tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230624982024-11-01T07:00:06.520-04:00in the open space: God & cultureSo Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them: "I'm here to introduce you to this God.... He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him!" ~Acts 17Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comBlogger1911125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-28257697863867407162017-10-19T13:04:00.000-04:002017-10-19T13:04:10.858-04:00First They Killed My Father: Beauty and Suffering
Last
month, Netflix released First They Killed
My Father, based on the
experience of Loung Ung who is a childhood survivor of the Pol Pot regime during the Khmer Rouge years in
Cambodia. It is not
only a compelling story of individual suffering and the personal toll of a
horrific period in history but also a story with galvanizing relevance today.
Director
Angelina Jolie, who Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-81110446680317937622017-10-17T13:57:00.000-04:002017-10-17T14:04:49.758-04:00Last Ship: Family and mission
“One ship against the three of us? They are outnumbered.”
~Sergeant Azima Kandie in the “Detect, Deceive, Destroy” episode of The Last Ship
If you read this blog, you know I’m a fan of disaster and sci-fi stories, so it will come as no surprise that The Last Ship is part of my regular summer viewing. The TNT action-drama, which wrapped up its fourth season this month, Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-56276425972786363242017-10-09T14:13:00.001-04:002017-10-09T14:31:31.292-04:00Blade Runner 2049: Beautiful but flawed
Blade Runner is one
of my favorite films. It is layered with meaning and questions and themes that
take you in all sorts of directions. And I found Director Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival
one of the most thought-provoking and moving science fiction films I’ve ever
seen.
So, I really, really wanted to love Blade Runner 2049. But I just couldn't. Perhaps if I'd never seen the
original film, this Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-7643917522163909182017-08-04T13:45:00.000-04:002017-08-04T13:45:01.848-04:00Starting in the middle
Lynch/Frost Productions
In
May, Showtime released a limited series revival of Twin Peaks, a 1990 quirky two-season television crime drama set in
a small town in Washington and centered on FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper’s
investigation of the murder of a teenager named Laura Palmer. I hadn’t watched the original series, so when
I ran across it on Netflix, I thought I’d try to give it a goCarmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-70333658691625251192017-07-11T14:42:00.000-04:002017-07-11T14:42:13.890-04:00Time to take our temperature
I recently ran across an article in The Dartmouth that underscores the effects of political polarization in the U.S. "A survey of Dartmouth's political landscape" explores the results of a campus-wide survey last month in which a little over 430 students answered questions about several issues, including tolerance for and relations with opposing political viewpoints--as revealed in the graph Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-86570704367718303762017-06-02T14:21:00.000-04:002017-06-02T14:21:23.386-04:00Bugs, politics and the church
If you are looking for something to binge watch on Amazon Prime, consider the one-season CBS
comedy-thriller BrainDead, a political
satire set in a present-day Washington, D.C. that’s been invaded by
extraterrestrial insects which both feed on the brains of and take control of people,
including congress members and staffers.
&Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-51099886268306638522017-05-16T15:08:00.000-04:002017-05-16T15:08:05.207-04:00The scope and nature of suffering in 'Lion' and life
Recently, I finally got around to watching Lion, the Oscar-nominated film based on
the true story of Saroo Brierley who, as a five-year-old boy, is accidentally
separated from his older brother while scavenging in trains in India.
After falling asleep on a bench at one of the stations,
Saroo (played by Sunny Pawar) boards another train hoping to find his brother
but ends up 1600 kilometersCarmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-19514863889547483462017-05-11T14:27:00.000-04:002017-05-11T15:55:25.483-04:00Metro cars and church
photo by Carmen Andres
The
other day, I took the Metro into DC. The station was at the beginning of the
line, so the car was only a quarter full. I grabbed a seat, took out my phone
and started scrolling through email and social media apps. By the time I put
away my phone 10 minutes later, the car was packed.
