Luke Taylor- Noah: An Unworthy Gift (Blog Assignment #3)

There were numerous parts to the film, Noah, that were very powerful. Choosing one was not easy but the specific scene that hit me the hardest was possibly the cruelest part of the entire film. As Noah and his family are safe and secure inside the boat all they can do is sit in a deathly silence of what feels like pure guilt as they hear the horrific shrieks of people outside holding on to a giant boulder for life. The director puts the camera on the people struggling, grasping onto the rock for dear life. They scream of horror and cry out for help as they see a giant ark within distance to them. The atmosphere is almost too uncomfortable to watch and is so loud that the screams are so loud that they pierce my ears. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the camera angle goes off of the people, in fact, we are now inside the ark. Complete silence fills the theater and the director puts the camera on the middle son, Ham. Throughout the movie the viewer begins to dislike Ham more and more. He disobeys his father numerous times, is continuously being the troubled child, and is planning on betraying his father. As I saw him sitting in the ark listening to the shrieks of the desperate people outside I thought to myself how I wish one of them could replace him sitting peacefully inside the ark; as soon as I thought that, it me harder than ever. I realized that I have been, am, and will always be in the same situation as Ham until I leave this earth: broken. Ham by no means deserves to get to be in that boat because he has constantly been sinning and turning his back on God but he is there. It reminded me of how I have the same gift that I do not deserve.  I am a sinner, a broken man, but none of that matters because of how great God’s love is for me. John 3:16 talks about how God gave the ultimate sacrifice by sending his only son to die for me and because of that I have a chance of real life. I by all means should be outside during the flood getting ready to drown but instead I get to sit in Ham’s seat and have the opportunity to live. That moment in the film was so powerful because it really made me remember how fortunate I am to have a gift of life. I am so unworthy and am a sinner but God’s love is so strong, his agape love for me is why I am given life and the film really hit me hard reminding me of that.

 Romans 5:8 says “God demonstrates his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I hope that I never forget how unworthy I am but with that being said, how loved I am. 

Luke Jeffery: Noah

Our discussion of myth vs. fact was timely, since just weeks later we saw the film Noah.  I couldn't help but think about this dichotomy, particularly in light of the biblical narrative Noah. Many evangelical Christians today are upset with the movie Noah because they see it as "unbiblical." To them, making any deviation from the literal text of the Bible should be considered not true. In response, I would like to highlight two things, first this movie was not based solely off of the biblical text, it was also drawn out of the apocryphal text of The Book of Enoch, which displays a godlike view of Noah. Second, many of the early church fathers had different lists of what was to remain canon and what was to be removed from the canon. This caused controversy within the Church, but many of these different leaders, whose canons were different were considered to be great heroes of the faith.

Myth has long been associated in American culture with lies.  Our culture is so focused on truth, which is much different from many other cultures in the world. For example, Asian culture holds honor higher than truth and will thus lie to save face, because for them it is more important.  Our high veneration of truth has caused a distortion in our view of myth or story. Though it is hard for us to understand this, it is important in the Noah movie to attempt to understand it in light of myth.  Much of the artistic license that was taken in the movie can be drawn from the text of the biblical narrative in conjunction with the Book of Enoch. Additionally, it also adds some great character development to Noah and some of the other characters. This really emphasized their qualities and struggles with the coming flood. Overall, I enjoyed the film thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone because it will challenge us to view the narrative of Noah as mythos and not simply fact vs. fiction.

John Tyler: Noah

Coming into the film I was pretty skeptical and definitely had some reservations based on the feedback from my friends.  However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie and how badly my friends misinterpreted the message and point of the film Noah.

Probably one of the overarching themes of Noah and the one I am going to address in this blog is the dichotomy between humans as stewards of the earth vs entitled rulers.  This tension is depicted in the movie between the decedents of Cain and the decedents of Seth.  Noah and his family are decedents of Seth while the mass of blood thirsty men devouring the earth came from Cain.  Just like in the Garden of Eden, Noah and his family respect the Earth and are careful not to kill or harm creation but only use what is needed.  Contrastingly, the decedents of Cain strip the forests bare and slaughter animals.  The director clearly and bodily draws the line between the two approaches and it is obviously clear who is in the wrong, that is, the decedents of Cain.  In Ham's conversation with the severely corrupted leader on the arc, the man tells him that it is our right to rule and subdue the earth.  In Genesis, God does say something along those lines to Adam and Eve, however, I believe He intended us not to feel entitled to anything but instead to know our place as sub-creators and sub-rulers under Him.  The corrupt man says that killing makes a man.  No, killing destroys man and violates God's beautiful creation.  The movie drives this point home.  All of the blood thirsty men and abusers of the Earth are swept away by the rushing waters while the good stewards of God's land and animals, Noah and his family, are spared.  God rejoices over imitators of His divine nature, those who create and sustain, not pretenders and defilers.

Noah Blog, Buhl

This movie was not what I was expecting; everything was more modern that I would have portrayed and also more mystical. The clothes, tools, and mystical creatures did not look awkward in the movie but were unexpected from my point of view.

