I don’t often review or recommend movies on this site. I leave that for others. But this past Saturday night, I went to see a very special film with my wife, Kathy, her brother, Mark, and his wife Janet.

“The Blind Side” is the new John Lee Hancock film starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, and Kathy Bates, about a young African-American teenager (played by Quinton Aaron) who is surviving on the streets. But when he meets Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock’s character), everything changes.

My nephew somewhat cynically called it “the feel-good movie of the year.” However, it is much more than that! Based on a true story, it is a wonderful example of what happens when a successful person, and family, uses their money, power, and influence, as well as opening up their own home and lives, to help someone in need of, well, anything and everything.

It’s also a beautiful embodiment of the message Jesus Christ teaches in the Bible (Matthew 25). In Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats, he says:

“’For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“’The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV)

My brother-in-law and his wife left this morning for their home in Denver. But we were still talking about about our theater experience. Kathy and I will see the film again. It is well worth the time and money. Check it out; you’ll be glad you did.

Wondering what that means?

To find out, read one of the most profoundly intelligent and calm discussions concerning the current “health care reform” debate. I think you’ll find an amazing voice of reason.

Enjoy.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the news that European scientists recently discovered a new earthlike planet that might possibly be able to support human inhabitance. In the overall scheme of things, that’s pretty phenomenal.

Here’s a thought: since our own earthly doom has been predicted by the green prophets, let’s put Al Gore and all his global warming freaks …ah …er …friends into a spaceship and send them to this new planet to see if we can move there as our own planet melts into oblivion.

Surely it will just as easy for them to make up science and fabricate facts there as it has been here. (And maybe, just for the fun of it, let’s send Rosie along with them.)

I have a new favorite writer. His name is Shaun Powell, an African-American sports columnist for New York Newsday. In the midst of the Imus flap, I heard him interviewed on a radio talk show. I’m sorry; it’s been so long now I can’t remember the station or the show. But what I can’t forget is the profound way he cut through the bologna of this incident and got to the real problem. I almost had to pull my car over to the side of the road to listen because I didn’t want to miss any of his ideas or words, all of which were pregnant with meaning. Both Powell and the radio show host referenced his newspaper column – a wonderful piece – published that day.

I read it with great interest and marveled at the articulate and succinct way he cut to the real heart of the matter.

“In retrospect,” he said, “outraged people shouldn’t have united and screamed ‘blank you’ to Don Imus the last few days. No, instead, we should’ve stuck out our hand and said, ‘Thank you.’”

I found his writing more insightful than all of the commentary by both African-Americans and Caucasians combined.

We should feel indebted to a shriveled, unfunny, insensitive frog for being so ignorant that he actually did us all a favor. He woke society the hell up. He grabbed it by the throat, shook hard and ordered us to take a long, critical look at ourselves and the mess we’ve made and ignored for much too long. He made us examine the culture and the characters we’ve created for ourselves, our impressionable young people and our future.

Not only did he correctly parse the situation, he correctly identified the true villains, and wannabe heroes.

I’m not sure if the last few days will serve as a watershed moment for this MTV, middle-finger, screw-you generation. Probably not, according to my hunch. A short time from now, the hysteria will turn to vapor, folks will settle back into their routines, somebody will pump up the volume on the latest poison produced by hip-hop while Al Sharpton and the other racial ambulance chasers will find other guilt-ridden white folks to shake for fame and cash. In five minutes, the entire episode of Imus and his strange idea of humor will be older than his hairstyle. Lessons learned will be lessons forgotten.

What I found in this talented writer’s thoughts was reality. A reality seldom found in a medium that is usually as far from reality as one can possibly be.

I wish I were wrong about that last part. But I doubt it, because any minute now, black people will resume calling themselves bitches and hos and the N-word and in the ultimate sign of hypocrisy, neither Rutgers nor anyone else will call a news conference about that.

Because when we really get to the root of the problem, this isn’t about Imus. This is about a culture we — meaning black folks — created and condoned and packaged for white power brokers to sell and shock jocks like Imus to exploit. Can we talk?

