Righteous Insanity

When "Slice of Life" Dramas Go Wrong

When I first began writing and directing drama at my church, it didn’t take long for me to see the benefit of such ministry. It’s storytelling, and not three point outlines, that prick the hearts of people. By putting a story in front of an audience, you’re much more likely to not only gain their attention, but open them up to the teachings of Christ.

Lately, however, I’ve begun to wonder if we’re doing more harm by the stories we tell than good. A Christian organization recently commissioned me to write a play presenting “real life situations” and how God’s love can overcome them. Specifically, they asked me to present a family in crisis, where the parents are getting a divorce, and the children are suffering from it – one an alcoholic, another with anorexia.

After completing a draft of this play, I sent it out to some friends and trusted readers for comments. What shocked me was the reply from a long time friend who attacked the play’s main character – a teenager girl who runs away from home upon learning of her parents divorce.

“Boo hoo hoo, Mom and Dad are getting a divorce. Suck it up and deal! My parents have been divorced since I was five. It hurt at the time, but I got over it. I DEALT with it! And I didn’t have to run away from home or watch any Oprah to do it!”

Stunned as I was by this response, I was more horrified to see what it revealed in me: a complete and utter lack of understanding of the secular worldview.

I don’t mean to say my friend is a heathen; he’s a Christian, and a faithful friend who has worked with me in drama ministry a number of years. But having experienced one of the things we Christians consider most evil first hand, he does have a perspective that I do not. While we in the church still see marriage as the norm, the world no longer views it in the same light. So the “life crisis” we perceive in divorce comes off as trivial, even juvenile to the worldly person who views divorce as no big deal.

Here’s another example of well-intentioned Christian writing gone wrong. Bruce Carroll recorded a song called “Sometimes Miracles Hide” about a nice young couple who learns their baby-to-be is “not normal.” The couple chooses not to abort, and the song hails them has heroes.

The first time I heard the song, I saw it from Carroll’s eyes. It is heroic to raise a child with a disability. But this past summer I heard the song in concert with a friend whose family had adopted three mentally challenged children.

The song made her FURIOUS.

Once again, a “devastating tragedy” in the eyes of the Christian who has never known any real suffering rings hollow. My friend didn’t see heroism in raising a disabled child. It’s something you do because it’s right, not heroic.

So many times I, like many Christians, perceive myself to be the light in the darkness. It is I who see the world from God’s vantage point because I attend church and read the Bible. But by only taking on the church-side view of the world, I’ve become disabled myself, unable to properly connect with an unbelieving world because the things I find unbelievable are just common place outside the walls of my church.

It’s tempting to seek a solution to this communication gap by simply switching gears. If sex is no longer taboo and divorce no longer shocking, maybe there’s another “hot button” we can press to grab those wicked sinners. I don’t think there’s an easy solution; but there is a better way.

Jesus understood how the secular world perceived itself. He knew how to start a story in their arena, and draw it into his. He knew because he was God; but he also knew because he knew them. Jesus didn’t keep to his church pals and activity nights. He was out in the streets where real people lived. He knew them, therefore, he knew how to reach them.

Maybe that’s what we’re missing. It’s not that we don’t know right and wrong; it’s that we don’t know their right and wrong.

As followers of Christ, we need to leave the safety nets of our small groups and ministry teams to have real friends who don’t attend church, for that is the way Jesus reached the people: one on one.

As writers, we owe it to God to know our audience so that we may communicate in their language. Just like Paul would go into a town and listen to the people a while, we need to put down our pens and listen with our hearts. To do anything else would make us a clanging cymbal, ringing hollow without love.

Naming Characters

When you're constantly writing new material, it's easy to fall in a rut with names. Look over the skits I wrote during my days as director of the Dramamaniacs and you'll find a ton of scripts with characters named Brian, Neil, Nick, Steve, Kathy, Angela, and Sarah. Why? That's who I worked with. Those were the first names to come to mind. Thus, when I was in a hurry, those were the names that got used a lot.

