in the open space: God & culture

In “Acceptance,” Hiro is sitting on the edge of the roof of a skyscraper and talking to Tadashi, whom Hiro has tried countless times to prevent from jumping off the building by going back in time to keep Tadashi from committing an embarrassing act (photocopying his derriere) that will lead to his decision to kill himself because he is fired from his job and embarrassed his family. By now, Hiro’s realized there’s no way he can prevent Tadashi from coming to this point in his life because there is something deeper at work in his choices. Hiro: I’ve tried to help you. Many, many times. But nothing seems to work. You keep on making the same mistake. Tadashi: How come I don’t remember any of that? Hiro: It doesn’t matter. I think it’s time that both of us faced the truth. Tadashi: The truth? What do you mean? Hiro turns to look at Tadashi, perturbed: Hiro: First of all, you must really hate your job! Nobody copies their butt 47 different ways without wanting to get fired! My advice: f...

In case you haven't already seen it, ComingSoon posted the NBC extended promo for the fifth "chapter" of Heroes , aptly titled "Redemption." (NBC's embed feature still crashes my Explorer, grr, so you'll have to jump to ComingSoon to see it .) With phrases like "fork in the road" and language like redemption and vengeance , I'm thinking this will be yet another set of episodes that I will be watching--and one that will bring more than a little God-talk into open spaces. (For a collection of posts by this blogger about the series, go here .) (Image: NBC) heroesctgy

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen last night's episode of Heroes . In "Turn and Face the Strange," Hiro has just rescued Matt Parkman from Danko, the man who’s in charge of hunting down all those with powers. Matt had gone to confront Danko over the death of his girlfriend, Daphne, who had been shot by Danko’s men and later died. Parkman was planning to shoot Danko’s girlfriend in revenge, but couldn’t do it. He dropped his gun and was going to let Danko shoot him when Hiro stopped time and moved Matt out of the room. Matt: I know you meant well, Hiro, but I didn’t ask to be rescued. Hiro: Dr. Suresh told us about your plan. It is one thing to defend yourself but a true warrior knows the difference between a righteous battle and— Matt interrupts him, angry— Matt : —and what, retribution? See that’s where you’re wrong. It’s the only the thing the other side understands. Hiro: But that is why we are better them. That is why we had to save you. (Image: NBC)...

In a recent episode of NBC's Heroes , Peter and his mother Angela have escaped those who are pursuing them and taken refuge in a church. Peter leaves Angela alone in the pews, and ends up at the foot a statue of Jesus standing above a collection of candles. He lights one and stares up at the statue. Peter: I asked to be extraordinary and I promised to make the world a better place. So, when I got my chance, I lived up to my end of the bargain. He stares up at the figure of Jesus again. Peter: For what? I’m running for my life. A lot of people are running for their lives. They’re hurt and they’re dying and I can’t . . . help them. Do you even care what you put people through? I mean, when I kneel here— He gets on his knees, looking up at the statue of Jesus. Peter: —before you and I ask for help, do you even listen? And I’m tired of fighting. And I’m angry. I’m angry at my father, Nathan . . . He looks over his shoulder at Angela praying in the pew behind him. Peter: . . . and ...

. . . . What makes some walk the path of darkness, while others choose the light? Is it will? Is it destiny? Can we ever hope to understand the force that shapes the soul? To fight evil, one must know evil. One must journey back through time and find that fork in the road, where heroes turn one way and villains turn another. —from Mohinder’s opening voiceover for the “ Villains ” episode of Heroes I must admit, I’m intrigued with this season of Heroes . In particular, I appreciate explorations of the complexity of the human condition—why we make the choices we do and how the choices we make affect who we become. I like Mohinder’s questions because I think they are some of those we all ask ourselves at some point or another—what makes us walk paths of light or darkness and what forces shape our souls? And one of the best articulations I’ve found of an answer to those questions come from Dallas Willard, who says: We live from our heart. The part of us that drives and organizes our life...

In every journey, the traveler must ask: Was the right path taken? Many roads are long and winding, filled with those who have lost their way. Some forge their own course, guided by faith, seeking not a location but a kindred soul. Others step together, finding safety in the arms of another. A few remove themselves from the trail to avoid the path of temptation. But those who watch the track too closely fail to see where it led them and are often all too surprised by their destination. --opening voiceover by Mohinder Suresh , who's lost his own way in his desire to seek powers for himself, from NBC's Heroes' " Dying of the Light " episode; you can see the entire episode here . (Image: NBC ) heroesctgy

