Action Films

I love action films.  I like the movies that have a quick-moving story, believable characters, seamless acting, and great special effects – the kind that either don’t look like special effects at all or look so cool you know they have to be special effects

Some of my recent favorites?

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Skyfall
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Amazing Spiderman
• Men In Black 3
• The Hunger Games
• And I must admit, any film with Jason Statham in it is one I’m likely to see.

I like the excitement, the tension, the anticipation of what comes next and the spectacle present in these films.  I also like that they make me think. Each of these films, in addition to the action that keeps me glued to my seat, has a story that keeps my mind spinning and churning and wondering about unanswered questions. (For those of you thinking, “The Hobbit was so slow in the beginning – does that part count as an action film?: The answer is: Yes.  There was much story development at the beginning and it wasn’t ‘glue your to your seat’ action during that part, but it was worth the wait.)

This week’s Bible reading recounts an event in Jesus’ life that has all the makings of a great action film scene:  Jesus’ baptism.  It was an event. It was the event that inaugurated his ministry as an adult. It’s recorded in all four gospels – and you can’t say that about too many other events relating to Jesus.

That said, the description of Jesus baptism in this week’s Bible reading from Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 is a little heavier on the “story development” side.  And the “missing” verses in the reading (verses 18-20) go deeper into the back story of John – showing you that he was a rabble rouser.

Take a look at the descriptions of Jesus’ baptism from the other Gospels. (Matthew 3:16b-17, Mark 1:10b-11, and John 1:32)
What description do you think gives the best flavor?  And which one has the best action? And why is any of that important?