What I found interesting is Powell’s observance of what most of us missed. All of the arrows and darts were slung at Don Imus (and he deserved them). But what most of us missed is what could have – should have – taken place. Yes, these young, intelligent, attractive, and classy female student athletes spoke with poise and dignity. But as they made their statements, they swung and missed at the opportunity to make a statement.

What really disappointed me about that exhausting Rutgers news conference, which was slyly used as a recruiting pitch by Stringer, was the absence of the truth and the lack of backbone and courage. Black women had the perfect opportunity to lash out at their most dangerous oppressors — black men — and yet they kept the focus on a white guy.

It was a tremendous letdown for me, personally and professionally. I wanted Stringer, and especially her players, many of whom listen to rap and hip-hop, to take Nelly to task. Or BET. Or MTV. Or the gangsta culture that is suffocating our kids. They had the ear and eye of the nation trained upon them, and yet these women didn’t get to the point and the root of the matter. They danced around it, and I guess I should’ve known better, because black people still refuse to lash out against those black people who are doing harm to us all.

Honestly, I wasn’t holding my breath for Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, a pair of phony and self-appointed leaders, because they have their agendas and financial stakes. I was hoping 10 young women, who have nothing on the line, who are members of a young culture, would train their attention to within the race, name names and say enough is enough. But they didn’t, and I was crushed.

Thank you, Mr. Powell! Thank you for being honest and forthright. Thank you for having the courage to assess the situation from a big-picture point of view. Thank you for sharing your insights.

Thank you for being a legitimate voice.

Thankfully, enough time has passed now that Don Imus’ name is not the lead headline in every newspaper, newsmagazine, broadcast news show, talk radio, and cable news. Did anybody get tired of the “all-Imus-all-the-time” obsession? I confess, however, I listened to much of it. I listened to the name-calling, watched the finger-pointing, heard the defense of a stupid and ignorant statement, the calling for his job, the stand for his job, and everything in between.

After all the countless hours, verbiage and spilt ink, there’s a lot I don’t know. I don’t know if Don Imus should have lost his job or not. I don’t know if it was an assertion of what Mr. Imus actually feels and believes or if it was just a stupid, ignorant, and ill-conceived attempt at humor. I don’t know if a case could be made for freedom of speech (as disgusting, repugnant, and vile as it was) or not. I don’t know if this episode brings forth implications, as some have suggested, for speech limitations in the future.

What I do know is that it was horrible. It not only revealed the heart of a man, it showed the true colors of our nation and society. It was an ugly, unwarranted, and unprovoked attack on a group of classy, talented, and intelligent female student athletes. But most of all, the overwhelming emotion spawned by this dreadful episode was sadness. I found myself thinking, as the uproar began to settle, “It’s just sad.”

It’s sad, for example, that it took CBS more than a week to finally decide that it was repulsed by Imus’ rancor. Why weren’t they repulsed the moment the words exited the radio host’s mouth? Why did it take them 8 days? Why was it only after advertisers started bailing out that they found their moral high ground? How sad is that?!?

It’s sad that when all is said and done, it really wasn’t an issue of racism. It really wasn’t. It was for Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. (Although it was more just another opportunity to get in front of a camera and microphone.) It was first an issue of sexism, and then it was an issue of materialism. Let’s not forget that these are female student athletes, of whom not all were African-American. There were also Caucasians. I can’t imagine being the father of any one of those college girls and hearing my daughter spoken of in those terms. What a remarkably stupid sexist comment! But again, it was also an issue of materialism. Ultimately, as I mentioned above, final decisions were made on the basis of not black, not white, but green. When the money began to disappear, so did Don Imus. It’s sad that the real issues were overshadowed by the bottom lines of NBC and CBS.

It’s truly sad that it took us this long to actually notice the kind of crap that emanated from this program for years and years. Truth be told, this was probably not the worst thing Don Imus ever uttered; it just so happened that someone was paying attention this time. Again, truth be told, Don Imus, has been insulting, mean-spirited, abusive, vulgar, and offensive for quite a long time. How sad it is that it took us so long to notice.

It’s sad that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are so quick to pronounce their wrath on this offensive and racist white person while even more quickly forgetting their own forays into racism of a different kind. What’s sadder? If Jesse and Al have become our country’s foremost bastions of moral authority, our nation is in deeper trouble than most of us originally thought.

