Paradox

Dear St. John’s,

Earlier this week Michael B. Jordan (with the help of technology) played the role of twin brothers and became the sixth African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor!

It was for Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster, horror flick ‘Sinners.’ The film takes place in 1930s, Mississippi, where Sammie, the son of a preacher, leaves home to sing the blues at a new juke joint that his bootlegging twin cousins, ‘Smoke’ and ‘Stack,’ (Jordan) open up.

One of the fascinating aspects of ‘Sinners’ is how it captures the contentious relationship between the Black Church and the world of Blues Clubs during that time. The film depicts the former as restrictive and judgmental, the latter as licentious and dangerous. This creates a binary between being religious and prude or secular and debauched. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that light and dark, good and bad, are not so easily compartmentalized in distinct categories.

The blues came out of Negro Spirituals and captures the existential bitterness of life. Around the same time, Gospel music was born as a sacred form of the blues. The two genres informed one another, not only musically, but culturally and theologically.

Life is very similar. It is often the hardships we endure that helps create growth and new possibilities. Jesus was acutely aware of this dynamic. Which is why he kept Judas as a disciple. And why he willingly went to the cross. Christ did not avoid the darkness, but rather found ways to transform it.

As we slowly approach the end of the Lenten Season in the next couple of weeks, we are reminded that our time of reflection and repentance, which peaks during Holy Week, will give way to rejoicing on Easter! This does not have to be limited to a liturgical season, but can be the rhythm of our lives as we endure difficulties, recognizing they are not permanent, and are perhaps in some mysterious way even necessary.

In Christ,

Anthony+