I still get stuck on certain names. But I've learned and used a number of strategies for adding some variety to character lists. Here are just a few ideas:

A baby name book is a good place to start. Pull it out and find a name you've never heard.

You could take names from people you know in real life who match the personalities. What was the name of the preppy cheerleader you knew in high school? Or the obnoxious boss you had? Giving them a name that has a face will also help you give them a voice.

Borrow names from old movies and TV shows. David Lynch and Mark Frost used this device cleverly in "Twin Peaks"; every character's name was taken from an older movie or TV series. I actually used this same method to create character names for a Western play. The villain, Cactus Jack, is named for one of wrestler Mick Foley's many characters. And the leading lady, Penny Priddy, owes her name to the cult classic Buckaroo Banzai.

Another method is to choose names that reveal character, either external or hidden. The TV show "Lost" is a great example. Matthew Fox plays the leader of the survivors, a man whose last name is, appropriately, Shepherd. And how about that mysterious man who may hold the keys to the island's secrets, a man named Locke? (His name may have multi-layers of meaning in reference to the philosopher; that mystery remains to be revealed.)

Of course if all else fails, there is one more method for using unique names: the find and replace function in your word processor. It works, but use it with care. Yesterday I did a find and replace changing a character named Kit into Lilah. It worked, but a few scenes that took place in a kitchen were moved to something called a "lilahchen."

Theology and South Park

save your "south park" is immoral speeches. whatever you think of the show, or matt and trey, they are probably the most insightful writers on tv (but only because sthere are no joss whedon shows left on tv).

i was watching the infamous jesus vs. satan boxing match episode, and it struck me how theologically true the plotline was. here we have 135 lb jesus squaring off against the giant satan. the people get one look at satan, and EVERYONE (save the kids) bets their money on satan. matter of fact, by the time the bell rings, only one person in town has bet on jesus.

that one person? satan himself.

in the episode, satan takes a dive, and makes off with everyone's money. then everybody begs jesus' forgiveness for not betting on him.

honestly, i can't think of a better picture of what heaven will be like. can we honestly say that in our daily lives, we are counting on jesus? we say we love him on sundays, but during the week, where do we put our hope, or trust, our faith for the future? i'd bet not even half the people who sit in church with you can honestly say they trust jesus in their jobs, their money, or their lives.

in the south park episode only the kids and satan believe in jesus. how true is that to scripture! satan KNOWS God exists more vividly than any of us. he has stood in his presence, and he, unlike us, has no delusions about his fate and jesus' ultimate victory. his goal is to take as many of us down with him as he can; hence the lies and deception to get us to put our faith any place but in christ.

then there are the children. jesus himself said we must believe like little children. the kids never lose faith that jesus can save them. it's a shame that kids grow up. that WE grow up.

again, say what you want about matt and trey, but God reveals himself in everything, even the writings of two non-believers who revel in offending everyone. deep down, these guys show an innate knowledge of truth, even if they don't embrace it openly. deep down, we all have that innate knowledge. will we obey the inner voice, or be swayed by the 300 pound satan that clearly looks bigger than the gentle jesus in our picture bibles?

or more likely, be swayed by the green paper gods in our wallets rather than the one true God?

The Making of Fluffy Part 2

Fluffy was filmed in the hot summer of 2004 in New Albany, Indiana, Palmyra, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, and of course, Mars. It was the third of three movies shot in collaboration between myself and artist/writer/actress/producer Natalie Gilbert. (The first film, "Open Doors" was never finished; due to a camera issue, half of the footage is completely unusable. Much of the second film, "God Told Me to Break Up With You," was unusable due to bad lighting, and one whole scene has been lost. Some of the better segments are now featured as smaller shorts on Righteous Insanity's website, "Denial" and "How to Pick Up a Christian Babe.")

