Much has been written and posted about the Hunger Games over the last week. The much anticipated movie 'The Hunger Games' brought in $155 million on it's opening week - and buzz is strong that it's second weekend will continue to be big.
And there is an incredible irony to that.
The movie (and book) shows a society that values entertainment over life. The reality game aspect of 24 tributes thrown into the arena is equal parts Survivor, Gladiator, and Lord of the Flies. And all is filmed for the rest of the country to watch their performance, bet on their success, and send gifts (hmmm - kind of sounds like American Idol) until one wins it all - and is set for life.
And yet, with all the talk of teen-on-teen violence, I think we are missing the parallels to our own society.
You see, we will spend $155m in one weekend (not including the spend on popcorn/candy/pop) to see a movie called the Hunger Games, but did we do anything to wipe out hunger?
And if you think that statistic is startling, Americans spend $2.3 billion (yes . . that is a B as in BILLION) on candy for Halloween last year. Considering our youth in America are struggling with childhood obesity, that's a bit ironic that we will spend that much money to give out candy for ONE night of the year.
And why . . . because we want to be entertained, we want to be full, we want to have fun.
Meanwhile, millions of children are dying around the world due to hunger, famine, lack of clean water. For the cost of $900 or less, a well can be drilled in Africa that provides clean water for a village. If a village has clean water, children do not have to spend their day walking to miles to a water source and back (sometimes multiple times a day) - which means they can attend school and get an education. And if a child can have clean water and receive an education, he can change the scourge of poverty and famine that he lives in.
Wouldn't it be great if the producer/distributor of the movie stated they really wanted to do something about the real hunger games in this world and donated a part of the profits to ending hunger.
Wouldn't it be great if we all made a donation to our local food bank (or started to save money to drill a well in Africa) equal to the amount of money that we spent on our personal entertainment/comfort this week? If you can spend $4 for a cup of coffee everyday, imagine how many kids could eat for $4 (and let's face it, do we all really NEED another cup of coffee - some of you have a little too much caffienne as it is).
Let me be transparent - I have read the trilogy of 'The Hunger Games' (haven't seen the movie . . yet). I thoroughly enjoyed them as fiction books. And, yes, I have let Aidan and Noah read them (ages 15 and 13). Personally, I didn't find the violence in the book to be anymore violent than what I have read in my Bible. And I do realize there is a difference between a sentence telling of a killing versus a brutal depiction of it on the big screen. But, I didn't see violence as the theme of the book.
I saw the humanity of a girl who loved her family and friends so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life (Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13).
I saw that the events of a life may not be what you envisioned, but there are times you have to step up and do that which is right ("For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14)
I saw a society in the book that valued entertainment more than worship, selfishness more than selflessness, pain more than grace, power more than serving. And I realized, we may be closer to the region of Panem than we think.
But, as shown in the book - one small spark can catch fire - and one person who is willing can make a difference. One person can help inspire others to make a difference, to right a wrong, to change their world. And as Christians, isn't that what we should be doing - changing our world . . . catching fire?
And there is an incredible irony to that.
The movie (and book) shows a society that values entertainment over life. The reality game aspect of 24 tributes thrown into the arena is equal parts Survivor, Gladiator, and Lord of the Flies. And all is filmed for the rest of the country to watch their performance, bet on their success, and send gifts (hmmm - kind of sounds like American Idol) until one wins it all - and is set for life.
And yet, with all the talk of teen-on-teen violence, I think we are missing the parallels to our own society.
You see, we will spend $155m in one weekend (not including the spend on popcorn/candy/pop) to see a movie called the Hunger Games, but did we do anything to wipe out hunger?
And if you think that statistic is startling, Americans spend $2.3 billion (yes . . that is a B as in BILLION) on candy for Halloween last year. Considering our youth in America are struggling with childhood obesity, that's a bit ironic that we will spend that much money to give out candy for ONE night of the year.
And why . . . because we want to be entertained, we want to be full, we want to have fun.
Meanwhile, millions of children are dying around the world due to hunger, famine, lack of clean water. For the cost of $900 or less, a well can be drilled in Africa that provides clean water for a village. If a village has clean water, children do not have to spend their day walking to miles to a water source and back (sometimes multiple times a day) - which means they can attend school and get an education. And if a child can have clean water and receive an education, he can change the scourge of poverty and famine that he lives in.
Wouldn't it be great if the producer/distributor of the movie stated they really wanted to do something about the real hunger games in this world and donated a part of the profits to ending hunger.
Wouldn't it be great if we all made a donation to our local food bank (or started to save money to drill a well in Africa) equal to the amount of money that we spent on our personal entertainment/comfort this week? If you can spend $4 for a cup of coffee everyday, imagine how many kids could eat for $4 (and let's face it, do we all really NEED another cup of coffee - some of you have a little too much caffienne as it is).
Let me be transparent - I have read the trilogy of 'The Hunger Games' (haven't seen the movie . . yet). I thoroughly enjoyed them as fiction books. And, yes, I have let Aidan and Noah read them (ages 15 and 13). Personally, I didn't find the violence in the book to be anymore violent than what I have read in my Bible. And I do realize there is a difference between a sentence telling of a killing versus a brutal depiction of it on the big screen. But, I didn't see violence as the theme of the book.
I saw the humanity of a girl who loved her family and friends so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life (Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13).
I saw that the events of a life may not be what you envisioned, but there are times you have to step up and do that which is right ("For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14)
I saw a society in the book that valued entertainment more than worship, selfishness more than selflessness, pain more than grace, power more than serving. And I realized, we may be closer to the region of Panem than we think.
But, as shown in the book - one small spark can catch fire - and one person who is willing can make a difference. One person can help inspire others to make a difference, to right a wrong, to change their world. And as Christians, isn't that what we should be doing - changing our world . . . catching fire?
1 comment:
Well said! Thank you!
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