Eghersis
is a transliteration of the Greek word, εγερσις, which has the meaning of being roused to life. Thus, it is my hope that what you find on this blog will empower, arouse, stimulate, excite, and animate your life--your soul, your spirit--the wholeness of who you are.


Monday, November 16, 2009

Seeing the Movies

I enjoy watching movies. But I like a movie that lingers, that gives me pause to reflect. Some movies do this more than others. Some movies that I have seen leave no impression, and I don’t even remember watching them. Other movies beg me to watch them more than once. This usually happens because the movie is strange or surprising. Sometimes characters are what capture my attention. Their disturbing or unusual behaviors ask me to peer into the nature of humankind. Sometime themes challenge my way of thinking or being. And sometimes the tenor of the film resonates with my deepest desires.

I like to think of this as movie meditation. When I reflect on characters or themes or moods, I have to ask myself some tough questions. What was it about that character that disturbed me? What in me is like that character? What is it about the theme that draws me in? Why do I agree or disagree with the outcome of the film? How does the mood affect my emotions? And why? A good movie presents these and other questions to me.

In essence, movie meditating reveals what I value. Right about now, I am thinking that a quality journal would be a worthwhile investment for some movie meditating because this line of questioning leads to asking other questions. How is this movie an invitation from God for some self-discovery? Where is the invitation for transformation in my life? What does God want me to know about myself through the characters, the theme, the mood?

And then, of course, there are those movies that seem to be just for fun, . . . but . . . then again . . . I think there is a line of questioning that goes with them too.


Day twenty-two of the Thirty Days of Seeing

2 comments:

Dianna Woolley said...

Having been to the movie theater infrequently in the last 10 years, maybe even 20 years, I have fallen in love with the convenience of Netflix and the joy of selecting movies when and whichever I please. (Spouse does not enjoy movies, I do not enjoy the movie theater experience.) At any rate, I love your assessment of movies here, analyzing the characters, why or why not they resonate with me, what's the message, something, nothing. I like your idea of movie mediation...they do take me into another realm, another part of my brain's logical/predictable side - sometimes that feels comfortable and sometimes not - at any rate - loved your thought provoking post about movie reflection!

Lisa Gonzales-Barnes said...

Thanks for your comment. I find that some movies stay with me for a very long time. These are the ones that touch some deep place within my spirit. Usually it is because there is some truth that resonates with my present spiritual journey.

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