Everything isBroken

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Sometimes the simplest songs are best. I'm not thinking of simplistic music, the sort of mindless jingles

that assault us in service of consumerist and religious propaganda. Quitethe opposite--I'm thinking of music so finely crafted that it captures arichly nuanced slice of reality without wasting a word or a note.

Br oken bot t l e s, br oken p la t e s, Br oken swi t ches, br oken gat e s,Br oken d i she s, br oken par t s, Str e e t s ar e f i l l ed wi th br oken hear t s .Br oken words never meant to be spoken, Ever y th ing i s br oken .A friend wisely reminded me of this Dylan song when I was trying to

recover recently from a broken heart. Listening to it again (and again)named what I am living and that I am not alone.

We invest an enormous amount of time, energy, and money to shelterourselves from the brokenness. And so we should, I suppose. Only Godcan bear the full brokenness of the world without sliding into cynicism ordespair.

Br oken cut t e r s, br oken saws, Br oken buckle s, br oken laws,Br oken bod i e s, br oken bones, Br oken vo i c e s on broken phones.Take a deep br eath , f e e l l ike you ' r e chokin ' , Ever y th ing i s br oken .Yet we are called to follow Christ. He left the shelter of eternity to

embrace our brokenness so fully that even raw torture, betrayal, homeless-ness, and death alone in darkness were not kept from him. He befriendeddisreputable people until his reputation suffered and then he kept on any-way. He knows brokenness because he embraced ours.

Br oken hands on br oken p loughs, Br oken t r ea t i e s, br oken vows,Br oken p ipe s, br oken too l s, Peop l e bending broken ru l e s.Hound dog howl ing , bu l l f r og c r oaking , Ever y th ing i s br oken .The brokenness is never easy, and sometimes just when we think our

heart has been broken, it is broken again. It doesn't lessen the pain, but itmakes it bearable to remember that Christ walked this path ahead of us.And that he promises that someday soon grace will be so complete that, asC. S. Lewis put it, heaven will work backwards. "The Biblical view ofthings is resurrection," Tim Keller says, "not a future that is just a conso-lation for the life we never had but a restoration of the life you alwayswanted. That means that every horrible thing that ever happened will notonly be undone and repaired but will in some way make the eventual gloryand joy even greater."

It's the reason that Christmas, the Eucharist, and Easter are worth cel-ebrating, broken-hearted or not. vSOURCE "Everything is Broken" by Bob Dylan on O Mercy (1989). Thanks to my friend Scott Twite forreminding me of this song.

critiqueISSUE FIVE 2009

EditorDenis Haack

Managing EditorMatthew Hundley

Contributing EditorsJennifer Disney, Steven Garber,

R. Greg Grooms, Donald Guthrie, John Mason Hodges, Marsena Konkle,

Preston Jones, David John Seel, Jr., Travis Scott, Andrew H. Trotter Jr,

Wesley Hill. Board of Directors

Steven GarberDirector, The Washington Institute for

Faith, Vocation & Culture, Washington, DCDonald Guthrie

Associate Professor of Educational Ministries

Covenant Seminary, St Louis, MODenis and Margie Haack

Co-Founders of Ransom FellowshipEd Hague

Instructor, Christ Classical AcademyTallahassee, FLBonnie Liefer

Vice President for Marketing &Communications, Coalition for Christian

Outreach, Pittsburgh, PAHenry Tazelaar

Professor of Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine

Submissionscritique considers unsolicited manuscripts only for poetry:

submissions@ransomfellowship.org or by mail (see below)

CorrespondenceAll other correspondence and changes of address:

cri t ique1150 West Center

Rochester, MN 55902info@ransomfellowship.org

For more about Ransom Fe l lowsh ip v i s i t :h t tp ://www.ransomf e l lowsh ip .o rg

Copyr ight © 2009 Ransom Fe l lowship

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All books mentioned in c r i t i q u e may be ordered directly from Hearts and Minds. A portion of theproceeds will be donated to Ransom Fellowship.

Photograph © 2007 Bailey Mohr

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COVER

ED NOTEEverything is Broken

CONTENTS

DIALOGUE

RESOURCESome Lies That Seduce

TUNED INBob Dylan In Holiday Spirit

PAPER & CANVASHope In The Ashes

DARKENED ROOMCrushed ByUnspeakable Loss

RESOURCEWhen GodSeems Far Away

TUNED INJoyeux Noel

BACK COVERBaghdad & The Bandit

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Critique Mailing List: Critique is not available by subscription. Rather, interested readers can request to be added to Ransom's mailing list, which is updat-ed frequently. Donors to Ransom Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-deductible ministry, are added to the mailing list automatically unless requesting oth-erwise. To receive Critique, send your mailing address to: Ransom Fellowship, 1150 West Center, Rochester, MN, 55902. Everyone on Ransom's mailing listalso receives Notes from Toad Hall, a newsletter written by Margie Haack in which she reflects on what it means to be faithful in the ordinary and routine ofdaily life, and gives news about Ransom's ministry. Critique is a newsletter (published six times each year, funds permitting) designed to, by God's grace, callattention to resources of interest to thinking Christians; model Christian discernment; & stimulate believers to think biblically about all of life. The articlesand resources reproduced or recommended in Critique do not necessarily reflect the thinking of Ransom Fellowship. The purpose of this newsletter is toencourage thought, not dictate points of view. Copying policy: Feel free to make up to 50 copies of any article that appears in Critique for use with a smallgroup. We only ask that you copy the entire article, note the source, and distribute the copies free of charge. On the web: www.ransomfellowship.org

Cover and Contents PhotosCopyright © 2008; Courtesy Stock.Xchang®

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To the editorFor some reason--I don't know why--I was moved

to tears by the second paragraph in your article "WhatMakes You Afraid?" [Critique #4-2009] I also loved thepoem by Tolkein. I don't even need to know why thesethings moved me so much--not yet, anyway. I need tobring this to God and "groan" (as St. Paul constantlyreminds us). Thank you for opening your heart andgiving me something to ponder in my prayer life. Lifedoesn't provide enough opportunities for slow, unhur-ried pondering prayer.

