I read with interest as the emails started flying regarding the movie, called The Golden Compass. The emails I read were on the intra-district network of the rural school district where I spend most of my waking hours five days a week. I’m sure I should pay more attention to what is going on in the media; admittedly I had not heard of this movie until I started reading the emails. I can’t do anything about what my first graders watch or read, and my own kids, thankfully, are adults now so media is just one less thing for me to worry about at this point.
Many of the emails I read were suggesting that children be discouraged from watching the movie, which is, I read, based on a book written by “an atheist author”. There was at least one email from someone with the opposite point of view. This email discussion ended with one email in particular that spoke with a voice of reason, suggesting that children watch the movie with caring adults and then discuss it.
Sad to say, there was a time when I would have been one of those who would have said NO to this movie solely based on the fact that Christians I associated with, and/or respected, said it was evil. The fact that the book was written by an alleged atheist would have been enough “fact” for me. Yes, I was one of those radicals that wouldn’t even let my kids watch the Smurfs; poor little blue guys, I don’t even remember what evil they were supposedly promoting. I hereby publicly repent of being too lazy to think for myself and act accordingly, as well as being too self righteous to consider other points of view. Perhaps I should also repent of being so overly protective that I drove one of my children straight to some of the things from which I was trying to protect him. God, forgive me.
I love many things about the Episcopal Church, not the least of which is that I am encouraged to think and prayerfully consider multiple points of view and even, at times, admit that perhaps two or more points of view have merit. In the past two years I have acted as quite the adolescent in getting a charge out of reading things that in my past I would have considered to be heretical, or even demonic, and I know I am better for it.
What would I do today if I had children wanting to see The Golden Compass? First, I would read the book to find out for myself what all the fuss is about. Unless I deemed the kids to be too young to see the movie, we would then watch it together and talk about it later. The children would learn things, I would learn things, and perhaps we’d all be better for the experience.
For additional information, readers are encouraged to read this Review of the movie The Golden Compass.
It Takes FAITH to Live
I have an unexpected day off tomorrow because a student in the school where I teach was diagnosed with MRSA virus (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This is the infection that has been making the news lately because it’s resistant to most antibiotics. The school must be thoroughly cleaned before classes resume on Friday.
Due to HIPPA laws we were not told who the student is or what class he or she is in. That bothers me. I’m fairly certain it’s no one in my room as no students have been absent the past few days. Even still, it bothers me that if it was someone in my room, I would not have the knowledge to know whose desk interior and materials should be cleaned. (As far as I know only the hard outer surfaces around the building will be cleaned.) I understand a right to privacy, but in cases like this it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.
Earlier in the week a mumps epidemic was declared in the school. Epidemic of one person. Apparantly epidemic status is given to even one outbreak of a disease that the majority of the population has been immunized against. I had the disease as a child so personally I’ve nothing to worry about, but WHY and HOW did an immunized child contract this disease?What is going on? I have a lot of questions and those “in the know” don’t really have a lot of answers.
The fact is, this kind of thing happens every day, and worse. I have of course been aware of that on one level. But now the dangers “out there” are right here, and that’s unsettling. Bad things, bizzare things even, can and do happen. Everywhere.
The situation leaves us with choices. We can worry. We can become paranoid of every cough or scrape or bump. We can try at all costs to protect ourselves. We can have faith and trust God to take care of us. There is a balance. We should, I believe, use the wisdom and common sense God has gifted us with to take care of ourselves, but not to the point of paranoia. Fear is useless and obviously not what God wants of us. Why else would the words “do not fear” and “be not afraid” appear so many times in scripture? So the balance is to do what we are able to keep ourselves safe and healthy, and trust God to take care of the rest.