It was a sneaky thing that Victor Hugo did, publishing this book 150 years ago. We can’t have Bibles in schools anymore, but still we have “Les Miserables,” which puts forth the essence of the Christian faith as well as John, Mark, Matthew, and Luke — and with a much better soundtrack, it must be... Continue Reading

Any properly functioning society needs justice. Knowing when to temper it with mercy can be a challenge for societies and individuals. The proper balance helps make civilizations civilized. Which world would you rather inhabit: one tilting toward Valjean’s mercy or Javert’s legalism?     Could receiving a healthy dose of kindness and mercy help transform... Continue Reading

The big question: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?  It’s a movie about a science fiction book right? No! Though to be fair, for some of you the answer is yes. (Please stop reading if you are one of these people).   Some may say producer/director Peter Jackson’s latest J. R. R. Tolkien adaption is an... Continue Reading

“Unexpected Journey” stays impressively close to Tolkien’s storyline, but introduces some minor twists and turns to fit the medium and keep everyone on their toes. It’s a good blend of fidelity and freshness.  For the ultra-purists, if you just want straight Tolkien, then just read the book. The movie, by necessity, is not, and cannot... Continue Reading

We are given a glimpse of the villain, though we are not given his name. There is speculation in may be Khan, the best known foil to Captain Kirk. There is also some buzz that it may be Gary Mitchell, a villain from the original series

In no way did I mean to imply that the Civil War was not about slavery. In fact I believe that it was primarily over the slavery issue. My point was that the war was complicated—and tragic. I should have stated that more clearly.   Dear Reader, Please allow me to sincerely apologize to those... Continue Reading

All thinking, godly men and women know that it is sinful to own another person and mistreat them for one's own advantage. Yet I think that with God's guidance a better solution could have been found than to purchase "freedom" with 700,000 souls.

I know people respond differently to art and I’m sure this will be true of Lincoln. (9% of Rotten Tomatoes critics have given it a “rotten” review, for reasons I cannot fathom.) But, for me, watching this film was not just enjoyable and engaging, but also stunning and transformational.

One would expect a dramatic film to take historical liberties, but Restless Heart's biggest fabrication is an egregious one. Augustine's famous conversion in Milan comes, in the film, shortly after a massacre of Christians which Augustine at first publically defends for the sake of career ambitions. But this particular killing, let alone Augustine's public identification with it, never happened.

A movie like this one is easy to lampoon. It’s filled with some cliches of the righteous outsider, the marginalized hero, the crusading moralists. But perhaps underneath all of that is a muffled cry for some conversation, from one guilty conscience to another, seeking for some way to break an old, old curse.