            One thing that keeps coming up for me is the similarities between the way Noah treated Ila while she was pregnant and the way God was not responding toward people on earth. Horrible acts were taking place on Earth as God sat and watched the world he created crumble and fall into the trap of sin. The descendants of Cain said "God has abandoned us;" but then God revealed himself to Noah and his family and showed a great deal of mercy towards the descendants that have continued to follow in God. This parallels with Ila and Noah. As she carries her pregnancy to term she feel betrayed by Noah up until the last minutes of the scene of the birth. Noah and his family had felt alone and trapped and like God hasn't been fair. At the end Noah shows mercy towards the babies and lets them live. The two instances show great love and mercy which is important for followers of God to understand and follow in his foot steps. God showed great mercy and understanding towards Noah's family by helping them create the ark that was to save Noah's family and all God's animals. 

Buhl- Eternal Sunshine

Not only did this film relate to existentialism but also some aspects of communication that I have studied. Memories are created from our experiences, which create our reality. The Communication scholar Kenneth Burke coined a term Terministic Screen; Burke says that everyone has what is called a Terministic Screen. Each person’s individual screen is made up and shaped by personal experiences and perceptions of life; it is our Terministic Screens that shape and dictate our identity and our reality. Terministic screens explain how individuals see and relate to the world. Each person has their own shaped Terministic Screens; these screens are then molded through actions, rhetoric, and life experiences. In this instance the different memories, or realities we choose to remember shape us for future encounters. This is so closely tied with this movie; if Joel and Clementine erase each other from their minds they are destroying a part of them and their reality. Erasing their memories also is destroying their identity and what makes them who they are; my getting rid of past experiences, even if they are negative, this hinders their ability to make choices based on passed situations.

Even though by erasing each other brings to light the goodness in their relationship in the end, if that had not happened they could have fallen into an insanity track; continuing to do the same thing over and over without changing anything. By finding each other through the bad and looking towards the good they find their true selves in each other.

Tyler Duvall - Noah - Blog 4

Noah

The most inspiring part of the film in my opinion was the idea of the father’s blessing that was shown numerous times throughout the film. However, one scene in particular stood out as being raw and powerful and truly a symbol of the father’s heart. The scene I am referring to is when Methuselah gives Ila (Emma Watson) a blessing. What is so powerful is that Ila is not blood-related yet Methuselah gives her a blessing due to her faithfulness and loyalty to the Noah and his family.

The symbol of the blessing was a gift of life and offspring as Ila was unable to bear children due to a wound she received from her childhood. Ila was in love with Shem and was willing to let him go so that he could find a wife who could bear children. Ila represented pure, unselfish, genuine love and was a perfect candidate to be the new “eve” in a sense to repopulate the earth.

When Methuselah gave her the blessing Ila felt a force that was supernatural and had a sudden urge to have sexual relations with Shem. The miracle was that Ila became pregnant with twins which was exactly the number of women needed for the number of men who survived the flood in order to populate the earth.

The Father acts towards us the same way! He redeems us from being orphans and blesses us into his family!

Tyler Duvall - Outside Reading #1 - Book of Hebrews and Revelation

Warriors who Rest

Rest, strength, idols, unbelief

Dream last night about the army of Babylon

Unbelief can lead to idols and trusting in your own strength

Reasons why the Promised Land isn't inherited….

Hebrews 3:19

Hebrews 4:10

Godly rest isn't napping; it’s leaning on Papa...For every breath and dwelling in His abode

Hebrew tradition is that sleeping at night isn't to replenish from the day’s work but actually it’s how they start their day…their day starts in the night. They rest because it is their strength for the morning.

When you war against the enemy we have to trust God

Israel’s timeline-

Slavery, freedom, to unbelief, to creating an idol, to wandering, to doubting God in battle, to oppression from Babylon

Babylon represents people who trust in their abilities, who craft idols in their hearts, who neglect leaning on God’s rest (meaning not using his strength), people who do not have faith in which God is.

Revelation 18:7

As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
    so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
    ‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
    and mourning I shall never see.’
⁸ For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
    death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
    for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.

She says that she is a queen and she is not a widow…widow from who? The husband...Jesus.

What do we doubt God in? What promises have we written off as broken dreams or unattainable dreams? What Promised Land have we missed because we are wandering in unbelief? Unbelief in healing? Unbelief in restoration? Unbelief in love? Unbelief in your identity? Why have you stopped believing in the rain? The harvest? The promises of our Father?

The next option according to Habakkuk 2 and Isaiah 14 is to let God be your strength and then raise up worship on high places (Habakkuk 3:19) and lift  a taunt against Babylon!!

This taunt is often done in a proverb or a song

Isaiah 12:2 (the Lord is my strength and my song)

But woe to you who attempt this in your own abilities, strength, or separated from God’s rest for you will indeed become Babylon…Habakkuk 1:6-11

You either become strong in God or strong in yourself.

This is not discouraging...Its sobering but it’s awesome!

We can raise a taunt against the enemy in Papa

Worship time and war against unbelief, healing, doubt, depression, past hurts, idols,