Finally, it’s incredibly sad to notice the depth of insolence to which we have sunk. Where has courtesy gone? When did civility disappear? When did we lose all sense of manners and decorum? It’s a reminder to me of something one of my heroes once said. William Wilberforce is known for his role in eliminating slavery in England. (Earlier this year I recommended the movie, Amazing Grace, a story of Wilberforce’s work and efforts.) What he is perhaps less known for, however, is that he didn’t want to just stop slavery; he also wanted to improve the overall climate of society. That’s why he called for a “reformation of manners and civility” across the land.

Well, William…if that reformation was needed in the 18^th century, how much more is the cry for it today?

I have a little more time than usual on my hands these days (not my idea) so I’ve been able to take in a few more movies than normal. A couple of weeks ago I recommended to you an absolute must see movie. That past weekend my wife and I saw another one.

A couple of years ago, Jim Stovall wrote a wonderful book titled The Ultimate Gift. This year it has been made into a movie and was released last week.

Stovall’s story is about a larger than life character named Red Stevens. Red made it big in life – in oil companies and cattle ranches – and gave his family everything. But in the process, he ruined them, turning them into greedy, self-serving ingrates. After his death, when his will is read, it provides for some humorous moments but the point of the story and the movie is that Red believes he can save his great-nephew, Jason, from his current empty and directionless life.

So, in a darkened room, isolated from the rest of his family, Jason receives specific instructions from his great-uncle which send him on a year-long quest for purpose and meaning. As Jason begins to complete the assignments assigned to him by his great-uncle, he begins to discover that there’s much more in life than a trust fund. That discovery brings to him the ultimate gift.

The Ultimate Gift book is a must-read book! The Ultimate Gift movie is another must-see movie!! It won’t be a Hollywood blockbuster; in fact, given our culture’s fickle taste in storylines, it will probably go to Blockbuster sooner than some. But EVERYONE needs to see it. Workaholic fathers should watch it; overworked and frantic mothers should see it. Kids need to see it. In fact, families should see it together and I especially believe that every high school student should watch it. If you do, you’ll be glad you did. And, who knows, you might just receive the ultimate gift too.

Still not convinced? Go to The Ultimate Gift website.

It has been called “one of the most significant films of all times.” For certain, it is a MUST SEE!!!! I’m speaking, of course, of the film released last Friday (February 23) titled Amazing Grace. It’s an amazing film (no pun intended) and you simply must go see it!

The film tells the true story of how William Wilberforce, with the support of his wife Barbara, and his pastor, John Newton (who wrote the universally loved hymn by the same name) helped bring about the change of the laws in the British Empire to abolish slavery.

It is a remarkable story of a man of faith as well as God’s faithfulness that saw Wilberforce through years of opposition in his struggle to rid Britain of the scourge of slavery. Year after year, William introduced measures into Parliament to end slavery, and each time his colleagues voted him down.

With consistent faith, however, bolstered by his Pastor, John Newton, and the message of the great hymn, “Amazing Grace,” Wilberforce stayed true and steadfast in his fight. One by one his opponents became partners in the struggle and when the final vote was cast, slavery was ended, and Wilberforce’s political colleagues, enemies and allies alike, gave him a standing ovation.

The audience that day included William’s elderly and nearly blind pastor, John Newton.

Parenthetically, it would take America nearly 50 more years and a senseless bloody Civil War before it would come to its senses and follow England’s example in eliminating the barbaric practice of trading in humans.

I’m not a movie critic or reviewer. (If you would like to hear from some, check out Focus on the Family’s Plugged in Online or see Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman’s syndicated column, Cinema in Focus.) But my recommendation is go to the movie (it’s worth full price), learn a little history, and be inspired by one of God’s incredible and true heroes.

I didn’t watch the Annual Golden Globe Awards last night because…well…let’s say, “I had better things to do.” I did check this morning to see who won as I would imagine many of you did. As I read through the varied coverage something very interesting caught my eye.