Blessings,Matt WoodleyLong Island, NY

To the editor:Thank you for the thoughtful article on Africa and

review of Tom Oden's How Africa Shaped the ChristianMind. [Critique #3-2009] Full disclosure requires that Imention that Tom is one of my favorite academics,always pushing us to think outside the box. He doesnot disappoint in this work.

Thank you as well for your mention of the workof Langham Partnership (you will note my connectionto this organization below). As a note for future refer-ence may I pass along the information that theLangham Trust is now the Langham Partnership and iscurrently comprised of six national members (UK,Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, and US--all use the name Langham Partnership except inthe US where, as you correctly note, it is called John

Stott Ministries). While this is not a significant correc-tion to your article I mention it in the hopes of avoid-ing any potential confusion for readers.

I suspect you know that Langham Partnershipgrew out of the travels and ministry of John Stott. Wework closely with majority world leaders throughalmost a dozen regional councils that give advice anddirection on programs. Several of these are regionswithin Africa, but we are also involved in similar workin Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe/CentralAsia. I'd be delighted to provide further information ifthat would be helpful.

Thanks for your insightful articles and helpfulministry.

Blessings,Mark HuntInternational Operations Director,Langham Partnership International4194 Hilton SE, Lowell, MI 49331 USAmark.hunt@langhampartnership.orgwww.langhampartnership.org

To the editor:Just read your review of Home. [Critique #4-2009] I

didn't have a board pushing me to finish, so here I sitdog-eared at page 162 for several months now. I'm notsure that I feed fully and finally enough on gracealone in order to finish...

Thanks for the honest review.Phillip Jensenvia FaceBook

Copyright © 2008 urbanprankster.comMailbox Artist:: Beau Bergeron

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In a fallen and pluralistic world we are surrounded by beliefs, values, and presuppositions that we hardlyever notice. But noticed or not, they exert a subtle pressure for acceptance. It's not that we necessarily chooseto accept them, anymore than we choose to catch a virus. Rather, they seem to make sense of things, andexhibit an attractiveness that draws us in. Often they are absorbed slowly, in bits and pieces, over time so theprocess is by and large both indiscernible and unremarkable.

That being the case, it is wise occasionally to step back and examine the worldviews on offer around us.Especially the ones that tend to quietly stay in the background, mostly out of sight, hardly ever attractingnotice. That is what Steve Wilkins and Mark Sanford (both teach at Azusa Pacific University) have done inHidden Worldviews.

They zero in on eight common and widespread worldviews:IndividualismConsumerismNationalismMoral RelativismScientific NaturalismNew AgePostmodern TribalismSalvation by Therapy

In each case Wilkins and Sanford name the worldview and its primary beliefs and values, explain its attrac-tiveness and what it gets correct, identifies its problems, and helps us see how it may be subtly influencing whatwe believe and how we live as Christians. Concluding chapters spell out not just what a Christian worldviewconsists of but how we can mature in developing one.

"Our worldview, if we live an unexamined life," Wilkins and Sanford say, "can be adulterated by hidden ele-ments that dilute and corrupt us." They are correct, and Hidden Worldviews will help us heed their wise warning.v

ResourceHidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives by Steve Wilkins and Mark L. Sanford (Downers Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press; 2009) 218 pp.

Some Lies That Seduce

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Margie and I add to our Toad Hall collection ofChristmas music by purchasing one new album eachyear. So, when I learned Bob Dylan was releasingChristmas in the Heart, this year's selection was guaran-teed. Sometimes shopping is easy.

Dylan is famous for singing his old songs in newways, surprising his audiences with new arrangementsof classic titles. I expected some of that on Christmasin the Heart, but Dylan plays it straight. These are tra-ditional songs played traditionally. I'm glad he didn'tmess with "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "O LittleTown of Bethlehem," but "Little Drummer Boy" and"Must be Santa" positively beg to be messed with. Butthere is none of that here. Dylan even employs achoral group as backup singers to supplement his nor-mal band, who play rather sedately. And in keepingwith holiday spirit, all proceeds from the CD sales goto a charity (Feeding America).

"For all the world," Joshua O'Neill writes, "therecord doesn't feel like a charity album or a goofballlark or an odd experiment--it just sounds like the workof a dude who really, really loves Christmas. Dylandoesn't strip the songs down, doesn't transform theminto his signature dusted roots music. To the contrary:his smooth, stolid productions make the Bing Crosbyversions sound spontaneous and lo-fi."

Critics have not known exactly how to respond toChristmas in the Heart. Some have wondered if Dylanmeans it as a joke. Others pass it off as nothing morethan a cynical way to raise money for a charity hebelieves in. Paste says that the "creepy guy from theVictoria's Secret commercial has a Christmas presentfor you." Others have feared it was the beginning of anew religious phase in his music, like the periodaround the release of Saved (1980). Some have simplydismissed it as a bad album from an aging master. Andas usual, Dylan keeps us guessing. Though the

Christmas carols and holiday jingles are played straightand the CD cover artwork is a sentimental Currier &Ives-type picture, inside is a scantily dressed pin-up inred satin and white trim posed seductively besidesprettily wrapped presents.

I have no special insight into Dylan's intentions,but I suspect the truth is simpler than the theoriesproposed by the critics. Dylan's music has always haddeep roots. The long tradition of blues, gospel, andspirituals have always nourished his soul and provideda rich well-spring from which his own artistry hasflowed. He may mess with lots of things, but Dylanbelieves some things are sacred. The traditions--andmusic--of Christmas have helped shape the landscapehe is part of and into which he has looked withadmirable clarity and insight over so many years as amusician. Why wouldn't he take it seriously, by honor-ing traditional expressions that have stood the test oftime? This is precisely what I would expect of him.

