Jet Li’s Hero

Last week, I watched for the second time the phenomenal movie Hero.  No, I’m not talking about that sappy movie in ’92 with Dustin Hoffman in it.  I mean the Hero starring Jet Li.  At it’s release in 2002 in China, it was the country’s largest box office hit ever.  When it came to the U.S. in 2004, it was the second highest ever grossing foreign film.  Now, i know box office stats are Ryan Long’s measure of a good movie, not mine.  But I didn’t want to scare off any of you who thought I was promoting another obscure, odd foreign film!  This is a sweet piece of art on many levels– it even got a 95% at rotten tomatoes. If you get a chance to rent it, you should.  Here’s the trailer, and then I’ll explain just what was so special about this film…

Previews always attempt to reduce movies to a few words or sequences.  Similarly in Hero, the words “love, vengance, betrayl, and above all else honor” don’t really shed much light on the movies scope.  You do get a sense about the epic nature of this film, though.  Adapted from

4.20.99 final thoughts

We’ve spent the last week  hearing different voices look back at Columbine.  A week of remembering draws to a close.  This last day, I thought I’d share a reflection I wrote visiting Virginia Tech in the days after that shooting.  My hope in doing this is to give us eyes beyond Columbine.  Post-April 20th life, for me, became hopeful in the moments I chose to embrace my story and share it.  I found great healing in coming alongside those who had been through similar trauma.  And I still see hope in seeking the way of Jesus, who was one “acquainted with sorrow” far beyond what I’ve known!

Pain, Hope and Choices: From Columbine to Virginia Tech 

 

I recently spent 3 days in Blacksburg, VA at the Virginia Tech campus just days after the school shooting there that left 32 students and professors dead. I went as a survivor of the 1999 shootings in Littleton, CO at Columbine High School. Without an agenda or formula for recovery, I traveled to grieve with the community and support those in this fresh pain.  Three friends who also experienced Columbine- Mat, Margot,  and Shaya, traveled with  me. 

I came because of a sympathetic vibration.  I heard words being poured out by the media like, “another school shooting” and “multiple students killed on campus”, and I not only hurt- I remembered.  I knew the weight of grief found in the moments and days and years after I passed through a similar storm: April 20, 1999.  Columbine.

Resurrect Me

We continue the weekend of videos with the 2nd CG video off this year’s collection- it’s a review of Cuzco and Machu Picchu put together by Craig.  Enjoy!

cuzco-mpeg-4-webcasting

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