Today was one of those lazy days when after I washed half of the dishes I should have, I just couldn't bring myself to do any more work. I started watching movies in my current DVD collection, you know, the ones that I have seen like a hundred times but are still interesting on days like today. Today's feature film was the movie X-Men 2, which I believe has a part three coming out in theaters soon. Anyway, watching it again for the ump-teenth time, I was struck by the contradictory philosophies being simultaneously promoted. (Yes, I was trying to sound smart.... Bit of a stretch, huh?) There are many themes present, such as helping others even at the expense of yourself, believing that people CAN be good, and even keeping your wedding vows.
This movie starts and ends with an explanation of how people and mutants evolved from single-cell organisms. I don't want to get into it too deeply because the focus of this blog is actually aimed at my next topic, but I did want to touch on this before I leave it. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, though it is taught that way by many science teachers (and in Japan, it isn't even taught as a "theory"). If you look at scientific experiments that "prove" evolution, you will find that there is never any NEW genetic information being developed; natural selection is the occurrence of nature choosing its preference of information already present. New information comes only in the form of mutation, which is random, and does not change the organism into a different kind of organism, only adds a different characteristic. I'm tired of this subject. Let's move to something more interesting.
If you have seen this sequel, you know that one person from the team stays behind so that the others can get away. Just think about that for a minute. How would you live your life differently if you knew that one of your friends gave up his/her life so that you could continue to live yours? Imagine you are the President of the United States and there is an assassination attempt on your life. One of your body guards, your favorite one who checks your breath for you when you are about to meet someone important and always reminds you to say "Please" and "Thank you", jumps in front of you, takes a bullet to the heart, and dies. Does that effect you? Will you not try to make choices that will make their sacrifice mean something? Will you not always remember to say "Please" and "Thank you" even if it is just to honor that person?
In the movie, this was a dramatic scene and others were very upset with the teammember for staying behind. No one seems grateful, though I have a feeling that (if they were real people) they would live differently, trying to live up to the potential she must have thought they had.
Easter is now right around the corner. I am living in a culture where it really doesn't mean anything but eggs and rabbits. That's just as well for those who don't know Jesus. Easter is the time when friends of Jesus choose to remember him, especially his sacrifice. He gave his life so that I can live. Does that mean anything to me? Does that effect how I live my life? Do I make different decisions because I know what he did for me?
Easter isn't actually about death though. Don't misunderstand me; Jesus's death is a big part of it. But what is MORE important, what makes his death different from everyone else who was born more than 200 years ago, is that he didn't stay dead. He is alive. Isn't that freaky? I am a Christian and have been for a while, so I can say it without even thinking about it, "Jesus came back to life after he was dead for three days." But when I look at that with another person, "Francis came back to life after he was dead for three days." That is a crazy statement! I would NOT want to meet Francis EVER AGAIN. But with Jesus's name there, it seems less eerie. But, did Jesus actually BEAT death? I mean, to BEAT an enemy, usually you kill it. Can you kill death? Do I actually believe all this?
Yes, I do.