So Toad Hall has its new Christmas album for2009. It's a good one to add to our little collection,even though I wouldn't rate it one of Dylan's greatalbums. But then, at Christmas the point isn't beinggreat but celebrating a greatness that begs the imagi-nation. God entered human history, and as a resultnothing, absolutely nothing is the same.

Give to our FatherGlory in the HighestO come let us adore HimO come let us adore HimO come let us adore HimChrist the Lord.

What's nice is that to my ear at least, Dylan sings itlike he believes it. v

SourcesJoshua O'Neill Online www.popmatters.com/pm/review/114628-bob-dylan-christmas-in-the-hearPaste Online www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/10/bob-dylan-christmas-in-the-heart.html

Bob Dylanin Holiday Spirit

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They are on a road, alone, surrounded by devastation, blasted by the cold. Houses stand empty, doors ajar,windows broken, floors and ceilings buckling from moisture seeping in from slowly disintegrating roofs.Whatever belongings the buildings once contained have long since been pillaged, sorted through by the few des-perate survivors in a largely dead world. Mummified corpses litter streets in towns that now are rows of aban-doned structures separated by crumbling streets. Buses, cars, and trucks are rusting hulks, useless and still.Trees stand skeletal against the sky, dry and lifeless, bushes, weeds and grass all crumble when touched. Riversand creeks flow sluggishly, leaden, black, and sour. A gray coating of ash falls from the sky, like snow, withsnow, so that everything is gray, including the sky, so that the sun is merely a glow in a perpetual shadowygloom. Two figures are moving painfully towards the coast, a father and his son, filthy, starving, their meagerpossessions--tattered blankets, jars of water, a few corroded cans of food, a plastic tarp, a rusty revolver withtwo shells--in a grocery cart.

On the far side of the river valley the road passed through a stark black burn. Charred and limb-less trunks of trees stretching away on every side. Ash moving over the road and the sagginghands of blind wire strung from the blackened lightpoles whining thinly in the wind. A burnedhouse in a clearing and beyond that a reach of meadowlands stark and gray and a raw red mud-bank where roadworks lay abandoned. Farther along were billboards advertising motels. Every-thing as it once had been save faded and weathered. At the top of the hill they stood in the coldand the wind, getting their breath. He looked at the boy. I'm all right, the boy said. The man puthis hand on his shoulder and nodded toward the open country below them. He got the binocularsout of the car t and stood in the road and glassed the plain down there where the shape of a citystood in the grayness like a charcoal drawing sketched across the waste. Nothing to see. Nosmoke. Can I see? The boy said. Yes. Of course you can. The boy leaned on the car t and adjust-ed the wheel. What do you see? The man said. Nothing. He lowered the glasses. It's raining. Yes,the man said. I know. j

Hope In The AshesA book review of The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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The landscape in The Road is crisscrossed by the aftermath of uncontrolled fires, trees now blackenedstumps, buildings reduced to ash, the asphalt of the road blistered from the deadly heat. The man and his sonoccasionally meet others, occasional stragglers like themselves, near death, or skulking gangs reduced to canni-balism.

Cormac McCarthy writes spare prose, stripping dialogue of quotation marks as if such finery were unneed-ed when life is parsed down to the bare essentials. His stories are not meant to comfort but to provoke, notmeant to set us at ease but to force us to reflect on the things that matter most. They are simple stories yetcompelling, powerful in their quiet insistence that contrary to the popular lies of our postmodern world, thereis no escape from the demands of reality.

In No Country for Old Men, McCarthy he asks us--no, he forces us--to consider the existence of evil. In TheRoad, set in an undated time after some apocalyptic cataclysm, he asks us to consider the meaning of humanity,of life, and of history. It is as if McCarthy knows these are not popular conversations to have and so he usesviolence to focus our attention. He knows the simplistic and insufficient answers often given and instead ofbothering to refute them, takes us into a story in which those answers could not possibly be seriously enter-tained.

The Road is not a depressing story, nor do I think it is meant to be. It is terrifying. Not in the sense of sim-ply being scary, though there are tense moments in the struggle to stay alive, to do what the good people dowhen trying to escape those who are bad. Life is stripped to the bare essentials, to little more than mere sur-vival, so that we face our existence and wonder why we are here, what it means, whether God is, and where weare going.

I will not reveal how The Road ends, except to say that it caused my heart to sing. I have no idea whetherin a hundred years the stories of Cormac McCarthy will be considered classics. I do know they are importantfor our postmodern world, piercing our easy cynicism with a dose of reality too powerful to ignore and toocompelling to dismiss. We are on a pilgrimage, McCarthy reminds us, with death at our heels, and we'd be wiseto keep our eyes peeled for scattered signs of meaning. v

They plodded on, thin and f ilthy as street addicts. Cowled in their blankets against the cold andtheir breath smoking, shuf fling through the black and silky drif ts. They were crossing the broadcostal plain where the secular winds drove them in howling clouds of ash to find shelter wherethey could. Houses or barns or under the bank of a roadside ditch with the blankets pulled overtheir heads and the noon sky black as the cellars of hell. He held the boy against him, cold tothe bone. Dont lose hear t, he said. We'll be all right.

Recommended NovelThe Road by Cormac McCarthy (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf; 2006) 241 pp.

Photograph: Derek ShaptonAssociated Press

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Questions For Reflection and Discussion

1. What was your emotional reaction to The Road? Why do you think you responded to the story as you did?

2. Read aloud a few sections that especially stood out to you as compelling. What was it that impacted you?

3. As objectively as possible, consider Cormac McCar thy's writing style--his use of words, lack of chapter divisions, use ofgrammar and punctuation, descriptions, etc. Was it effective for the telling of this story or did you find it distracting?

4. Using words and phrases from the book itself, describe the characters, beginning with the man and his son, then theman's wife and the others they meet on the road.

