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Heaven or Hell – The Story of God With Morgan Freeman S2E2

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(Photo Credit: National Geographic/ Savas Georgalis)

Often when we don’t have a really good clue about something, we tend to make caricatures about it.  One good example of this involves the concepts of heaven and hell. Hell is often portrayed as a massive cave filled with fire, red minions, and Satan himself (bifurcated tail and hayfork at the ready). Heaven, on the other hand, is full of clouds with Saint Peter outside a gate, looking at a large book to see if people (and other animals) should be allowed inside.  But what is heaven and hell like from a spiritual perspective? In the second episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (Monday, 9PM/8CT Nat Geo), the focus is the afterlife—and it seems to bring up more questions than provide answers.

Of course, we can look up to the stars and get a sense of wonder and awe, or consider hell as a fearful place, as Freeman did growing up.  The question becomes a simple one: “How have these unseen places changed the way we live our lives on Earth?” In the episode, he takes a look at a number of different perspectives—the Cherokee Indian version that mimics reincarnation; the Ethiopian church’s attempt to exorcise demons to eliminate hell on earth; a Pentecostal church bringing heaven to earth via speaking in tongues; a Hindu king’s attempt to mimic heaven in the form of Angkor Wat; Assyrian Christians escaping Iraq, only to move to Syria and face a worse life dealing with ISIS; and Mayan cenotes where heaven is found in underwater caverns (see top picture).

(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Reza Riazi)

The focus of the episode is more along the lines of heaven and hell being a reality here and now. Is heaven a place on earth in a form outside of that 1980’s song by Belinda Carlisle? Can we make life so bad that hell cannot be conceived of as being any worse?  It’s difficult to tell, as there really isn’t an in-depth explanation of what some faiths believe (specifically Christianity, although it is given more attention here than in any episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman so far). Since people cannot typically come back from either location, all we have to work with is the here and now.

That brings us to the final example of the program—a lady named Krista Gorman who, while having her daughter, lost her pulse for eight minutes and had an experience of going to heaven—“my heaven,” as she put it, filled with waterfalls,  green hills, and angels flanking her sides. Krista was asked by an angel if she wanted to return to earth, and when she said yes, everything went in reverse and she returned to the hospital bed she was originally on.  When asked what her religion was by Freeman, Krista responded, “My religion is love.” It seems to be an anti-climactic ending to what could have been a fantastic episode. Instead, I’m not sure if it leaves the viewer wanting to learn and/or discover more.

If heaven is simply love, as Freeman notes to end the episode, we obviously don’t experience it enough in the lives we live.  We’re too busy with work, kids, politics, and other outside obligations to really enjoy life. There has to be something more, something beyond the tangible and physical. The Bible talks about both heaven and hell quite extensively within its covers, but both are a bit nebulous. Hell is a place where the presence of God refuses to inhabit, depicted in Revelation as a lake of burning fire where torment occurs for eternity (see 20:14-15).  Heaven, on the other hand, is full of splendor and glory, having a distinct size (1500 miles wide x 1500 miles long x 1500 miles high), lots of gold and precious jewels, trees for healing, water of life from God’s throne, and gates fashioned out of individual pearls (see Revelation 21:9-22:5).  It sounds incredible, but there’s one thing in common between the two places—something called the Book of Life. It’s pretty simple—if a person’s name is in there, they can enter heaven.  If not, hell. A person gets their name in there, according to Paul, by “declar[ing] … ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believ[ing] . that God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9-10).

“[Heaven and hell are] not just ideas; they’re part of us . . .  part of what we yearn to escape, but what we yearn to become,” says Freeman at the end of the episode. Death can be scary since few have seen what lies beyond. But the goal on earth is to get to the destination we want for ourselves. If we know the way, we can follow it.

Interview with Morgan Freeman, Lori McCready, and James Younger — The Story of God (Season Two)

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(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Savas Georgalis)

Discussions about religion and faith can be popular after all.

The first season of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman set all-time ratings records for the National Geographic Channel.  A new season, starting this Monday at 9 PM/8 CT, brings new subjects to the discussion, including The Chosen One, Heaven and Hell, and Proof of God (we’ll have a review of the first episode on Monday).

ScreenFish recently had the unique opportunity to spend some time talking to the executive producers of the show—Morgan Freeman, Lori McCready, and James Younger.  It was a fascinating discussion that helped to bring the purpose of the show into greater focus while providing a potential vision of the show’s future.

Freeman mentioned that the show’s success has been due more to the concept of discussing faith than the method of presentation. The format provides information in a non-proselytizing manner; it simply asks and explores what people are doing already when it comes to faith. Younger added that the key is explaining what exists and what it means; he’s been heartened by the fantastic ratings so far. McCready was thrilled that the show has shown that females are important and are being recognized for their role in faith.

