was that she must go in there and leave her lit flashlight in the window overnight as proof that she did it), but soon begins hearing some scratching sounds from the wall behind her. Turning around, she sees a cryptic phrase written backwards on the wall where there had previously been nothing. As she is processing this, the Ghost abruptly appears in the bedroom's large mirror, causing a terrified Amanda to flee screaming back to her cousin's house.

(The Ghost! Credit for this image goes to the user "Ijustgottaburger at the Are You Afraid of the Dark wiki at https://areyouafraidofthedark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Lonely_Ghost?file=Thelonelyghostsappears1.png#Gallery)

The next day, Amanda's aunt of course doesn't believe her, isn't happy to hear that someone wrote on the wall of that room, and sends both her and Beth back there to wash it off. The Ghost appears again, leading to Beth being trapped and Amanda making a brave and compassionate decision that sets things right and brings about a LONG- overdue reunion.

"The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" is one of the first episodes of 'Are You Afraid of the Dark' I can ever recall seeing, and one of the episodes that has stuck with me the most over the decades. It has a little of everything in it: A couple scares, some dramatic and sad moments, a twist which is admittedly rather easy to see coming but still fits well, and ultimately a VERY happy ending.

Amanda in it is one of the most likable protagonists I can recall from the entire series. Through the combination of how she is written and her actress Laura Bertram's gentle performance as her, this sweet girl will quickly win you over. Conversely, Beth is suitably nasty and easy to hate, contrasting well with Amanda, and her getting a couple well- deserved bits of comeuppance late in the episode is VERY satisfying to see.

The Ghost is a little scary the first time or two she appears (Her very first appearance makes for an excellent jump- scare), but it soon becomes clear that she means no harm and is a colossally sympathetic character. Her actress Jennie Levesque conveys a lot of emotions through her without saying a single word, and the ethereal, music- box- esque music that acts as sort of like the Ghost's theme fits her perfectly.
Another character to bring up is Beth's mysterious old Nanny. At first, you're not sure if she's insane as Beth claims, or just a sad, lonely old woman trying to get by. Her part of the story takes some pretty interesting turns. Her actress Sheena Larkin (Who appears many times in other episodes of the show playing different roles) gives a very good performance as her, especially in the ending.
All in all, "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" is a wonderful episode of a classic Nick show, and other than Beth's ridiculous fashion sense, it's aged pretty well in the 32 years since it premiered. If you're in the mood for some family- friendly Halloween scares, check it out here:

https://youtu.be/kLGAayH7YmY?si=iDjItyi--8qcSNKA

I can think of a couple Scriptural messages that can be taken from "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost," mainly using the warm- hearted Amanda as a positive example of what it means to live for Christ. SPOILERS!

Due to Amanda having such a kind nature, she was able to see that Nanny wasn’t the lunatic that Beth claimed she was, and she managed to help a grieving mother reunite with her daughter. Just as the original bullies' cruelty caused the whole mess, Amanda's compassion ends up setting things right. She’s almost like a perfect depiction of what’s described in Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen children, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Another, similar point deals more specifically with showing kindness and mercy even towards our enemies. In spite of how awful Beth is towards Amanda, the latter girl remains kind and patient towards her, agreeing to Beth's ridiculous demands and ultimately saving her life in the end through helping the Ghost. Even though Beth didn't deserve ANY of Amanda's help in those ways (She frankly deserved to stay trapped in the mirror forever), Amanda still helped her freely.

I’d say that’s a great depiction of what Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:43- 45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

That’s something very important to process. The secular world, and often our own experiences, teach us to show care and kindness to our friends, and to be at best noncaring towards our enemies if not openly hostile and vindictive towards them. However, Jesus in His teachings often taught His followers to go AGAINST how the secular world tries to teach us to live, including in that sense.

I know full well how hard it can be to live up to that commandment, having a good deal of experience dealing with cruel bullies all my life. But, it's what Jesus called us to do.
For a personal example of how this can look in practice, at a school I used to teach at, there were two adopted brothers. The younger one, a then- 7^th- grader, I could best describe as being a lot like a real- life, American version of Dudley from the ‘Harry Potter’ series, in every sense. The older of the two is a boy who, the first day I met him, proudly bragged about having done two stints in juvie and having been expelled from several schools before coming to that one, with at least one expulsion being for assaulting a teacher. A couple days after that, he in front of the entire class called me something that I honestly can’t repeat in this setting. Both of them took any opportunity they could get to be rude and nasty towards me. Anyways, this one day, I heard around the school that their mother was in the hospital for some kind of operation. That afternoon, at lunch, they came up to me, with the older of the two rudely mocking me. Rather than getting mad, I simply asked them, “Hey, how’s your mom doing? I hope she feels better soon, I’m praying for her a lot.” I don’t know if it really impacted them or not, but I DO know it was the right way for me as a follower of Jesus to react.
Sometimes, showing a little Godly compassion to those around you, even those who frankly don't deserve it, can make a big difference in their lives, and at times even help them turn things around a little. It's also a way to follow in the example of Christ, who loved and forgave even those who crucified Him, and it's how He expects us to respond to people who've generally done much less egregious things to us.

