Thoughts on the Academy Awards

I didn't get to see the whole Academy Awards because Missio Lux held our Celebration Sunday night; but did get home in time to see the biggest awards presented: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture--should I say, "best" awards!

The movie industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars making movies every year. "Avatar" cost $500 million to make. That's a boatload of cash. It was expected in many circles to make "Best Picture" because of how unique it was.

But, it didn't win. For the second year in a row** ("Slumdog Millionaire" won best picture last year), a small, inexpensive unknown film rose to the top. This year "Hurt Locker" was the winner; costing just $15 million to produce versus the $500 million with "Avatar".

On top of that, Sandrea Bullock won Best Actress for her role in the "Blindside." Critics did not like that movie, the Seattle Times gave it almost all thumbs down across the board. But, people flocked to it. Why?

I believe that we are drawn to the story of the Underdog. We want to see those that have passion and not so much power win the prize. It warms our hearts to walk away and realize that a very wealthy family from the South would invite a lost homeless African American boy to not just come to live with them, but to invite him to be part of their family. (if you haven't seen "Blindside", do!)

We are also drawn to the story of those who step out in faith and take a risk. The director of "Hurt Locker" was a woman named Kathryn Bigelow. When she took her award, she said that she hoped that the film would just get picked up by someone when it done; never dreaming in a million years that she would be standing in front of her peers accepting a Best Director Academy Award. She took a risk and her life will never be the same.

Kathryn Bigelow has a passion for those that protect others. She not only mentioned the military several times in her acceptance speech but she spoke of all the others who takes daily risk to protect us: firefighters, HSMAT, police...the list went on!

I believe we are drawn to stories of passion, of helping the underdog, and for taking risky steps in faith because this is the way God made us. We are cooperating with him when we move in these ways because this is the "god image" in us. We have joy when we move in these ways, moving closer and closer to the "Sweet Spot" of life.

What are you going to do today to live out your passion in risky faith?