The cast came together from a number of directions. Some were friends (Randy D. Pease was my roommate, and Jamie Bratcher the last remaining member of the Righteous Insanity touring company), some we had met while trying to produce an anti-violence film a year earlier (Marat Yerusskiy and Herschel Zahnd), and some sent in video taped auditioned specifically for Fluffy (Katy Wheeler, Carrie Faulhaber, and Paul Reynolds).

In addition to finding the perfect cast, we lucked into a number of great crew people. Jason Dixon had worked with us on both prior film projects, doing make up, camera, and whatever else needed doing. Sean Bailey was a long time friend who has become an excellent film maker in his own right. (He now works as a video producer at Northside Christian Church in New Albany .) Best of all, Natalie was able to connect us with our director of photography, Bob C. Cooke. A veteran of a number of independent film projects, Bob was not just the man with the camera; he was a true teacher and mentor to all of us wannabe directors on the set. He lit and shot every scene beautifully.

We started work on a Thursday night, shooting the barn scenes on Randy's family farm in Palmyra . Paul ("Gus"), Marat, Katy ("Kit"), and Bridget Filburn showed up in the post-apocalyptic best. Randy and Sean mussed up their own outfits and joined in the fun as "extras" in the barn, stealing the spotlight with their camera takes. Meanwhile, Bob introduced Jamie ("Trish") to her constant companion for the next three days: a Dirty Harry style .45 Magnum.

The shoot moved along quickly, with everyone pitching in to make things run smoothly. When it came time for the dramatic Fluffy death scene, Jason and Sean moved in with grape jelly and the stuffings from a Pokemon toy to do their magic. Paul took his mark and looked up at the dead Fluffy on the wall, and pointed out that if the Fluffy was killed just inches over his head, he should have "guts all over." So we covered Paul's head with Fluffy guts and finished the sequence. Paul and Marat were real pros, and we enjoyed the brief time they were on the set.

Having a little daylight left, we moved down the road to pick up a shot with Kit and Trish in the woods. We were barely able to get all the footage we needed for the sequence before a scary old man in a trailer across the street threatened us, insisting we shoot our --- movie some place else.

The next day, we took our act on the road, shooting the opening woods sequences in Louisville 's Cherokee Park . It was a beautiful day, and we weren't the only ones in the park. Listen closely, you can hear kids playing in the creek below. Bob contributed some wonderful props to the opening dialogue sequence, including a severed arm. (Bob is a frequent collaborator with zombie film maker George Bonilla, who also loaned us the astronaut costumes.) Katy Wheeler did an exceptional job with both the dialogue and the requisite running and screaming. Seriously, she ran all over that park and never tired.

Our next stop was a dance studio at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany , which for our purposes became NASA. Herschel and Carrie joined us for the NASA sequence, which was rather short in the script. Wanting to take advantage of an actor as strong as Herschel, we had the cast members ad lib a briefing on their mission to Mars. It was hilarious, especially with Herschel constantly reminding Randy (as "Dex") he could NOT eat anything on Mars. Sadly, the footage was ruined by a bad buzz the mic picked up off the lights in the room. But a quick shot did make it into the movie.

Jamie left us for part of the afternoon to attend her sister's softball game, so we headed to "Mars", i.e. New Albany Community Park . We shot Carrie and Randy's Mars scenes, then returned to my house to film the final few scenes with Carrie, who proved to be the best screamer in the cast. (She had earlier wowed all of us guys by speaking "Greedo" on the way to the NASA shoot.) Those who visited the old home on Ekin where Randy and I lived will recognize Audrey's House as the back part of the Ekin house.

We returned to the park to film Jamie's scene on Mars, as well as an early encounter between Dex and Trish. We only got a few shots before it started to rain, and we ended up cutting the rest of the scene. (Jamie throwing Randy WWE style is still in the movie.)