5. What do you think is the signif icance of that fact that McCarthy never provides names for either the father or son?

6. One of the criticisms of the book involves the suicide of the wife--how does this fact impact the story?

7. How does McCarthy use dreams and flashbacks in The Road?

8. What is (are) the major theme(s)? How does McCarthy raise them in the process of telling his story?

9. The father and son often say they are "the good guys" while "bad people" are out there, needing to be avoided andfeared. They also speak of "carrying the fire." What is the meaning and significance of these themes?

10. What is the significance of the title?

11. Who is telling the story? Whose voice do you hear? (Is it the person going through the experience, or someone elsetelling you about that person?) How does the relationship between the narrator and the implied listener help the readerfocus on what's important about the character(s)?

12. What is the span of experience covered by (or contained in) the story? How does the span help the reader understandwhat is at stake for the character(s)? Are there stages or periods in this span of time? If yes, what are they? Why do youthink McCarthy arranges them in the order that appears in the work?

13. Does this story function as a slice of reality, or a microcosm of reality, or a metaphor for reality? How do you know?

14. If you did not enjoy this work, is there a reason why you should encounter it anyway? Would you recommend this workof fiction to others? Why or why not? How would you describe the work--and your reaction to it--in a way that would makesense to a Christian friend� to a non-Christian friend? Do the two descriptions dif fer? Why? Should they?

15. Read the final paragraph of The Road. What is McCarthy saying? What is the "mystery" he refers to? Gerard ManleyHopkins' (1844-1889) famous poem, "Pied Beauty" came to mind as I read the final paragraph in The Road:

GLORY be to God for dappled things-For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; f inches' wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced-fold, fallow, and plough;And all trades, their gear and tac kle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise him.Compare and contrast this poem to McCarthy's paragraph, and book.

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Starring:Adam Sandler (Charlie Fineman)Don Cheadle (Alan Johnson)Jada Pinkett Smith (Janeane Johnson)Liv Tyler (Angela Oakhurst)Saffron Burrows (Donna Remar)Donald Sutherland (Judge Raines)Robert Klein (Jonathan Timpleman)Melinda Dillon (Ginger Timpleman)Mike Binder (Bryan Sugarman)Director: Mike BinderWriter: Mike Binder Producers: Jack Binder, Jack Giarraputo,Lynwood Spinks & othersOriginal Music: Rolfe KentCinematographer: Russ T. AlsobrookRuntime: 124 minRelease: USA; 2007MPAA Rating: R (for language and some sexual references)

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chestthat it leaves your arms too full to embrace the pres-ent. (Journalist Jan Glidewell).

On September 11, 2001, Charlie Fineman (playedsuperbly by Adam Sandler), was in a taxi en route toJFK airport to meet his family when he heard the firstreport of an airplane crashing into a building inManhattan.

The kids wanted to go to Disneyland, but they... they uh, were already gonna miss a couple days of school, so we had to say no. You know. So I'm going out to meet them in Los Angeles, and on the way to JFK, I'm in a taxicab and I hear on the radio... I get there and the man tells me the plane's from Boston... another man tells me there's two planes. Then I go inside the airport and I'm watching. I'm watching on the television... and I... and I... I... I saw it. I saw it and I feltit at the same time. I thought about Geena'sbirthmark, and I... I felt them burning...

Charlie and his wife had been deeply in love, withthree children, Julie (9 years), Jenny (7), Geena (5),and a poodle the girls adored.

To make matters worse, this is not the first timeCharlie has suffered grief. An orphan whose parentsdied when he was in grade school, the aunt who sub -sequently cared for him after his parents� deaths, diedjust prior to Charlie's marriage. It is as if death andgrief have pressed in on him from all sides. Crushedby so much loss, Charlie's grief has triggered symp-toms that have isolated him in a world of his own, aworld carefully constructed to allow him to notremember.

When a former dentistry school roommateapproaches Charlie on the street, Charlie does notimmediately recognize Alan (played sensitively andbelievably by Don Cheadle). Charlie no longer prac -tices dentistry. He weaves through city traffic on asmall scooter, often late at night, apparently obliviousto the risk. The camera follows him on these treks,often photographing him from behind, heighteningthe sense of isolation. Charlie's apartment, with largestacks of vinyl records, is where he plays video gamesand jams to music that harkens back to the daysbefore he had a family. And since the last conversa -tion Charlie had with his wife before her death wasan argument over remodeling their kitchen, he hasobsessively been remodeling it ever since.

Slowly Charlie's unresolved grief and isolation dis -connects him from life. At one point Charlie is withAlan who turns his cell phone on and discovers hiswife has been frantically trying to reach him. Alan'sfather has died. "Just died? ... Like dead?" Charlie j

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responds. "Let's go get some breakfast."The insurance settlement from the tragedy

allows Charlie to construct a little world in whichhe is alone, with no necessity for memory. Thesad irony of course, is that his restricted worldand instinctively guarded isolation cannot keepout the reality of his pain. Having lost his familyto death, Charlie now is lost, deathly afraid to befound. "I don't like remembering," he says. At onepoint his pain becomes so intense he invitesbeing shot by a police officer, brandishing anunloaded gun in public.

Charlie's healing begins when a friend (AlanJohnson) enters his world, cares for him, and sim -ply will not give up. Reign Over Me reveals boththe destructive pain of unresolved grief and thecostliness of ahealing compas-sionate friend-ship. Alan isembarrassed morethan once byCharlie. On onevisit to Alan'soffice somethingAlan says inno-cently sets Charlieoff, and in a fit ofrage rampagesdestructivelythrough the hall-ways and waitingroom. As thefriendship pro-gresses, the costli-ness extends toAlan's family.Partly this is dueto the enormous time commitment showing carerequires, partly it is due to the inappropriatehours Charlie keeps (often late at night), andpartly it is due to the fact that being with Charliesets into sharper relief some of Alan's own failureto communicate adequately with his wife,Janeane (played by Jada Pikett Smith). When Alanbegins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr Angela Oakhurst(played by Liv Tyler), she must exhibit greatpatience as well as endure outbursts that in nor -mal circumstances would be considered sexualharassment. And when the breakthrough finallycomes, Oakhurst listens from the door of heroffice as Charlie begins talking about his familyto Alan in her waiting room.

