I went to see the disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow, this past weekend. As disaster movies go, it was great fun. The special effects are amazing. Los Angeles is largely destroyed by tornadoes. New York City is hit by a huge tidal wave and then is largely buried under ice and snow. Hundreds of millions of people die, and most of the northern hemisphere is no longer inhabitable due to a new ice age.
One of the funniest parts of the movie is when inhabitants of the United States flee south to Mexico to escape the catastrophe. The influx of Americans is so great that Mexico has to close its borders. Of course, this does nothing to stop the flow of “illegal immigrants” from the United States. The U.S. government has to flee Washington and set up house keeping in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. In a broadcast over the Weather Channel, the president of the United States, thanks the nations of the “so called” Third World for taking in the refugees from the United States and other First World countries.
Even though I thought this part of the movie was hilarious, I noticed that I was the only one in the theatre who laughed. Maybe the rest of the audience didn't have the same appreciation for humor and irony that I have. I must admit, my appreciation for this particular bit of irony has been nourished by Bible reading. One of the recurrent themes of scripture is that those on top will not stay there and that those on the bottom will not stay there either.
Take for example these lines from the song of Mary: “[God] has shown the might of his arm, he has routed the proud and all their schemes; he brought down monarchs from their thrones, and raised on high the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53)
Jesus often warns: “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)
Many of us also know from personal experience that life is full of unexpected reversals. Those on top are not guaranteed to stay there. Those on the bottom often don’t stay there either. (Ever hear the story of J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books?)
When Paul was collecting an offering for Christians in Judea who had been victims of a famine, he writes to the Corinthians: “At the moment your surplus meets their need, but one day your need may be met from their surplus.” (I Cor. 8:14b)
Or to say it another way: Help those in need now for you never know what The Day after Tomorrow will bring. By the way, we are receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing offering this month. I hope you are thinking of those victims of flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti?
©2004 C. David Hess
One of the funniest parts of the movie is when inhabitants of the United States flee south to Mexico to escape the catastrophe. The influx of Americans is so great that Mexico has to close its borders. Of course, this does nothing to stop the flow of “illegal immigrants” from the United States. The U.S. government has to flee Washington and set up house keeping in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. In a broadcast over the Weather Channel, the president of the United States, thanks the nations of the “so called” Third World for taking in the refugees from the United States and other First World countries.
Even though I thought this part of the movie was hilarious, I noticed that I was the only one in the theatre who laughed. Maybe the rest of the audience didn't have the same appreciation for humor and irony that I have. I must admit, my appreciation for this particular bit of irony has been nourished by Bible reading. One of the recurrent themes of scripture is that those on top will not stay there and that those on the bottom will not stay there either.
Take for example these lines from the song of Mary: “[God] has shown the might of his arm, he has routed the proud and all their schemes; he brought down monarchs from their thrones, and raised on high the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53)
Jesus often warns: “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)
Many of us also know from personal experience that life is full of unexpected reversals. Those on top are not guaranteed to stay there. Those on the bottom often don’t stay there either. (Ever hear the story of J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books?)
When Paul was collecting an offering for Christians in Judea who had been victims of a famine, he writes to the Corinthians: “At the moment your surplus meets their need, but one day your need may be met from their surplus.” (I Cor. 8:14b)
Or to say it another way: Help those in need now for you never know what The Day after Tomorrow will bring. By the way, we are receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing offering this month. I hope you are thinking of those victims of flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti?
©2004 C. David Hess