The following day as a short one that began with Leighanne Wilkins as Dex's daughter. Bob took over the shoot at this point, filming more footage for brief appearance than any sequence in the movie. It was well worth it.

We had planned to shoot Dex and his wife Amanda next; however we had a problem. The actress cast as Amanda had gone AWOL. Thankfully, the first person we called, Laura Elton, answered the phone and was available. While we were waiting, we went to work on the Dex and Trish scenes around Audre'y house (the back of the Ekin house) and Dex's house (the front of the Ekin house). Randy and Jamie, as always, had great chemistry together as they sparred their way through Jamie's final scenes. To be honest, she didn't want to do the part. She hates action movies, and she made that abundantly clear as we went through three days of shooting. I like to think her annoyance at having to play an action hero added to her growling portrayal of Trish.

After wrapping Jamie's last scene, Laura arrived. If you're ever on a film shoot and have to call in a last second replacement, you can't do much better than Laura. She stepped in, read the script, and nailed the character and the lines. That is, after we sent out to the grocery store for the one expense we had on the movie: a small package of ground beef. That's right. The entire $1.63 of our budget went for a packet of ground beef on the final day of shooting.

We had to reshoot one scene with Randy, who had worn the wrong shirt in a telephone shot earlier in the day, then we finally called wrap.

And then… the footage sat dormant.

Well, not entirely dormant. I had the footage converted from 8mm to DV, and Sean Bailey made an early rough cut, but it wasn't until mid-2006 that Fluffy was truly revived… when I got my hands on a camera and an iMac.

After a year of tinkering, Fluffy is nearly ready. It's not perfect; it may never be. The sound is rough in parts, and I couldn't get the gun flashes added in as effects shots. But three years is long enough.

So what's next? It's available on the DVD Holy Shorts from Righteous Insanity, and it's being developed into a feature film script. Will a longer, grander Fluffy come to light one day? We all had a blast making the first one. Stay tuned.

Fluffy - The making of a Christian cult classic, Part 1

It's no secret to those who love me, I like bad movies. Love them. Some of the titles in my personal collection include Robot Monster in 3D, Plan 9 from Outer Space, and Queen of Outer Space with Zsa Zsa Gabor. Fluffy, Or The Cute and Fuzzy Creature from Outer Space With the Big Blue Eyes and a Button Nose That'll Eat Your Face Off and Pick Its Teeth With Your Toes, owes a lot to these movies and more. The title in particular was inspired by some of the all time great bad movie titles like Cash Flagg's The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies and Ben Affleck's obscure college film I Murdered My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her On A Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three Picture Deal at Disney.

But there's another side to the genesis of Fluffy. It came out of reading Michael J Anderson's Monsters from the Id. Anderson's book chronicles the origins of the horror genre which, he proposes, came as a subconscious response to sexual liberation. While humankind freed itself externally from morals and God's laws, especially as it relates to sex, internally we knew we were still doing wrong. Horror stories and horror films feature people who are living freely – and suffering the consequences, or judgment, doled out by a driven, faceless monster who does not kill as indiscriminately as it appears. Jamie Kennedy's assertion that people who have sex in a horror movie die is not without merit.

The key verse in Anderson 's discussion was James 1:15. After reading the book, I wrote a script that drew out this theme, bringing it more to the surface for a modern audience. I pitched it to a film maker who chose to develop the story further. Sadly, my original themes and ideas were dropped in favor of the typical Christian film convention of demons and spiritual warfare.

I wrote Fluffy for two reasons: One, I wanted to go back to my original story theme, and two, I wanted something I could shoot myself. Thus, the core of the story is not the hero, Trish Angel ( who was intended to be a female version to the immortal Snake Plisskin), but Dex, the astronaut with the cheatin' heart.