You’d
think with that 60 or so people crammed in one little space, there’d be Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-43170917727114762402017-05-06T16:46:00.000-04:002017-05-06T16:46:00.737-04:00Virtually Real Church
Last summer, my family acquired one of the latest revolutions in
virtual reality — a headset that uses a smartphone as a display. It looks like
a giant visor, and once you hold it up to your eyes and strap it on, you are
immersed in a wide variety of 360 environments — from standing in a dense
forest with a very real-looking computer-generated dinosaur to balancing on a
surfboard gliding Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-79523960153756282342017-05-03T14:57:00.000-04:002017-05-03T14:57:48.565-04:00Inside 'The Circle'
This past weekend, the film adaptation of Dave Egger’s The Circle premiered in movie theaters. While
the film—at least initially—sticks pretty close to the book, I didn’t find it
nearly as creepy or effective in its themes, which challenge us not only to
examine the implications of technoconsumerism but also our understanding of
transformation.
Like the novel, the film focuses on Mae Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-35430199097665423352017-05-02T04:07:00.000-04:002017-05-02T16:11:56.024-04:00Netflixing the Story
photo by Carmen Andres
Recently, friends of mine who are
software developers told me about Netflix’s data collection, which not only
tracks everything we watch but also every time we fast-forward, rewind, pause or
abandon a movie or show altogether. Netflix uses this information to
personalize recommendations as well as make decisions about what programming to
feature or create.
In “Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-58106129078248385722017-04-27T23:30:00.000-04:002017-04-27T23:30:20.442-04:00The ghosts that haunt us
Last month, the live-action remake of the 1995 anime film Ghost in the Shell hit theaters.
Set in a future when many humans are augmented with cybernetic
enhancements, the story follows Major Mira Killian, whose body was mortally
injured in a terrorist attack. Her brain is experimentally integrated into a robotic
body called a “shell.” With no memory of
her life before the attack, Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-17494121397140553982017-04-26T02:05:00.000-04:002017-04-26T15:00:25.809-04:00Hiring a refugee
Besides being a fascinating story about creating a business, 60 Minutes' interview with Chobani's billionaire founder last month gets at the benefits of employing refugees. Several churches in our region are encouraging their members who are employers to consider hiring refugees. It makes such a difference in their lives.
They got here legally. They’ve gone through a most dangerous Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-446773112812530492017-04-25T14:45:00.004-04:002017-04-25T17:00:08.027-04:00Bringing God-talk back to open spaces
Some of you have noticed that I took a break from blogging
for about a year. It was less intentional than due to an influx of responsibilities
and pursuits—from settling into a new job with a local social services agency
to going through the college application process for my oldest child and
getting my youngest prepared for high school.
In particular, I have had some amazing Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-65334521276266389182016-04-26T13:40:00.000-04:002017-04-17T15:23:00.620-04:00Small miracles
Good films, like all good stories, tell us something about ourselves and the world around us, and the best stories challenge and inspire us. You might think Christian films would be at the top of my list in this regard, but generally they’re not. From their low production quality to poor storytelling and character development, these films leave me more frustrated than inspired.
Over the lastCarmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-12751106086158384762016-03-14T16:37:00.000-04:002017-04-17T15:11:11.393-04:00The temptation of vengeance in movies
Writer and
director Scott Derrickson recently posted on Twitter: “I believe that in
future history the revenge ethic will be seen as the great cinematic signature
of American mental [and] spiritual sickness.”
The revenge theme
is popular in American films, from classics like True Grit, Pale
Rider and Death Wish to Unforgiven, Kill
Bill and,Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-48582886536443832382016-02-23T14:12:00.001-05:002017-04-17T15:11:45.499-04:00Historical drama that speaks today
[This
review may contain spoilers]
The Oscar-nominated Bridge
of Spies is an inspiring story and a great piece of filmmaking.
Critics praise the collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks,
calling the film gripping, satisfying, and even eloquent.
It is a timely story that invites us to examine our
own roles in our current culture, where fears of terrorism too often Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-18261602846947092772016-02-16T16:29:00.000-05:002017-04-17T15:12:00.220-04:00Rocky relationships
Copyright Warner Bros.