The filming has been a bit of a challenge, according to Younger and McCready. Making accidental mistakes (actions, filming, or otherwise) in a holy place can lead to getting kicked out. As a result, everyone on the staff has learned to be respectful in their ways and how they interact with the specific faith.  And sometimes, as in the case of the Sikh faith, that respect leads to a mutual respect—and access not granted to other groups.

(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Reza Riazi)

One focus of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman has involved the use of science in areas of religion and faith (both McCready and Younger are scientists), so I asked what role virtual reality would play in the future.  Younger saw the technology as more as a prayer/meditation element, since VR tends to not necessarily be useful for communication—at least for now. McCready seemed thrilled with using VR as a storytelling medium where one’s experience could be replicated for others to see (and interact with). Freeman wasn’t quite as keen on VR, stating he felt it’s a fad that will phase out because “it’s not reality.”

When asked what a future episode of the show might focus on, the three had unique perspectives that have helped to make the show a success. McCready thought a good show would involve a discussion of God’s plan for one’s life. Freeman added that he’d like to see a show about whether males or females came first regarding their creation. Younger brought up the topic of the effect of schisms and how they’ve affected faiths over the centuries. Perhaps we’ll see those in the future.  But for now, we’ll work with the episodes of Season Two.

Because of the new season, many people are going to get an opportunity to take a look at the series for the first time, as Season One is now available on DVD.  There’s definitely stuff to think about, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next episodes offer.

(Thank you to the National Geographic Channel, Revelations Entertainment, and Different Drummer for making the interview possible)

Southbound: A Trip on the Highway to Hell

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screamfish iter 2“We’re all on the same endless highway.”

Southbound is an anthology of five loosely-related horror stories, each from different directors and writing teams. Some of the films have a bit of a Twilight Zone feel to them. The mood is set with a deep melodious radio voice speaking to “all you lost souls, all you sinners, racing down that long road to redemption, but heading into that pit of darkness ahead.” The stories do all involve being on that highway in some way. We don’t so much get the feeling that this is a highway to Hell as much as it is, for those involved, the experience of Hell.

southbound2Some of the stories involve the supernatural, but others are tied to human nature and the fear that we will have to pay for the mistakes we have made in life. There is a sense of karma that plays out in these stories—people seem to be getting what they deserve, or at least that they are paying for some misdeeds in their past. While each story is standalone, there is a connection made to the one before it so that it seems to be an ongoing story as it moves through the night. The film is bookended by a pair of stories that allows the entire film to circle back around on itself.

soutboundThis is not so much about blood or gore as it is atmospheric. There are lots of creepy vibes that exude from even the minor characters. But in most of the stories, there is also a sense that we can identify with the fears of the protagonists. They often must deal with facing the guilt of something they have done. For some, that guilt may destroy them; for others, facing that guilt may lead to a touch of redemption.

That road to destruction or redemption is very much like many people think of the spiritual life. The Hindu/Buddhist concept of karma seems to have a place in our visceral worldview (especially in horror film worldviews), even if our theology doesn’t really recognize that concept. Even concepts of Hell in Christian thought (cf., Dante) seem to be built around fitting punishment for sins. In Southbound those punishments seem to be inevitable. But they may or may not lead to either repentance or forgiveness. It is not that there is no grace on this desolate road, but that grace is hard to find. I think that is why I have such a hard time appreciating this genre: there is a lack of Good News that we are not bound to damnation without an escape.

Mad Max Fury Road: Baptism By Water, Dust & Fire

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furyroad1stWhen we meet Mad Max (Tom Hardy, for the first time), he is wrestling with a vision of the past. He hears cries for help, and sees those he has lost along the way. We know who he is because we’ve seen the previous films by George Miller (ironically enough, Babe, Happy Feet 1 & 2… and the Mad Max trilogy), but his name isn’t uttered until the closing stanza of the film. Max is a man without a community, a man without hope, a man desperately in need of redemption, even though he’s not proactively seeking any of the three.

Soon, Max has run afoul of Immortal Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and one of his crazy-eyed henchman, Nux (Nicholas Hoult). But Max is not alone: he’s tied to the welfare of Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and a band of women who Furiosa is stealing/freeing from Joe. Joe believes that these women are his property (and has impregnated a few of them), controlling his ‘tribe’s’  water, gasoline, and future as well.

