Last night I watched the first installment of Kieslowski’s The Decalogue. Very sad. Very powerful. Narrative theology at its best. Don’t preach, just tell the story.

Ebert has a great piece on “The Decalogue” here.

None of these films is a simple demonstration of black and white moral issues. . . At the end you see that the Commandments work not like science but like art; they are instructions for how to paint a worthy portrait with our lives.

Must see. (via Stephen via Nick)

The absolute best part of raking leaves is watching your two little boys take turns diving into the pile. The second best part of raking leaves is dumping them in your neighbor’s empty lot next to your yard, knowing you’re saving a fortune on garbage bags, while at the same time making a huge assumption that he doesn’t mind.

Check out the three different versions of the video to Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.” (via Jeff Berryman)
I’m still processing. . .

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil’s tryna to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that me feet don’t fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don’t think there is nothing I can do now ta, right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long

To the hustlas, killas, murderas, drug dealas even the strippas
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here . . .
(Jesus walks with them)
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know He hear me when my feet get weary
Cuz we’re the almost nearly extinct
We rappers is role models, we rap we don’t think
I ain’t here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I’m just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathy Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus

I’m watching a segment on MSNBC about televangelists and the damage they do to the cause of the gospel. The talking heads are giving the guy who is taking the televangelists to task a pretty hard time. Their point seems to be that he is blowing the greedy televangelist stereotype out of proportion.

Obviously not every preacher on TV is corrupt, but I’m reminded of something Neil Postman said in “Amusing Ourselves to Death” about how the gospel may be incompatible with television. His point was that the message was incongruent with the medium. I’ll have to look at the book tomorrow and refresh myself on why he thought this to be the case.