Reign Over Me is a compelling and well-craft -ed film that allows us to see past the surface of

life into the deeper recesses of the human heart.Without either wallowing in sentimentality or set -tling for propaganda it tells a story that celebratesthe glory of being human, mourns the tragedy ofbeing human in a world haunted by death, andinsists that healing is possible even when our losshas crushed us almost beyond recognition. Theseare vital themes, the sort of thing every personregardless of culture or age or belief must face, asperennial and as ordinary as humanness, death,and the yearning for hope.

The story of Charlie Fineman also raises aquestion unique to Christianity and to the view oflife demonstrated in the community of believers.It isn't certain to me that every part of the churchwill allow professing Christians to suffer unre -

solved grief with-out calling intoquestion the veryvalidity of theirfaith. ForChristians thismeans what willbe questioned istheir salvation(are they even aChristian at all) ortheir sanctifica-tion (are they aChristian but onebadly immatureand out of touchwith God). Thereason this willarise is found in aclaim made by StPaul in theScriptures.

Writing to the Christians living in the Greek cityof Thessalonica the apostle says they should "notgrieve as others do who have no hope." The rea -son is that Christian belief insists that death is notthe end, and that life after death is a reality. "Forsince we believe," Paul says, "that Jesus died androse again, even so, through Jesus, God will bringwith him those who have fallen asleep" (1Thessalonians 4:13-14). Because of this hope,some might be dismissive of mourners likeCharlie who get lost in their grief. On the otherhand, it is one thing to hold this Christian hope,and quite another to deal with the intense crush -ing existential loss and regret and helplessnessand fear that swept over Charlie in such an over -whelming way. We may believe that our lovedones are safely with God, but still be stunned j

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by their absence. Embracing those like Charlie inits midst does not imply the church must ignoreSt Paul's teaching but rather apply it as a healingbalm for anguishedhearts instead ofusing it as a ham-mer to enforce con-formity.

The Christianperspective is thatwe were created forcommunity, that ourhumanity does notflourish fully in iso-lation, and thatcompassionatefriendship can be asource of healing inour broken world.It's not surprisingthen to discover itis a significanttheme that surfacesrepeatedly through-out the Scriptures. Because we were made forcommunity, made in the image of the tri-personalGod, the Fall introduced a rupture in relation -ships, between God and humankind and betweenpeople (Genesis 3). "A friend loves at all times,"the ancient Hebrews knew,"and a brother is born foradversity" (Proverbs 17:17)meaning that true friend-ships are not restricted tohappy times. The OldTestament uses themetaphor of being "woventogether" to illustrate thedepth of true friendship,recording that "the soul ofJonathan was knit to thesoul of David, andJonathan loved him as hisown soul" (1 Samuel 18:1).The early Christians weretogether not just in occa-sional services and pro-grams, but in daily life(Acts 2:44-47). And Jesusexplicitly called his follow-ers to a level of friendship that is costly: "Greaterlove has no man than this," he told his disciples,"that a man lay down his life for his friends"(John 15:13-14). And to make certain he was

understood correctly, he modeled such commit -ment, in both his life and his death. The vision ofthe new heaven and earth is one in which every

tribe and language isnot only represented,but living together inharmony (Revelation5:9; 21).

Reign Over Me isan appropriate film touse within the church--and I recommend it beused to generate dis-cussion. Some willconsider it raw inplaces, in terms of lan-guage and sexual sug-gestion, but its honestymakes these featuresnot gratuitous butessential to the story.Life is messy, offeringgracious friendship tohurting people needing

healing is never tidy, and people in deep painoften do not maintain polite behavior and lan -guage. Expecting people to clean up their man -ners before we welcome them is a failure to fol -low Christ in a fallen world.

I wonder ifit is possiblethat with thegrowing diversi-ty in society,increased mobil-ity, and continu-ing fragmenta-tion of familiesand homes theneed for healingfriendships maygrow over thenext decades.One of theclearest expres-sions of graceChristians haveto offer is lovethat will notabandon hurting

people when pain is expressed (perhaps inappro -priately) and when healing comes far more slowlythan hoped or expected. v

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Questions for reflection and discussion:1. What was your initial or immediate reaction to the film? Why do you think you reacted that way?2. Discuss each character, both major and minor, as objectively as possible, identifying their role in the story.3. With which character in the film do you most easily identify? Why? With which do you identify least? Why?4. At least two of the minor characters, Charlie's landlady and his accountant, Bryan Sugarman (interestingly played by thefilm's director and screenwriter, Mike Binder) are surprises as the story unfolds. How is this developed in the film? Whatmight this mean when we try to assess the role people play in the lives of acquaintances?5. Consider the film as a work of cinematic art. In what ways were the techniques of film-making (casting, direction, lighting,script, music, sets, action, cinematography, editing, etc.) used to get the film's message(s) across, or to make the messageplausible or compelling? In what ways were they ineffective or misused?6. Tell of a time when your experience of loss, whatever it was, minor or major, caused you to want to withdraw into your ownworld. How is it that at times isolation can feel safe or comforting?7. Charlie's parents-in-law, Jonathan and Ginger Timpleman (played by Robert Klein and Melinda Dillon) have often tried tomake contact, from which Charlie always flees. What do you think is their motivation? Why is their attention not healing orreassuring to Charlie? How can we tell if our attempt to pursue a relationship is positive or as in this case, negative?8. Sometimes Christians who wish to help simply repeat favorite Bible verses or sayings intending them to bring comfort tothe one who is hurting. Assuming that in each case they are "the truth" (narrowly defined), how is it possible for truth to deep-en the pain and despair that is suffered rather than bring relief?9. In what ways does Reign Over Me reveal the costliness of being part of community and friendships that offer healing tothose crushed by unresolved grief?10. The costliness of redemptive community and friendship offered to broken people cannot always be handled as easily asAlan did in Reign Over Me. Since he was a professional in a well-established dental practice with several competent partners,Alan was able to give significant time away from his work without fearing the financial loss. Might the church need to helpsome caregivers who sacrifice in their attempt to bring healing into someone's life? For many in the church, the primary issueis not economic but time--they are simply far too busy to befriend anyone that requires anything of them beyond an occasion-al shared evening of mutually agreed upon entertainment. To what extent is this time-shortage a problem among Christians?11. Though Charlie is clearly dysfunctional in many ways, he is also revealed as fully human and capable of being a friend.Explore this theme and its significance in Reign Over Me. In a related way, Alan is revealed as the one unselfishly bringinghope and healing but with clay feet of his own. How is Alan's own brokenness revealed and what is its significance in thefilm?12. Besides the addition of prayer--an important, even vital addition--would a Christian need to do anything different in bring-ing a healing friendship into the life of someone like Charlie? If yes, what would it be?13. To what extent do you cherish community? What practical steps do you take to nourish it? What are the biggest hin-drances?