Dex and Trish were part of a space expedition, sent to explore the eco-system that had suddenly appeared thanks to an asteroid collision on Mars. Even before leaving Earth, Dex was stalking and hitting on Trish, even though he had a wife and daughter! Then, on Mars, Dex finds a cute and fuzzy little critter whom he names Trish the Fluffy. He brings it to Trish, hoping to woo her and convince her to help him smuggle the squeaky little furball back to Earth. Trish is a by the book soldier who orders Dex to put the fluffy back. But Dex then goes after another fellow astronaut, Audrey, who agrees to help him.

Upon returning to Earth, Dex takes Fluffy into his house, where his wife Amanda assumes the care and feeding of Fluffy. But Fluffy isn't satisfied with treats and bottles. Fluffy proves to be carnivorous, and it isn't long before Amanda demands Fluffy leave the house. Dex takes Fluffy to Audrey, who agrees to care for it.

The move proves too late for Amanda. Fluffy was out of the house, but not before leaving behind a flock of babies, who devour her. Dex tells Trish what he has done, and they arrive too late to save Amanda. They lock the house, with the Fluffys inside, and head to Audrey's to kill the first critter, but once again, it is too late to save Audrey.

With the original Fluffy destroyed, it seems Dex is going to get out of this with his skin. But before they can return to kill the babies, Dex's daughter arrives home from camp, opens the front door, and unleashes the Fluffys onto the world.

As with all horror films, the Fluffy brings judgment on those who choose to live in sin. Dex's secret desire to fool around brings ruin on his wife, daughter, colleague, even the community. Amazing what opening the door to sin, even just a crack, will do.

There's more to share about Fluffy. But before I get into that, click play below and check out the movie for yourself. It's about 15 minutes long, so make sure you have the time - and your boss is out to lunch or something.

FLUFFY

Rambo - A message to the church?

Rambo's back on the screen after a near 20 year absence. This time, Rambo's on a rescue mission to save a group of missionaries taken prisoner in hostile Burma.

I'm sure to a lot of church folk, Rambo's just another rated R bloodfest to be boycotted, but the story of this 4th Rambo movie is one the church needs to sit up and note. I caught an interview with Stallone on TV today where he discussed the origins of the film. He intentionally avoided the hot button locations of Iraq and Afghanistan, preferring to set his story in a part of the world that doesn't get much attention. He began to learn about the situation in Burma, where religious persecution is among the worst in the world, and he marveled that no one was talking about it. Bringing this story to the fore was a major part of making the film.

The missionaries in the movie have Rambo to come to their aid. In real life, however, there's no super soldier available to rescue the Christians being martyred in Burma and other places. Few Christians know such persecution exists in our modern world of cell phones and the Internet, and even fewer care enough to pray, talk, or do something about it.

How shameful it is that we leave our brothers and sisters to the wolves.

Don't dismiss this as just another commentary on a movie from a Christian POV. Go to www.persecution.com and learn more from the Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry dedicated to making the story of these forgotten believers heard.

Pray, talk, DO something.

Free Skit - "The Secret"

A skit in response to the best-selling book and it's messed up view of life. Share and Enjoy.

The Secret
By John Cosper

CHARACTERS
Meg- A woman suffering from cancer
Abbie- A woman who thinks she has all the answers

Meg is in a hospital bed, looking bad. Abbie enters with a book in a shopping bag.

ABBIE: Hey there.

MEG: Hey.

ABBIE: How you feeling?

MEG: Not good. The doctors say my cancer's spreading.

ABBIE: Really?

MEG: Yeah, seems like they didn't get all of if when they went in to remove the tumor. It's all over now, and surgery's no longer an option.

ABBIE: Is there anything they can do?

MEG: There's one procedure they could do that would stop it. But the problem is my health insurance provider won't cover it. And I don't have six million dollars to pay out of pocket! What am I going to do?

ABBIE: Meg, what if I was to tell you a secret that would cure everything?

MEG: A secret?

ABBIE: Not just a secret. THE Secret, as written in the best selling book.

MEG: The book? I just thought it was another cheesy self-help book like Dr. Phil writes.