As Amanda's kindness and mercy in "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" helped two troubled souls find peace, so our demonstrating kindness and mercy to people around us, friends and enemies alike, can do a LOT of good for the Kingdom of God.

That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned, as my next Halloween- related entry will be up soon, and deal with something a little more intense in nature. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

Faith in Troubled Times, Mercy Towards Enemies, and "Different Eyes"; The Teachings of "Nightcrawler."

 Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of 'The Nightcrawler Experience'!

For this, I will be pursuing an idea that I've had for a long time now: A three- part look at some secular movies and shows that actually deal directly with the subject of religious faith, and my thoughts on them. The funny thing is, each of the movies and shows I will be looking at were ones that I first saw years before I actually accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at the age of seventeen, yet the quite insightful points they each made had an impact on me, helped contribute to my being saved through Christ, and I now as a more seasoned believer know that they contain Biblical truths. So, I think it's time to share those truths with all of you, my loyal readers.

I'll start things off on a really strong note by taking a look at an episode of the classic animated show 'X- Men: The Animated Series,' specifically one dealing with the hero that this blog is named after!

(This image was uploaded by the user Brandonbaker01 on the Spiderman animated Wikia at https://spiderman-animated.fandom.com/wiki/X-Men:_The_Animated_Series?file=78979786978.jpg)

Having a couple years ago finished rewatching the entire series, I can say that 'X- Men: The Animated Series' was an amazingly intelligent, well- written, often- thrilling (Though admittedly a bit on the cheesy side at times) series that ran on Fox in the 90's. It deals with the team of mutant superheroes known as 'The X- Men,' headed by the incredibly powerful mutant telepath Professor Charles Xavier. Mutants are a feared and hated minority in the world this story takes place in, often viewed with suspicion, fear, and at times even violence. Nevertheless, Professor Xavier believes that the day can come when humans and mutants alike can live in harmony, and teaches the X- Men to advance this philosophy by doing good in the world. In the process, they often have to face off against all manner of threats, be they evil mutants such as Magneto, Mr. Sinister, or Apocalypse, the mutant- hunting robots known as the Sentinels, or bigoted humans such as Graydon Creed and the so- called Friends of Humanity, among others.

This show was written brilliantly, filled with not only action, heart, and the occasional bit of humor, but also incredibly well- done social commentary. For a show aimed at kids, it's quite impressive how well it tackled issues such as tolerance, guilt, grief, coming to grips with one's past, and as seen in the episode we're about to look at, faith.

The episode I will be focusing on is the Season 4 premiere, "Nightcrawler."

In this episode, team members Wolverine, Gambit (My favorite regular character on the show and one of my favorite superheroes in general, though he comes across as kind of a jerk in this episode), and Rogue are going on a skiing vacation in I believe the Swiss Alps, and Wolverine is feeling a bit restless. So, when he hears some tourists discussing a local rumor of a "Demon" supposedly residing not far from there, his interest is piqued. He, Rogue, and Gambit set out in the direction of a town where the sightings occurred, but along the way get involved in an avalanche, and the three of them are buried.

They eventually awaken in a chapel. It is a part of a monastery not far from where the avalanche happened, and it often serves as a sanctuary for lost or wounded travelers. While one of the monks living there, Brother Reinhardt, seems distrustful of allowing strangers into the monastery, the others all welcome the heroes in with hospitality.

Later that night, someone in a hooded monk's robe is seen attempting to poison Gambit, but flees when Rogue arrives. While attempting to chase this intruder, she and Wolverine come across someone with a blue, freakish- looking appearance. Wolverine assumes this is the "Demon" they heard tell about, and briefly tries to attack him, before another monk breaks it up and reveals that this is in fact Nightcrawler, a member of the monks' order whose unusual appearance (Not to mention his power of teleportation) comes from him being a mutant like the X- Men are.

(Meet Nightcrawler. This image comes from the user Guillearza on the Marvel Animated Universe wiki at https://marvelanimated.fandom.com/wiki/Nightcrawler?file=Nightcrawler.jpg)

We see (Rather unsurprisingly) that Brother Reinhardt was the one who tried to kill Gambit, and he goes to the nearby village and tells the people there that the "Demon" they are looking for is in the monastery, leading to them quickly forming an angry, violent mob and preparing to lay siege to the monastery.

