Thursday, June 07, 2007
What would Action Figure Jesus Do?
What would action figure Jesus do? Exerpted from TheStar.com -
News - What would action figure Jesus do?
June 05, 2007 Jim Coyle
That the world needs saving there can be little doubt. Ten minutes with a newspaper will tell you that. A second coming probably couldn't come soon enough. Still, we're not entirely sure the version we stumbled on the other day was what even the faithful had in mind.
We had a birthday in our house yesterday. In preparation, toy stores were visited. And in one, on Yonge St., squeezed between one shop flogging stylish home furnishings and another dealing in designer kiddy togs, was found an "action figure Jesus."
Well, for heaven's sakes, I said, astonished.
Exactly, the mother of the birthday boy replied.
You could easily have missed him, set as he was amid the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers and Toy Story stars and the metrosexual Lord Farquaad from Shrek and the cast of Lord of the Rings and the muscle-bound wrestling heroes from WWF.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's not at all clear the manufacturers of this line of products have bought the proposition that the meek will inherit the Earth – the action figure of the obsequious Waylon Smithers from The Simpsons notwithstanding.
Anyway, there he stood in the plastic bubble packaging, backed by a picture of the Holy Land, apparently sent among us by Accoutrements: Outfitters of Popular Culture of Seattle, looking pretty much as portrayed in most Sunday school renderings – long hair, beard, long white robes, sandals, arms slightly akimbo, palms up.
" `I did not come to judge the world but to save it:' John 12:47," said the package.
A task that would be made much easier, presumably, by his "poseable arms & gliding action!" (Not to mention the handiness of the latter for walking on water.) In fact, it looked like it was going to take all the gliding action available just to deal with the multitude of raging, palpably sinful and entirely homicidal looking demons of film and fantasy packaged nearby.
But it turns out John Lennon was wrong. The Beatles, judging by the fact they weren't in the iconic assortment, were not more popular than action figure Jesus.
In fairness, he did appear to be challenged by other historical figures, most notably from the world of sports. Though it's hard to imagine modern kids will find action figures of Pete Maravich, Willis Reed, Marcel Dionne any less bafflingly ancient than Jesus.
"He has been the topic of many heated theological debates," someone from Accoutrements had written on the package. "Although he is understood in many different ways, everyone seems to agree that he was a remarkable man."
And, jeez, sportscaster Brent Musberger must have been, too, because there was an action figure of him. Made in China, the poor soul who cobbled it together was probably mystified, if a thought was given to the matter at all, why he was churning out this benign looking soul among the other savage celebrities of Western culture.
Naturally, there was also the usual warning. However adept his namesake might have been at saving lives, action figure Jesus constituted a choking hazard, small parts unsuitable – and too theologically challenging – for children under three years.
But there was good news. The packaging had been "made with recycled paper." So the planet was being saved at least in that respect.
Anyway, it had been marked down from $19.99 to $12.99, plus $1.82 in taxes, there being no respite from rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
"Have a nice day," the saleslady chirped, bagging him up.
Amen.
News - What would action figure Jesus do?
June 05, 2007 Jim Coyle
That the world needs saving there can be little doubt. Ten minutes with a newspaper will tell you that. A second coming probably couldn't come soon enough. Still, we're not entirely sure the version we stumbled on the other day was what even the faithful had in mind.
We had a birthday in our house yesterday. In preparation, toy stores were visited. And in one, on Yonge St., squeezed between one shop flogging stylish home furnishings and another dealing in designer kiddy togs, was found an "action figure Jesus."
Well, for heaven's sakes, I said, astonished.
Exactly, the mother of the birthday boy replied.
You could easily have missed him, set as he was amid the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers and Toy Story stars and the metrosexual Lord Farquaad from Shrek and the cast of Lord of the Rings and the muscle-bound wrestling heroes from WWF.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's not at all clear the manufacturers of this line of products have bought the proposition that the meek will inherit the Earth – the action figure of the obsequious Waylon Smithers from The Simpsons notwithstanding.
Anyway, there he stood in the plastic bubble packaging, backed by a picture of the Holy Land, apparently sent among us by Accoutrements: Outfitters of Popular Culture of Seattle, looking pretty much as portrayed in most Sunday school renderings – long hair, beard, long white robes, sandals, arms slightly akimbo, palms up.
" `I did not come to judge the world but to save it:' John 12:47," said the package.
A task that would be made much easier, presumably, by his "poseable arms & gliding action!" (Not to mention the handiness of the latter for walking on water.) In fact, it looked like it was going to take all the gliding action available just to deal with the multitude of raging, palpably sinful and entirely homicidal looking demons of film and fantasy packaged nearby.
But it turns out John Lennon was wrong. The Beatles, judging by the fact they weren't in the iconic assortment, were not more popular than action figure Jesus.
In fairness, he did appear to be challenged by other historical figures, most notably from the world of sports. Though it's hard to imagine modern kids will find action figures of Pete Maravich, Willis Reed, Marcel Dionne any less bafflingly ancient than Jesus.
"He has been the topic of many heated theological debates," someone from Accoutrements had written on the package. "Although he is understood in many different ways, everyone seems to agree that he was a remarkable man."
And, jeez, sportscaster Brent Musberger must have been, too, because there was an action figure of him. Made in China, the poor soul who cobbled it together was probably mystified, if a thought was given to the matter at all, why he was churning out this benign looking soul among the other savage celebrities of Western culture.
Naturally, there was also the usual warning. However adept his namesake might have been at saving lives, action figure Jesus constituted a choking hazard, small parts unsuitable – and too theologically challenging – for children under three years.
But there was good news. The packaging had been "made with recycled paper." So the planet was being saved at least in that respect.
Anyway, it had been marked down from $19.99 to $12.99, plus $1.82 in taxes, there being no respite from rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
"Have a nice day," the saleslady chirped, bagging him up.
Amen.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
I got a new job... and then another one... oh yeah - then I graduate.... oh - and one more thing.... I was ordained.
Phew! I guess that's what happens when you try not to pretend you don't have a blog for like, oh.... 6 months or more.
So much to say, so very little energy to say it all.
So here's the synopsis:
I graduated from VST winning the Runnals history prize, and I was appointed as the Campus Minister for the United Church at UBC (University of British Columbia). On May 27, 2007 I was ordained as a minister of word, sacrament and pastoral care in the BC Conference of the United Church of Canada.
MUCH MUCH MUCH to be done about campus ministry between now and September, so look forward to more posts about that.
Many blessings, in the name of the Christ.
Carmen.