ABBIE: No, Meg. The Secret is what you need to cure your cancer.

MEG: What I need is a better doctor, or better insurance.

ABBIE: No, Meg. What you need is a better attitude.

MEG: Excuse me?

ABBIE: That's right. It's not about getting better medical care or changing insurance. The real problem is, you have a bad attitude about dying and cancer.

MEG: Really?

ABBIE: That's right. It's your bad attitude that's killing you.

MEG: Funny. I thought it was the cancer eating away at my insides!

ABBIE: No, Meg. Cancer's not killing you. Your bad attitude is. And when you read The Secret, you'll discover how a new attitude will make all your problems go away.

Pause. Then Meg punches Abbie in the face.

ABBIE: OW!

MEG: What's the matter?

ABBIE: Meg, that really hurt!

MEG: No it doesn't, Abbie. You just have a bad attitude about being punched in the face!

Christian Theater in Indianapolis

Any readers from Indy who are interested in Christian theater will be happy to know a new Christian theater group is about to hold auditions for their first play. For information about the theater and auditons. visit

http://www.sonshinedramaministry.org

The Liberation of Padme Amidala

It had to happen. Unless Padme Amidala falls in love with young Anakin Skywalker, there would be no hope for the galaxy. No mother for Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, who would grow in the images of their parents into a Jedi knight and a royal heroine and defeat their father and his evil master. That said, it is easy to dismiss Padme's revelation of love before the arena battle on Geonosis as merely another plot point in the Star Wars saga. However, the circumstances in which that confession took place, coupled with observations of Padme and Anakin's relationships dating back to their first meeting, reveal that this was more than just a plot point. It is one of the highest moments of emotion and meaning in the entire story. More than that, it is one of the most powerful professions of love in the entire sweep of modern film.

From the beginning of The Phantom Menace we know Padme as a confident, thoughtful, and bold leader. She was trained early on in the ways of diplomacy and government, which is why she is entrusted with queenship at such an early age. Padme is not swayed by the violent means of her foes in the trade federation. Even when captured, Padme refuses surrender. She seeks the diplomatic solution to free her people and, failing there, returns home to lead them in a battle for their liberation.

Padme's strength only grows with the passing of time. When we see her in Attack of the Clones, she is not only a Senator, but a leader in a cause for peace. This young woman is powerful enough that her enemies are now plotting her assassination. Yet Padme stays true to her beliefs. She remains strong and brave. She, not Anakin, decides the two will travel to Geonosis to rescue Obi Wan Kenobi. It is she, and not the Jedi, who first takes evasive action in the arena battle on Geonosis, picking her cuffs and seeking higher ground from which to fight. And even when temporarily knocked out of the fight, she rushes back into battle at the first opportunity.

Padme certainly exudes self-confidence, as well as an independent spirit. She objects to the protection offered her from the Jedi in Attack if the Clones, and protests when the Chancellor orders her to flee as a refugee to her home planet of Naboo. She is in many ways the modern woman, confident and bold enough to pursue her own course and not wishing the assistance of others.

But is this truly how Padme is at her core? Just as we found Padme to be brave and resilient, we find she is a woman who wears masks. On Naboo she wore the proud, strong facade of Queen. When in danger, she uses decoys to protect herself, taking on herself the role of the serving girl. What exactly does she have to hide?

Certainly her training and experience as a politician has taught her to show her strengths while hiding her weaknesses. What weakness does she hide? What does she fear that she would guard herself so tight from the rest of the world?

To discover this secret we need only look to the one person with the power to pierce the veil into her true self: Anakin. From the moment of their meeting in Watto's shop, Padme is helpless before him. His simple inquiry, "Are you an angel?" catches her off-guard, provoking one of the rare smiles she displays in the story.