Back in the monastery, as the X- Men learn of Nightcrawler's sad past yet also of his faith as a Christian that helps him deal with it, Gambit appears cynically aloof to the concept of faith and Wolverine is openly hostile to it. The latter of the two has some spirited discussions with Nightcrawler, including pointing out the horrific things done to him by the Weapon X program (The experimental program that gave him his metal skeleton and claws), and asking what kind of God would allow people to do something like that to him. Nevertheless, Nightcrawler starts to get through to Wolverine a little, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the mob of villagers, headed by Brother Reinhardt.
It all leads to a tense clash between the mutants and the panicked villagers, and everyone learning a little more about what true faith looks like.

'Nightcrawler' remains easily one of my favorite episodes of the series to this day. It has loads of action between the avalanche scene, chasing Gambit's would- be poisoner, and especially the climactic siege of the monastery. There are some funny moments (i.e. When Nightcrawler finishes telling his story including his persecution for his appearance, Gambit's response of "Guess there no peace for the wicked- lookin'" never fails to get a chuckle from me), and as you shall soon see, some great moments of drama and character development, including loads of discussions about faith.

The voice actors are all in top form (With the slight exception of Brother Reinhardt's voice actor, who at times is a little over- the- top). Nightcrawler's voice actor in this, Adrian Hough, gives an honestly magnificent performance. He conveys so much passion, sincerity and heart through the character's gentle German accent.

In fact, this episode helped MAJORLY in paving the way for my eventually accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
As a young boy about ten years old when this episode first premiered, I thought very little of God or faith. My family and I went to church pretty regularly, but I didn't connect to it much at all (A fact I partially attribute to the fact that back then, my mother made me go to church wearing the stiffest, tightest, most uncomfortable dress- shoes known to man). However, I WAS a fan of the X- Men, and I can recall when I first saw this episode, the discussions Nightcrawler had with the other characters really opened my eyes, my mind and my heart, causing me to see the Christian faith in a whole new way that made a lot of sense. It helped me see things that at the time I couldn't see in church, and strange though it may sound, I earnestly believe it was God's hand that led me to watch that episode, which in turn would eventually lead to me finding personal salvation through accepting Jesus as my Savior AND discovering my gift for finding Scriptural themes and concepts in pop culture. This is the whole reason why I call this blog The Nightcrawler Experience!

The theological points made in 'Nightcrawler' are many. One of the first involves keeping faith even in the midst of suffering.
When Nightcrawler is wrapping up telling the X- Men his backstory and all the persecution and mistrust he went through because of how he looked, when this dialogue exchange happens:
Wolverine: "Don't it make you crazy?" 
Nightcrawler: "It did, once, but then I found peace by devoting my life to God. He directed me to this place, where they value the character of my heart, not my appearance."
Wolverine: "What are you talkin' about? We're mutants; God gave up on us a long time ago!"
Nightcrawler: "No, my friend; God does not give up on His children, human OR mutant! He is there for us in our times of joy, and to help us when we are in pain, if we let Him."
Wolverine is visibly upset and leaves the room, but he and Nightcrawler resume their discussion shortly afterwards in the monastery's chapel. When Wolverine brings up the dilemma of how a loving God could allow such awful things to be done to him in the Weapon X program, Nightcrawler responds, "Our ability to understand God's purpose is limited, but we take comfort from the fact that His love is limitless!" 

This ties in with 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, which says "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 Both help us as believers to see that, while we may at times face suffering and hardship, and at times not understand its purpose, it all can be used to help with building the great plans God has for us, and to remember that our earthly trials are temporary (Which admittedly can be hard to keep in mind when we're right in the middle of them), but that what God has in store for us is eternal. Through our faith in the Lord's purpose for us, driven by His incomparable love for us, we can get through any trial.

Another Scriptural message in this episode involves showing kindness and mercy even to those who do not deserve it, as seen in the magnificent climax of the episode. While Rogue, Gambit, and especially Wolverine are trying to hold back the furious villagers without harming them (After all, as Rogue points out, the villagers aren't bad people, they're just scared and don't know about mutants due to the fact that they come from a very isolated village), Brother Reinhardt steals a laser rifle from a local constable and attacks Nightcrawler with it in the monastery's library. A stray shot from Reinhardt hits the dry paper of the books and quickly causes the entire library to catch fire. Reinhardt then loses his balance and falls off the library balcony while the villagers look on, but Nightcrawler catches his hand before he can fall to his death. Reinhardt says, "Go ahead, demon; Do your worst!(When Nightcrawler then continues holding onto him without letting go) Why do you pause? I have betrayed you!" However, rather than dropping Reinhardt to what would have been certain death, Nightcrawler pulls him back up onto the balcony, telling him, "It is not for me to judge you, Brother Reinhardt. The question is, how will God judge you? Look around you; (Indicating the burning library, with the flames quickly spreading to the rest of the monastery) This is the fruit of YOUR labors, not mine!" At this, Brother Reinhardt realizes he was wrong, and that he has sinned against God by allowing his anger and fear to override his compassion. Nightcrawler teleports him to safety while the library and much of the rest of the monastery burns down. This is a perfect depiction of Jesus's beatitude in Matthew 5:7 that "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." In addition, Nightcrawler's remark to Brother Reinhardt that what's important is how God views his actions calls to mind Romans 12:19, which says "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather, give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