We find Hiro in his father’s corporate office with Ando, his best friend and confidante. Hiro is bored out of his mind and wants a mission and destiny. Then a man walks in and gives him a DVD that his father, Kaito Nakamura , made for him before he was killed. Hiro is beside himself with excitement as he stands back to watch the image of his father on the video screen. Kaito Nakamura (on the DVD): Hiro, if you are watching this, then I am dead. I left you my fortune, but more important, I leave you with a sacred duty. You are now to be the sentinel of a dangerous secret. Hiro (his eyes widen in excitement): A secret? Nakamura: One that you must keep, as I and my father before me had done. It resides in my personal safe. In the wrong hands, this secret will destroy the world. So it is your task now: There's a brief, dramatic pause. Nakamura: Your sacred duty is to never open the safe. Heh. You gotta know how that one ended up. Hiro—arguably the purist-hearted hero of the bunc...

There are way too many television programs on my list this season, but last night I finally watched my dvr'd copy of Heroes' fourth episode, The Kindness of Strangers , and thought I'd better post before the fifth episode airs tonight. (Ack.) This season (or "volume," if we maintain the series' comicbook speak) seems to have a lot more consistent religious language and allusions than the first one (which had quite a bit), and this episode is a prime example. In particular, two of the episode's four storylines dealt with characters making assumptions on what God is doing or trying to tell them based on the events around them--and I think their experiences speak volumes to our own. In the first storyline, the on-the-run twins Maya and Alejandro almost run over escaped, dehydrated and ailing serial killer Sylar (whom I think is just about one of the most disturbingly and irredeemably evil characters on television). When Sylar realizes who the twins are s...

Haitian: I do not want your cure. Mohinder: Without it, you could die. Haitian: God gave me a power. I abused his gift, so he took it away. Now I suffer his judgment. Mohinder: Then perhaps we should leave it to God to decide. Chances are you carry one of a hundred viruses I can do nothing about, but if you somehow carry this one virus, there is only one cure, a distillation of my own blood. And I was guided to you. Surely that's a sign, just the same as your suffering. Haitian: A sign of what? Mohinder: That God isn't quite done with you yet. So my friend, shall we see if he still offers redemption? ( Heroes , Episode 2: Lizards ; image copyrighted by NBC) heroesctgy

Good television equals a good story that tells us something about ourselves, the world we live in and the life we live in it. Last week’s episode of NBC’s Heroes —which, like good comic-book films and television shows , explores the condition of the human heart and the struggle between good and evil (without and within) as it chronicles what goes into the making of a hero—gave us a good chapter in such a story. “ Homecoming ” is a crucial advance in this drama which (revealed in comic-book chapter-like style) chronicles the lives of about half a dozen ordinary people—most of whom are strangers but quickly beginning to cross paths—who discover they possess extraordinary powers and struggle with the purpose and identity that comes with it. (For more background on the series go here or here .) Part of the on-going storyline involves the hunting of the yet-to-be heroes (or yet-to-be villains) by super-villian serial killer Sylar as well as a shadowy organization headed by horned-rimmed...

After watching my TiVo’d episodes of the latest installments of Battlestar Galactica (a long-time fav of this blog ) and Heroes ( which just joined my list of favs ), I must say I am giddy in the same way I am when I’ve stumbled upon the discovery that I’m in the midst of a I-can’t-believe-there’s-still-good-ones-out-there book. The moments that brought on this giddiness were relatively minor on first glance. In BG’s “ Exodus 2 ”, it was watching Galactica jump into the atmosphere of New Caprica, its gigantic hulk plummet towards the surface as it launched its vipers and then jump out again before it hit. The scene (with especially good effects) was one of the more memorable ones for me in the science fiction genre (and you can watch here courtesy YouTube). In Heroes’ “ Hiros ”, it was watching will-he-be-a-hero-or-a-villian Nathan leap into the sky, do a sharp right and sonic-boom-fly-away from his captors. Superman has nothing on this guy. It was a jaw-dropper. While these scene...

It’s no secret that this blog thinks comic-book films and television shows make for great fodder in bringing God-talk in open spaces. Now we’re adding another one to our list: NBC’s Heroes . The drama (four episodes so far—three of which you can catch back to back Sunday night, Oct. 22) chronicles the lives of about half a dozen ordinary people—most of whom are strangers from across the United States but are quickly beginning to cross paths—who discover they possess extraordinary powers. A young geneticist from India, Mohinder Suresh , is seeking them out, drawn in by the murder of his also-geneticist father, who theorized people with super powers lived among us. The burgeoning heroes are also being sought out by a super-villian serial killer as well as by a shadowy organization headed by horned-rimmed-glasses Mr. Bennet —one of which is probably responsible for the murder of the Mohinder’s father. One of the things about the series that’s currently got me hooked is the struggles th...