Anakin is Padme's opposite when it comes to emotions. While she has learned to hide weakness and fear, Anakin wears every feeling on his sleeve. His honesty warms her heart. She feels for him when he misses his mother en route to Coruscant. And even under the heavy makeup and dressings of the queen before her appearance in the Senate, her eyes betray compassion when Anakin comes to bid Padme farewell.

Ten years later, the two are reunited when Anakin and Obi Wan Kenobi are assigned to protect her. Anakin has never forgotten Padme, and his feelings have only grown with time. He is nervous and excited to see her, as evidenced by his missteps and awkwardness. He is hurt, however, by Padme's reaction to him, even calling him that little boy she met on Tatooine. He feels she doesn't even remember him.

This is clearly not the case. As time passes and the two begin to know each other again, it is obvious she is afraid of something. The first kiss comes so naturally to them both, but she breaks it off with a simple, "No." For the first time, Padme is trying to wear her facade with the young Jedi, driving him to try harder to gain her affection.

Padme's fear and discomfort grow to a high point one evening in a fire-lit room, as Anakin bears his soul and feelings to her. She listens patiently, a turmoil of emotions swelling within her as she listens to his words. As if she feels her will slipping, she takes command of the situation, reminding Anakin of their status in life. She is a politician. He is a Jedi. Logic dictates that the two can never be together in love. Her reason combats his emotional longing.

And yet we know now that Padme does have feelings that run deep. She never denies her feelings for Anakin. And what's more, her argument makes it clear that she has already thought through the consequences of romance.

An irony arises when Anakin proposes the two could keep their love a secret. "We'd be living a lie," said Padme, something she insists she cannot do. And yet isn't her whole persona of the independent, unattached Senator a lie? Isn't denying her love for Anakin living a lie? Why would she choose that lie over another?

As C.S. Lewis pointed out in The Problem of Pain, anyone who chooses to love, also chooses suffering. The two are inseparable within the human realm. When a person opens themselves up to love another, they open the door to hurt. For no one can wound you more deeply or painfully that someone you love. The only way to avoid suffering completely would be to keep one's self from ever falling in love. But to do that would in itself be a form of suffering.

Padme is afraid of to be hurt. She believes that showing pain or hurt is showing weakness, which the politician in her cannot afford to show. Though her love for Anakin is undeniable by the time Anakin bears his soul by the fireplace, she insists on wearing the mask of strength. In effect she is saying, "I do not need you. I am strong enough to be on my own."

Yet beneath her strong facade and bravery is a vulnerable woman, longing to be loved and protected. Deep down she wants the hero, the dashing knight, in her life. Anakin's strength and passion allows her to be everything her career denies her: vulnerable, fragile, weak, afraid. It offers her a strength and a passionate love in which to envelop herself. And though the political leader rejects such a notion out of hand, the woman within cries out for it.

Padme's profession of love comes at a moment when Padme is faced with something far more frightening than love: death. Sentenced to die in the arena on Geonosis, Padme's mask comes off for good in Anakin's presence. As she puts it, she has "died a little more every day" since the two were reunited. The false self melts away, and the woman cries out to her hero with a beautiful confession, "I truly and deeply love you."

No longer afraid of love, or pain, or even death, Padme and Anakin are led to the arena. Now, they both have something greater to fight for in each other, and when the battle is at its end, the two are quick to be married, uniting their hearts and souls in a classic romantic ending.

Padme's confession of love is more than just a turning point in a much larger story. It is a moment of liberation for a young woman. Just as her offspring would one day liberate the galaxy from the pain and oppression of the Empire, Padme liberates herself from a life of slavery to duty. She embraces the weaknesses that are inherent in her nature, and finds comfort in the arms of her brave, passionate knight. It is the classic romance, the dream of every woman, and the story that has been and will be told through all time.

What If?