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There have been times when I have sensed God's presence and grace in a way that seems to me to be bothreal and compelling. Once I was with Margie at an isolated cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. Once I was atthe Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York at an installation of the work of Richard Prince. Both experi-ences are indelibly burned into my memory. Both were a surprise, both were intensely personal, neither lastedvery long, and both ended very long stretches of time during which God seemed entirely absent. These periodsof absence have long been called "dark nights of the soul," a term credited to the Christian mystic, St John ofthe Cross (1542-1591). It's not that I stopped believing, because I didn't. It's just that God seemed absent.

Robert Wennberg has walked through such dark nights and has published a short book to shed some lighton the experience. In Faith at the Edge, he addresses not skeptics and seekers, but doubters. "Doubters arebelievers struggling with their faith within the Christian tradition," he says. "Skeptics and seekers are both out-side that tradition. Skeptics are critical and hostile. Seekers are questioning and open. Doubters occupy an alto-gether different place, uncertain about a faith to which they are no strangers and to which they have been com-mitted, but who are now wondering whether it is true."

The seventeen chapters are brief, clearly written, and accessible, with a few questions appended to each toprompt reflection and help process the content. Instead of titles, each chapter is headed by a series of ques-tions that reveal not just what to expect but that we are reading the words of someone who has not justthought about God's absence but wrestled with it.

Why Doubt Should Be Expected; Why Doubt Speaks Well of You; Why the Nonreligious Also Doubt.Why Unanswered Prayer Can be a Problem; Why We Should Love God More Than We Love What God can do for Us; Why We Shouldn't Sell Prayer Short.Why Not All Smart People Reject What You Believe; Why When Smart People Who Do Reject What You Believe Isn't a Good Reason for Joining Them.Why Christians Aren't Always as Good as Non-Christians; Why God Still Gets the Credit; Why Christians Should Applaud Goodness Wherever They Find It.Why God Doesn't Make His Presence More Obvious; Why We Need to Come to Terms with This.

Not every Christian knows firsthand this sort of doubt, the sense of God's absence as part of their spiritu-al experience. For others of us it is common, perhaps even encompassing the vast majority of our life of faith.Regardless of whether you have lived in the dark night of the soul or only heard of it, Faith at the Edge is a richmeditation on the reality that the God who promises to never leave can often seem, for many of us, frustrating-ly far away for frustratingly long periods of time. vResourceFaith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters by Robert N. Wennberg (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans; 2009) 160 pp.

When God Seems Far Away

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Joyeux Noel!Great Music for the Celebration of Our Lord's Birthday

Christmas, the time of magic, the time of mystery.In it's present manner, surely it's a bit much some-times. The pervasive materialism, the shallow celebra-tions, the common lying of parents to expectant chil-dren, frenzied people battling for the last parkingplace and the playing of "The Christmas Song" expo-nentially in local malls--ah, Scrooge lives!

And yet there is the innocence of Christ-mas, ofrecollections of happy childhoods, church pageants,when the perfect gift was under the tree. Reminders ofthe love of Christ, humanity worth redeeming, amanger, a cross, the promise, the hope. Yes, it is mys-terious and magical.

What of the music of Christmas? Surely it is spe-cial, majestic, magical, sweet, peaceful. Suddenly, theear hears wonderful melody, rich choirs, magnificentorchestras, a plethora of soloist styling's providing arichness and tranquility often missing the rest of theyear. Even Madalyn Murray O'Hair, founder ofAmerican Atheists could not deny the beauty of themusic of Christmas, evidently sneaking into churchesto hear the sweet worship of choirs celebrating thebirth of the Lord Jesus.

In this brief overview we will consider a fewexamples that will hopefully enrich your celebration inthe winter wonderland.

O Magnum MysteriumThe mystery of the Incarnation is a recurring

theme in Advent/Christmas music. O MagnumMysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins ofChristmas. (Matins is the early morning or nightprayer service of the canonical hours.) Tomas Luis deVictoria (1549-1611) was born in Spain and made hisway to Rome to serve in the Papal choir, later becom-ing the director. His music is in the older practice ofthe Renaissance: acapella (unaccompanied) settingsusing imitative polyphony (melodic lines that imitateeach other) and homophony (chordal passages) to setwords in an ethereal and often peaceful style. OMagnum Mysterium is a wonderful, short setting whichcaptures perfectly the peaceful and awesome nature ofthe text, which in translation is:

O great mystery and wonderful sacrament,That animals should see the newborn Lord,Lying in a manger!Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthyTo bear Christ the Lord.Alleluia!j

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Two contemporary settings of O Magnum Mysteriumcome from American composers. Morten Lauridsen(born 1943) is of Danish ancestry and is professor ofcomposition at the University of Southern California.Daniel Pinkham, (1923-2006) was on the faculty ofthe New England Conservatory of Music. Laurdisen'ssetting is for acapella choir using a conservative buthighly expressive 20th century style that offers anobvious sympathy for the text that conveys theremarkable idea that the second part of the Trinitywould take the form of flesh and blood. DanielPinkham's Christmas Cantata (1958) is patterned afterthe writing of the great Venetian master, GiovanniGabrieli (1555-1612). Thework is in three movements,utilizing choir, two brasschoirs and organ. Pinkham'sexciting use of rhythm andvirtuosic writing for the brasseasily holds the listener'sattention. O Magnum Mysteriumis the text of the 2nd move-ment where the stark writingfor the muted brass and thechant-like setting for the choircloak the writing in the myste-rious. A rousing Gloria inExcelsis rounds off the workin the final movement provid-ing a dynamic ending.