Of course, the red carpet was a main topic of media reports, and center stage on the red carpet information was the “Brangelina” watch. Now…I’m not starting an “I hate Brangelina” club. I may get tired of the hype but I’m not out to get them. I like many of their films. But I found a comment by Jennifer Love Hewitt in this morning’s USA Today very interesting.

“I love them as a couple,” Hewitt said. “I love to see people who are truly about each other and doing it right.”

Did anybody catch this? I was listening to one of my favorite sports talk show hosts this morning and he sure did. What does Ms. Hewitt mean, “Doing it right?” Here’s a man (Brad Pitt) who cheated on his wife and then divorced her (Jennifer Anniston). And here’s a woman (Angelina Jolie) who broke up a marriage, and here’s a new couple who are having children together out of wedlock.

At the risk of sounding like a moralist, what’s right about that? Is it that we look past the obvious inconsistencies because of the humanitarian work they do? (Much of which, by the way, I think Christians should join them in.) Or do we ignore the irregularities because they are among the “beautiful people?”

Are they beautiful? Yes. Are they doing great work across the ocean? Yes. Everything on the surface looks cool, hip, and special. But I’m reminded of something…when the priest Samuel went to look for Israel’s next king he was tempted to pick Jesse’s oldest son Eliab. He thought Eliab was the one because of how he looked – tall, handsome, winsome, personality, charisma, etc. In today’s genre, Eliab might have been considered one of the beautiful people…maybe even comparable to Brad.

But God had a different idea…

The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

Am I judging? I guess I could be accused of that though that’s not my intention. I’m more concerned for me and those closest to me because too often I get it wrong. I want to be cool and look cool just like everybody else. And all too often I’m way too guilty of focusing more on the outside at the risk of ignoring the inside, forgetting that when God looks at me, the first place he looks is the inside.

Imagine my surprise to read two articles in the media today, both referencing American Christians and Christianity. Perhaps you read them too.

One referred to the latest prophetic revelation from Hollywood darling Rosie O’Donnell who made outrageous statements to a nationwide audience this week that equated “radical Christians” in America with the radical Muslims who piloted hijacked jet airplanes into New York’s Twin Towers five years ago. Keep in mind that this Ms. O’Donnell seldom engages her mind before opening her mouth. Remember also that the brilliant masterminds in Hollywood have given her a ready-made platform by making her one of the hosts of ABC’s “The View.”

She, this bastion of intelligent and sound reasoning, this picture of diplomacy and tact, this queen of class, equated American Christians with those who chop off the heads of individuals and bomb innocent children in suicide attacks.

Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have separation of church and state.
– Rosie O’Donnell

Reports state that “even her liberal co-hosts were shocked by her comments.” I am not shocked but I AM outraged…again at hers and others’ witless attempts to characterize Christ and those who follow him with such distasteful and discourteous characterizations.

But, wait – there was a second article. Today’s USA Today features another article Fred Phelps and his loyal congregation (a.k.a. his family). You might remember them as the group that makes up the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Is it coming back to you? Yes, that’s right; they’re the group that pickets as many as three funerals a week.

Recently, President Bush signed a law banning protests within 300 feet of national cemeteries. But Phelps and his clan (a.k.a. church) have sued challenging the constitutionality of such a law.

After signing the bill, our President stated that this “ensures that families of fallen service members will not have to endure protests during military funerals.” But…

It hasn’t worked out that way. Phelps’ followers have picketed at 15 funerals in 13 states since Aug. 1. Ten of those states have passed laws meant to restrict the protests. Pickets even showed up Monday in Shanksville, Pa., for a 9/11 commemoration at the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.

The 76-year-old church leader believes that the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the 2001 terrorist attacks are an angry God’s punishment for the country’s tolerance of homosexuality. In Phelps’ words:

“This nation has ticked off the Almighty, and it’s too late to repent. … What I’m sorry about is that they [parents of fallen service members] raised their children for the devil in hell. … I’m saying to those people, ‘If your boy, your dead soldier son, could come back to earth and talk to you, what he would tell you is, listen to Phelps.”

Once again, I’m not shocked, but I AM outraged. I want to say to Ms. O’Donnell, “You’re just wrong!” But then, in the next moment, I’m staring at Exhibit A of her argument.

Then I wonder, “What must God be thinking?”