Among the piles of papers filed, stacked, and stashed in my office is a tiny article I printed off the E! Online web site a few years ago. The article tells about a man named Carlo Little, who the following day would be selling hot dogs outside of Wembley Stadium in England during a Rolling Stones concert. Nothing particularly interesting about that piece of information, until you learn that Carlo Little once played drums for the Rolling Stones. In fact he quit the band shortly before they got the big break that led Mick, Keith, and the rest of the band to stardom.

No one except Mr. Little knows whether he regrets his decision to leave or not. Speaking as a writer and an artist, I can tell you that such an experience would be a killer for me. What if I had stuck it out one more week? What if I hadn't given up?

"What if"... two words I hope that I never look back on my life and say. "What if" stands for missed opportunity, for dreams not pursued, for risks not taken because we did not want to step out of our comfort zone. "What if" is worse than failure. Before we can fail, we have to take a chance on success. "What if" happens when you never give yourself the chance to succeed or fail.

Recently, I had a discussion with a close friend and fellow writer in which she confided in my just such a fear. I can personally vouch for my friend's talent. If I have a script that needs some extra punch, especially comedy, I place it in her capable hands. Over the past year she has pitched several wonderful ideas for movies, stories, and plays to me. Yet none of then have developed past the ideas stage.

What's holding her back? Fear. Simple, honest fear of what other people will say, and how she will be judged for the art she creates. She truly believes in her ideas, yet she can never bring herself to a point to take a risk and let anyone see them, on page or on the stage.

What a tragedy if fear keeps her from ever sharing her talents with the world. I say that not simply because I am a fan and love her work. I say that because God made her to be an artist, and if she never shares her creations with the world, she denies God the ability to use her talents.

I'm sure you know the parable of the talents. Three servants were given talents by their master before the master departed on a trip. Upon his return, the servants who invested their talents were rewarded, while the one who wasted his single talent had his taken away. I don't think it's by accident that the word "talent" was used. In the context of the parable, it represented money. But to us, it means so much more.

Anyone who creates art - prose, poetry, playwriting, movie making, sculpture, painting, drawing, dance, etc. - does so in imitation of God. The first thing we know about God is that He is creative. He created the whole world and everything in it. And when we create, we are children imitating our father, creating our own little worlds that reflect what God has brought to be in this one.

What's more, we live in a time when art is a central part of our society. Never before have people had so much leisure time, and much of that time is spent in front of the TV, at the movies, listening to the radio, or reading. Whether searching for inspiration or just an escape, people turn to art far more than they turn to the church and stodgy old preachers pounding on pulpits. Now more than any time in history, Christians have the opportunity to impact this world with art!

But it can never happen unless we share that art. In his book My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers states that when a Christian learns something, be it from scripture, sermon, or simple Divine revelation, he or she should write down that knowledge in their own words. By doing so, the knowledge becomes personal. It means something more to you when you rephrase it, either in simple journaling or in some artistic creation. Once that inspiration becomes personalized, you can then share it with someone else. They too can then summarize the knowledge gained from you, and pass it on.

"But what if it's no good?" you ask. First of all, you'll never be able to say your work is no good unless you put it out on display for others to make a judgment on it. Second, no rule exists stating that you can't go back and revise or correct something after you've released it. Star Wars creator George Lucas has proved that by continually revising and changing the original Star Wars movies over the past number of years. And third, if the art is less than your best, there's no better way to find and correct the flaws than to give your work an audience. It's how we grow and learn as artists.

There's simply no excuse for not sharing what you create. If you have a passion for writing, painting, or creating in any way, that is a gift from God. And like all talents given by our Master, God intends for these gifts to be used in His service. Our place is not to question our abilities or to ask how God can use someone like me to touch a heart through artistic expression. Our commission is to use that talent, show our work, and let God move in people as they witness what He has inspired from within us. Then and only then will we hear Him say to us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Whatever your gift, whatever your passion, I pray you will pursue it and use it to the glory of God. You may never make it all the way to Wembley Stadium. But you'll never find yourself on the outside asking "What if?"