It's a rare treat that television serves us up something that is not only watchable, but funny, poignant and even a bit realistic. Word on Fire blog contributor Ellyn von Huben stumbled across one such gem, BBC Two's "Rev.", and shares her close-to-home impressions.
I have had the privilege to serve as a parish secretary (now actually having a golden sign with my name and the title “administrative assistant”) for almost 11 years. One sees a lot in that position: joy, boredom, sorrow, veritable insanity, the whole lot. And my aim has had to be primum non nocere and take it from there. It’s a job in which no two days are alike and can only be learned gradually and with attention to detail and the demands of the Gospel. Working with a lot of faith-filled people who possess sharp senses of humor helps. And since there has been a strong “The Office” fan base (mostly U.S., a few U.K), we have often joked about what a great sitcom could be based on our daily experiences.
I think BBC Two has, in a way, beaten us to it. Along with watching “The Office” and a bit of “Mad Men” to help me process my days’ events, I have found a most delightful program that rings so true to my work experiences.
We’ve gone off the cable and are relying on broadcast TV (too late to get those discount digital scramble boxes that the government offered a few years ago, I can only wish we had thought ahead) complete with some beautiful artisanal antennas crafted by my son with the hangers we scammed up from my son-in-law who actually sends his shirts out to be done. I have run a “no wire hangers ever” household for decades, so even the antennas were a challenge. As long as we have a few broadcast shows, we are fine. And for other entertainment we rely on Hulu Plus and streaming Netflix.
What does it mean to say that God is Love? Robert Mixa offers his reflection on the love revealed through Christ.
I have often heard it said that love is an illusion, and sometimes it seems to be so. Let’s not be naïve. I assume most of us have fallen in love thinking that we have found a love eternal, but, given some time, those feelings fade away, turning the beloved into an annoyance and/or the cause of much hurt. You do not have to look very far to see that the world is full of the remains of love. That is why the Christian belief that ‘God is Love’ is so shocking. How can God (i.e. the deepest reality of all things) be love if love seems to inevitably end in failure? And if God is Lord, then wouldn’t love have the last word? Although there are some people who refuse to love once they have tasted the poison of its failure, many of us continue to seek it, fully aware of its fleeting nature. But we are left with the ultimate question: is this a futile seeking or is there someone
or something
that will satisfy? Christianity is the revelation that there is someone who will not just satisfy us but surprise us. It is the revelation that God is the lover giving himself, in some manner, in everything...