Who Likes a Critic?

This week's scripture lesson: John 12:1-8.


I begin this week's blog with a joke:

While traveling separately through the countryside late one afternoon a Hindu, a Rabbi, and a Critic were caught in a terrific thunderstorm.  They sought shelter at a nearby farmhouse.
“That storm will be raging for hours.”  The farmer told them. “You ought to spend the night. The problem is there is only room for two in the house. One of you must sleep in the barn.”
“I’ll be the one,” said the Hindu, "a little hardship is nothing to me.” And he went to the barn.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. It was the Hindu. “I’m sorry," he said to the others, "but there is a cow in the barn. Cows are sacred creatures and I cannot impose.”
“Don’t worry,” said the Rabbi, “make yourself comfortable. I will go sleep in the barn.”
A few minutes later there was another knock at the door.  It was the Rabbi. “I hate to be a bother,” he said, “but there is a pig in the barn. In my religion pigs are unclean, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sleeping near a pig.”
“Oh, all right,” said the Critic, “I’ll go sleep in the barn.”
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door.  It was the pig and the cow.


Can you relate to this joke? As an actor and occasional director, I have had a love/hate relationship with critics. Ideally, a professional critic will attend a theatrical event and provide a necessary way of looking at and evaluating a performance as an informed spectator. As an actor or director, it is easy to become so wrapped up in the little world of the performance that an objective assessment of the performance is nearly impossible. the voice of a critic can help us to see things to which we are uniquely blind.


Of course, what is necessary is that the criticism be reasonably informed. I have read critical reviews that are simply based upon whether or not the writer liked this or that about a performance, or musical piece or artwork. Personal preference is san interesting topic in a one-to-one conversation or discussion, but is not a sufficient basis for reviewing artistic and performance work.


This week's Gospel lesson features a heavy does of criticism that calls for some close scrutiny. Is the criticism legitimate? Is it based upon justifiable concerns, or is it missing the point of what is being done? 


Take a look at the story in John 12:1-8 and reflect on these questions:
  1. Who are the principal actors in the story?
  2. What is the main action?
  3. What is the criticism being leveled?
  4. What justifies the criticism?
  5. What might the criticism be missing?
  6. What commentary is offered by the Gospel writer?
  7. At what point(s) do you connect with the story?
  8. What doesn't make sense?

(Image of Mary Anointing the feet of Jesus form: http://media.photobucket.com/image/mary%20anointed%20jesus%20feet/alfredvillas/31a-2.jpg)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is the UMC an Old Car?

Image
When I was in graduate school in the mid-90s, I drove a 1980 Toyota Corolla. It had a standard transmission, manually-operated windows, and no air conditioning. But it was fairly dependable for the decade I drove it. During graduate school, it got me between Salem, Oregon, and Berkeley, California, at least once a month, as I returned home to see my family. The drive North and South could be a trial during the Summer months, especially in the Central Valley when the temperatures reached 115°. Not having air conditioning was a problem, so I figured out a system wherein I wrapped an ice cube in a bandana and wrapped it around my forehead, and drove with the windows down. The rapidly-evaporating ice cube cooled my head, but I had to add a new ice cube every rest stop. But it worked. It was not a glorious or glamorous car, but it got me dependably between Point A and Point B. I used it to take my German student friends to experience the Redwoods and to drive down H...
Read more

Taking Grace for Granted

This Sunday is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Therefore it is an appropriate time to reflect upon the act of giving thanks, of expressing our gratitude. This year for Thanksgiving I will gather with my family at my parent's home. Most of my brothers will be there with their families. One of my brothers will be there without someone very dear to him: his wife who died two years ago. Whenever we have gathered, we always took for granted that everyone would be there. The kids would be a little older, and there would always be the latest exploits of our children to share. But the death of my sister-in-law came way too soon, at way-too-young an age. So when I look around the family, I don't take it quite for granted anymore. The blessings that are there are not necessarily a given.  How many things in our life do we take for granted? How many things do we fail to give thanks for? How many times do we receive a gift and forget to express our gratitude? I know that I have do...
Read more

Shaking the Dust

Image
On February 25th, United Methodist delegates to our General Conference Special Session voted to preserve the status quo of our Book of Discipline's current bans on ordaining LGBTQ clergy and officiating at or hosting same-sex marriages. While I am not surprised, I am deeply disappointed. There was strong support for a plan (called the One Church Plan) that would not force any pastor or church to perform same-sex marriages, nor did it force anyone to change what they believe about the Bible, but would allow individual conferences to decide if they would ordain LGBTQ pastors, as well as allowing churches to host and pastors to officiate at same-sex marriages. In other words, instead of allowing for theological differences around 4-5 verses in the Bible ( the only references to homosexuality found in the Bible , and two of those are disputed as to whether they refer to homosexuality at all), the theological and political right wing of the church muscled its way to force ...
Read more