GloriaAntonio Vivaldi (1678-

1741), known as the red priestfor his hair and vocationbrought a smile to the highbaroque. He is known forwriting a huge number of con-certos, including the four vio-lin concertos known as TheFour Seasons. His music is rhythmically energetic, gen-erally simplistic (compared to Bach and Handel) andinstantly enjoyable. His Gloria is one of the most pop-ular choral works of all time. Being well within thescope of many choirs, the Gloria's energetic drive andmelodic tunefulness assure its popularity.

MessiahHandel's masterpiece, Messiah covers the prophe-

cies about the Christ and then moves to his birth, cru-cifixion, resurrection and everlasting life. Not a narra-tive, Handel, the man of the theatre, summons hisdramatic skill to clearly and wonderfully set the scrip-tural testimony to the life and work of Christ.

Performed with huge forces or in a chamber ensemble,this wonderful work's power and beauty is undimin-ished through time. I recommend listening to theentire work; it has a staggering cumulative effect. Ourfamily tradition is to play Messiah Christmas morning.

Christmas Oratorio & MagnificatThe largest of all Christmas works, Bach's

Christmas Oratorio is actually six cantatas (Lutheranmusical works used for worship) composed for theentire Christmas season. Written in 1735, Bach pro-vides us with a very complete depiction of the birth

of Christ, that takes us fromthe joyful tidings announcingChrist's birth calling the faith-ful to joyful worship, to theEpiphany and the magnificentending chorus where the pas-sion chorale helps us under-stand where Christ is headed.Written in the maturity ofBach's career with astonishingcolor and texture, this is thework for those who need aricher tapestry for theirChristmas celebration.

One of the near-perfectpieces of church music everpenned is Bach's Magnificat.The song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) was written for Christmas,1723, to be performed at theThomas Kirke in Leipzig.Scored for five soloists (twosopranos, alto, tenor, andbass), choir, and orchestra(with brilliant trumpets andtympani) the work (at roughly35 minutes) is a great intro-duction to the great man's

music. Each of the Bible verses is scored in freshmanner with an amazing degree of vocal and instru-mental color. Bach's love of numbers and artistic/the-ological understanding is clearly seen in the weightingof movements: the gothic arch of the compositionand particularly the opening music reappearing at theend of the work round out a meticulously preparedwork of worship music.

While I am here let me include two contemporarysettings of the Magnificat and Gloria by John Rutter (b1945). Rutter is responsible for reinvigorating a gooddeal of church music in the last 30 years. His brassyand percussive setting of the Gloria and lovely settingof the Magnificat have become integral components ofthe contemporary choral repertoire. His wonderful j

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sense of color and setting demonstrates a masterfultechnique that makes the best use of the forcesinvolved.

Fantasia & HodieRalph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was an

English composer who, as a young man embracedatheism. With a passion for English folk music, he wasasked to edit the English Hymnal. Somewhere in theearly part of the last century he embraced a spiritualview of life that was sympathetic to Christianity, ifnot orthodox intheology. What-ever his personalconvictions, heset Christiantexts for the restof his life sensi-tively and beauti-fully, his finalwork, curiouslyenough, was theNativity Play, leftunfinished at hisdeath. Two won-derful works, theFantasia onChristmas Carolsand the Hodie,display VaughanWilliams' vividuse of color asthey embrace themystical ele-ments of theIncarnation. TheFantasia is scoredfor choir, orches-tra and baritonesoloist and is askillfully puttogether medleyof familiar carolswhich includethe mysterious,rollicking, joyful,and majestic.The ending is amagically peaceful wish for a happy new year. TheHodie is scored for choir, children's choir, orchestraand soprano, tenor and baritone soloists. This largework, it lasts an hour, employs the children's choir totell the story from the scriptures as the other forcescomment on the narrative. (A similar effect to that

used by Bach in the Christmas Oratorio and the Passion.)The expanse of the large forces and a bewilderingnumber of colors makes this an exciting part ofChristmas celebrations. (Check the brass writing onthe march of the Three Kings!)

Ceremony of Carols & St NicolasBenjamin Britten (1913-1976) composed two mas-

terpieces for Christmas. A Ceremony of Carols is scoredfor three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. Itconsists of eleven movements, the texts of which

came from TheEnglish Galaxy ofShorter Poems byGerald Bullett;the text is inMiddle English.The Ceremony ofCarols was writ-ten as Brittenmade his wayback to Englandin 1942, an ardu-ous and lengthyvoyage acrossthe Atlantic. Thecomposer wasknown for hisadept writing forthe voice and theCeremony clearlydemonstratesthis wonderfulgift, especiallywith a fine boy'schoir. St. Nicolaswas written in1948 for mostlyamateurresources.Britten scoredthe piece formixed choir,tenor soloist,strings, pianoduet, organ andpercussion. St.Nicolas weaves a

narrative around the rather sketchy facts of St.Nicolas' life. Britten's brilliance as an opera composeris well demonstrated here, his feeling for the dramaticis put to good use throughout the score, but especiallyin Saint Nicolas' death. j

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CarolsFinal ly, we must not forget the beauty of car-

ols. Carols depict the peaceful qual i ty of theincarnat ion and the magic of Christmas. Thereare plenty of col lect ions but some of the bestare by Rober t Shaw, Sir David Wil lcocks, andJohn Rutter. Probably the best known is theser vice of nine lessons and carols that tradit ion-al ly comes from Kings Col lege, Cambridge. Thealterat ion of readings and music makes for anexceptional ly sat isfying musical celebrat ion.Typical ly, i t is broadcast on Christmas Eve inAmerica; don't miss i t .v

Hodie Christus Natus Est, Alleluia!Today Christ is born, Alleluia!Revel in the mystery and the magic.Joyeux Noel!