Bouncing off of walls and other vehicles of mass destruction, Miller’s script is linear in its own way, but it’s also multilayered. Bombastic visuals make up for a dearth of dialogue, rocketing the audience (especially the 3D one) along through a series of battles, chases, storms, and other calamities, leaving us feeling like we’ve survived a desert storm (war). Elements reflect other post-apocalyptic fare like The Book of Eli and one wonders if the character of Max himself was necessary for the film’s greatness. Could we have been enthralled, enticed, invited in if it had been merely a “world gone bad”? Max himself is not even necessarily the figure we find our eyes riveted to…

Mad Max Fury Road MainFuriosa is herself a stunning character, and not for her beauty or charm. Like other Theron characters before her, she has been stripped of her more feminine nature and held up as an individual ripe with character and strength. She is Miller’s Ripley, the one-armed driver who has a vision for the future, while Max only has visions. She is the moral compass, the driving force, making this Max character seem more like a “reboot” than a sequel storyline. It’s as if he must learn to be human all over again, after the devastating events of Tina Turner’s Thunderdome.

Instead, our heroine is the one who recognizes what it takes to make hope a reality, even if she needs help to see it through. Furiosa believes in the “Green Place,” part-utopia, part-nostalgic past. She’s the one who attempts to intercede on behalf of the Five Wives of Joe, to say that they are not cattle, or property, or baby-producing machines. Initially, and most of the way throughout, Max is merely an additional gunhand, along for the ride.

DSC_3888.JPGA Deeper Discussion: Spoilers Ahead!

But Mad Max: Fury Road is not simply “man bad, woman good” the way that some reviewers have suggested. There is more nuance here, and it may often revert back to an understanding of John Locke/Charles Darwin behavior. Do we take more from our nature or our nurture? Does the fall of technology or ‘civilization’ signal a return  to the animalistic self and the Old Testament understandings of right and wrong? Or is there something higher and more intrinsic about who we are as people?

Max and Furiosa are incomplete people. One lacks a family, while the other lacks an arm (and feminine ‘purpose’ in Joe’s world). But they complete each other (not in a Jerry Maguire way) by being the visionary and the vision fulfilled. Ultimately, the ‘universal blood donor’ saves lives, but he’s not the Christ-figure. He’s the power, the will, the safety net of the Christ-figure, who ultimately proves to be the one who frees the oppressed and comforts the abused.

In the one real dramatic turn of events (spoiler! I told you again), after the group fails to arrive in the perfect world Furiosa was stolen from, Max convinces her that they must return to the land flowing with water and greenery in The Citadel. It is not an image of going away to some other place (a sometimes evangelical view of escape to heaven) but rather a liberating of the ideals, resources, and grace to everyone present in the here and now, already available. [One interesting aside: Keeper of the Seeds (Melissa Jaffer) tells the liberated wives that once, everyone had enough, and there was no need for war.] Instead of waiting for heaven, what if we lived like we should care for each other today?

FURY ROADThat is a sharp turn from the Valhalla that Joe has Nux and the other War Boys. It’s like (pre-Pan) as if Joe has established himself as the giver of all things to the Lost Boys, and they are predestined to live and die for his glory. Sure, there’s some Middle Eastern thought there about dying in glory, but it’s mixed into a brew that sees the Norse imagery included, along with the elevation of women to objectified status as well. Joe’s Valhalla includes the repression of belief, freedom, and water in the here-and-now, a charge that could be leveled against any organization, from the church of Martin Luther’s day to various world governments. Supply is artificially culled by Joe so that demand is higher, with the understanding that (except for Joe), tomorrow matters more than today. For the Max and Furiosa, much like for the early church sent out to be witnesses in Acts 1:8, they must prove that there is enough of everything (grace, water, gender) for everyone.

The two of them, working in tandem, are baptized by the dust of the storm (we’ve even see Max rise up out of the dust, akin to a baptism or earlier birth in Genesis 2:7). Then, they’re baptized by the fire of the flamethrowers, the bullets, and the grenades of Immortal Joe’s pursuit. And finally, they provide the baptism by freeing the ‘unlimited’ water supply to the villagers waiting below. [Ironically enough, neither one of them is actually ‘baptized’ by the water but they initiate that experience for others.] They make church happen, blasting open the divide between the water and the people, much like Jesus promised the church would in Matthew 16:18: “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not stand against it.” In the land of desolate desert, Max and Furiosa make the water flow. They are in the practice of blowing away gates, rocks, impediments to ‘the good.’

Honestly, I’ve never walked away from a film feeling so punched in the face by the weight of it. The 3D work was masterful, and the action was slick. I almost feel like I’m stuck with sand in my teeth, from the immersive experience of such a depressing worldview. This was no beach vacation; this was a war for our future, a warning about who we could become.

It’s a lovely day. Or is it?