I grew up watching the Rocky
films, so after Sylvester Stallone received a Golden Globe for his performance
in Creed, I thought it about time to
see that one, too.
Since it had been decades since
I’d seen the first film, I decided to watch Rocky
first. Rocky, which won Best Picture,
was written by Stallone, who also was nominated for his portrayal of the
Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-30724029663772243372016-01-19T15:30:00.000-05:002017-04-17T15:12:31.450-04:00Polarizing Fallout
via Wikipedia
Kyle Hinckley made a stir in the video-game world by
successfully completing the hardest mode of Fallout 4 with
zero kills.
In this popular series of video games set in a post-apocalyptic
United States, gamers make their way through a hostile landscape to achieve the
goal of the story. Killing nonplayer characters is the usual way, but gamers
like Hinckley make it Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-54342815141431129322015-12-08T13:22:00.001-05:002017-04-17T15:12:53.291-04:00Real or not real?
Peeta Mellark/Copyright Lionsgate via Rotten Tomatoes
Last
month, Mockingjay: Part 2 concluded
the film version of The Hunger Games series, a dystopian story
in which
children are forced to fight to the
death in a televised Survivor-like arena.
President Snow uses
the Games as a way to control the population and stamp out
the rebellion in the impoverished and oppressed Districts.
The Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-23732211945791638172015-11-18T20:22:00.000-05:002015-11-19T08:12:19.434-05:00Five things to consider about Syrian refugees
Syrian refugee children in a tent settlement in Lebanon (forsuchatimeisnow.org)
A few days after the news about the ISIS terror
attacks in Beirut and the day after the Paris attacks, I was a judge at a high
school debate tournament where the Public Forum topic was to resolve this
statement: In response to the current crisis, a government should prioritize
the humanitarian needs of refugees Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-28533039534646950182015-11-17T21:23:00.000-05:002015-11-17T21:24:09.107-05:00Tired of weeping
Oh, I am very weary, Though tears no longer flow; My eyes are tired of weeping, My heart is sick of woe. ~Anne Bronte
Iraqi refugee family I met in Beirut forsuchatimeisnow.org
Syrian refugee children I met in a tent settlement in Lebanon forsuchatimeisnow.org
Syrian refugee children I met in a tent settlement in Lebanon forsuchatimeisnow.org
A Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-35836700383380846912015-10-27T13:39:00.003-04:002015-10-27T13:39:50.406-04:00The Martian and our divine instinct to help
Last spring, I read Andy Weir’s
sci-fi novel, The Martian, in less
than 24 hours. It doesn’t disappoint—and neither does the recent film adaption.
Like the novel, the film centers
on the crew of the Hermes during a mission on Mars, where astronaut Mark Watney
is stranded after the rest of the crew evacuate and leave him behind believing
he died during a storm. Using his humor, ingenuity andCarmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-59046930811175099342015-10-16T15:27:00.000-04:002015-10-16T15:27:40.566-04:00Our 'Tomorrowland' today
Imagine experiencing a future of such beauty and possibility
that it transforms the way you think about reality and the choices you make in the
present. That’s what happens to Casey Newton—an optimistic teenage girl who
aspires to be an astronaut in a diminishing-NASA era—whenever she touches a
lapel pin with the letter ‘T’ on it in the Disney film, Tomorrowland.
Casey is one of many Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062498.post-60390830593014127482015-10-11T14:27:00.002-04:002015-10-11T14:28:24.522-04:00Regina
Regina, an Iraqi refugee © Carmen Andres
I met ReGina on a cold January morning in Beirut after a women's Bible study for Iraqi refugees hosted by Heart for Lebanon. We stood next to a portable heater, warming our hands and feet. ReGina wore black, knitted gloves. Two fingers were missing from her right hand.
Then she told her story.
She and her Carmen Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16611988330284931136noreply@blogger.com