We may never face someone who has tried to kill us, but I think each of us knows what it is like to be hurt or betrayed by someone else. We, as followers of Jesus, are to follow that beatitude by showing mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged us. It can be hard, but since God has forgiven us and shown mercy to us for our own sins, which hurt Him and are betrayals against Him, then we need to do the same to others.

A final, very important Scriptural lesson to be taken from "Nightcrawler" lies in generally gaining a new, faith- based perspective of things. This comes in a few forms. First, during Wolverine and Nightcrawler's continued discussion in the chapel and Wolverine doubting that he could believe in God after everything he's seen and been through, Nightcrawler tells him, "Open your heart, Herr Logan; Would it hurt so much to see the world through different eyes?"

 Just then, one of the other monks comes into the chapel and tells Nightcrawler that the mob of villagers has arrived at the monastery, undoubtedly out to kill him, and Wolverine sarcastically asks him, "What's God's purpose in that?" Nightcrawler responds by pointing out that the village is isolated, and its people have no knowledge of mutants, and so he elaborates, "Perhaps I am here to help open their hearts." I love that, it showed Nightcrawler was able to practice what he preaches, even during a situation when he knows his life is in danger.

Then, near the end of the episode, as everyone is looking on the burning wreckage of the monastery and the fire department trying to put it out, the X- Men believe that they have failed, and cannot understand why Nightcrawler refers to their coming to him as "A great blessing." However, he then explains that they all DO have much to be thankful for as a result of the X- Men's arrival: Nobody died in the struggle, Brother Reinhardt saw the error of his ways and sincerely repented, and the villagers realized that Nightcrawler isn't someone they need to be afraid of, as his saving Brother Reinhardt's life right in front of them proved he meant no harm. He also points out that while the destruction of the monastery was a tragedy, "it was only stone and mortar; The foundation God built in our hearts can NEVER be destroyed!" Nightcrawler then hands Wolverine a Bible, telling him, "I've highlighted a few passages you may find rewarding; Remember, Herr Logan, 'Different eyes.'"

(Nighcrawler giving Wolverine a copy of God's Word, AND a new point of view. This image was uploaded by Brandonbaker01 on the Spider- Man animated wikia at https://spiderman-animated.fandom.com/wiki/Nightcrawler_(Episode)?file=IMG_0718.JPG)

The episode's final scene, which to this day never fails to leave me openly in tears, wraps this point up gloriously and shows that some of them have indeed come to see things in new ways. The three X- Men are in Paris, with Gambit (The only one of them who is largely unchanged by what he experienced) happy about the change of scenery, but Rogue being less sure as the two of them dine at a cafe, with her saying that "Those quiet little monks were startin' to grow on me." Gambit dismisses this and claims that the monks are deluding themselves and we're all alone in the world, leading to a now- offended Rogue storming off. Walking down a road, she stops by a cathedral, and hears a familiar voice coming from inside. Looking in, she sees Wolverine praying and reciting a paraphrase of Isaiah 12:1-2 ( "And thou shalt say in that day: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me. Behold, God is my savior, I will deal confidently, and will not fear: O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation."). Rogue smiles, wipes away a tear, and leaves as the episode ends.

The Bible has many verses instructing believers on the importance of developing new, God- centered mindsets about the world around us. One of my favorite Bible verses, Romans 12:2, says "Do not conform to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Colossians 3:2 says "Set your mind on things above, not on things on on the earth." What's more, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Coming to know Jesus as our Savior will indeed give us new, healthier perspectives on the world around us, causing us to see things the way the Lord sees them. It is a perspective that can bring happiness and peace to all who follow it.

So, that sums up "Nightcrawler." A wonderful episode of a classic show that teaches timeless lessons on faith amid struggles, mercy, and seeing the world through "Different eyes." Check it out (The whole series, including this episode, is on Disney Plus, and it can also be found on Dailymotion), you'll never forget it.

With that, I bring this particular entry of the Nightcrawler Experience to a close. I'll hopefully have the next entry in this series up next week. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!