SUGGESTED RECORDINGSO Magnum Mysterium; Robert Shaw; The Robert Shaw Festival and Chamber Singers. (Telarc CD-80531)Daniel Pinkham: Christmas Cantata, etc; James David Christie, conducting the Boston Cecilia; (Koch Int'lClassics B000001SG1)A Robert Shaw Christmas; (includes the complete �Ceremony of Carols�); Telarc B000003D2M)Many Moods of Christmas; Robert Shaw & the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus; (Telarc CD-80087)Vivaldi: Gloria/ Bach Magnificat; Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus; (TelarcB000003CVK)Handel: Messiah: Sir Andrew Davis conducting the Toronto Symphony and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. (EMICDS-7 49027 2)Bach: Christmas Oratorio; Dr. Masaaki Suzuki conducting The Bach Collegium of Japan; (BIS B00000FXZG) Britten: St Nicolas/Ceremony of Carols; Sir David Willcocks conducting the Academy of St Martin's in theFields; (Angel B000005GQG)John Rutter: Gloria, Magnificat, and Carols; (Collegium B000AA4JBG/B0000031HL/B00006JJ4T)Vaughan Williams: Hodie/Fantasia on Christmas Carols; Richard Hickox conducting the London Symphony (EMID135314)Sir David Willcocks: Christmas Festival; (Eloquence B000024SG2)A Festival of Lessons and Carols; Kings College Cambridge; (Polygram B0000241DV)

ABOUT THE AUTHORFollowing graduation from the Eastman School of Music in 1980, Jeffrey Heyl taught in public schools in NewYork and Pennsylvania, and worked as a freelance musician. In 1988 he obtained a Master's Degree in Operafrom the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, where he also taught voice in the communityschool. In 1995, he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Iowa. Dr. Jeffrey Heyl isan Adjunct-Professor at Covenant Seminary, MO Baptist University, Lindenwood University, and the Universityof Missouri/St. Louis. He is also active as a vocalist, conductor, and worship musician.

BAGHDAD and the BANDIT

the back page | matthew hundley

c r i t i q u e ISSUE F IVE 2009 WWW.RANSOMFELLOWSHIP.ORG

RIGHT TO THRASH IN POST-WAR IRAQ

AMODERNDAYPARABLE

PRAYING WITH MUSLIMS IN JESUS� NAME

PRIDE of Baghdad, Brian K. Vaughan,

Niko Henrichon(Vertigo, 2009)

The lions had nearlyforgotten what it waslike in the wild. Theyhad grown accustomedto their keepers, feedingtimes, conversationswith other animalsthrough the cage bars.

Christians and non-Christians often find“bridges” into each others lives through aspectsof the culture which they enjoy--films, books,music and literature. When a Christian is facedwith developing a relationship with a Muslimwe may first look for common cultural interestsas well; in doing so, however, we miss the mostevident “bridge” before us: Jesus Christ.

While he was a congressman Mark Siljanderdiscovered that key to developing meaningfulrelationships with Muslim leaders was earnestconversations about faith. To his surprise hefound that Jesus (Isa) and the Gospel message(Injil) were welcome topics of conversation.

A Deadly Misunderstanding is about learn-ing to understand Islam using Christ as theconduit. For Siljander, the quest for more mean-

ingful dialogue with Muslims led him to intensestudy of the New Testament in Aramaic. To hissurpise many key tenants of the Christian faith,as spelled out in Aramaic, were echoed in theArabic Koran.

Siljander’s approach to evangelism in ADeadly Misunderstanding challenges tradi-tional methods taken by the church in reachingMulsims. He draws upon mentions of Christ inthe Koran and upon prayer to develop relation-ships with Muslims. His resource pool includestheologians, politicians and world leaders. Youmay not agree with all his methods, but I guar-antee you will be fascinated by his results.

Despite the enthusiastic fan base (albeit small)heavy metal is not a welcome musical style inIraq. To hard-liners it represents an embrace ofWestern ideals and thus is frowned upon. Themusical genre, which had found some funding forpublic concerts under Saddam, is not welcomeunder the current regime. That’s not to say thatSaddam was a more gracious ruler or that he wasnecessarily a heavy metal fan.

There is so much to absorb in this film whichfocuses on young, college educated men trying tomake a go at life in post-war Iraq. They work hardto support their families and to work towards thedream of playing the style of music they lovemost. A series of heartaches plague the band andultimately they are broken up for a time, only to

re-unite in the refugee settlements in Syria.This film weaves a fascinating story about the

bandmates and providing a unique glimpse insideof the new Iraq--a county who still has huge secu-rity hurdles to overcome for both visitors and resi-dents. A country whose biggest challenge is avoid-ing the drain of young, educated, professionalsfrom their workforce.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad will have you rally-ing around the lives of these young men and theirmusical dreams. There are a number of interest-ing twists that have come about for the band sincethe film’s release. Please wait to Google the band(Acrassicauda) until after you’ve seen the film.

One day the keepers ran off. There were earthshaking blasts whichdestroyed their cages. The pride of lions hit the streets with newfoundfreedom and newfound fears. PRIDE retells a real story of four lionswho found short-lived freedom after a U.S. bombing raid, and serves asa parable for the plight of the Iraqi people in post-Saddam Baghdad.

Heavy Metal In Baghdad(VBS.TV, 2007)

A Deadly MisunderstandingMark Siljander (Harper One, 2008)