Captain America was, for me, the best movie experience of the summer. Granted it’s the only movie I’ve seen this summer so I suppose that assessment is a bit unfair. But in seriousness, this was a great movie! Not only is this one of the best superhero movies that I’ve seen but it has some great things to say about being a man. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the movie review. 

I didn’t say this with True Grit since that movie was old and but this one is new so consider yourself SPOILER WARNED.

This movie revolves around the WWII adventures of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) a.k.a. Captain America. Rogers starts out as a scrawny and sickly lad that wants nothing more than to fight for his country like his best friend James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) Unfortunately, Rogers keeps getting denied admission to the army due to his health but he is given a special opportunity by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci). After proving his mettle Steve is pumped full of special juice and electricity. Rogers then emerges as, you guessed it, Captain America. After some initial hesitation on the part of Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) Cap is put into action after he, almost singlehandedly, liberates some POWs.

Cap and his team then go to work dismantling the criminal empire of the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). After unearthing Red Skull’s evil plan to destroy New York Cap and Red have a huge, and awesome to watch, fight on the bridge of his ship. In order to save New York Cap crash lands Red Skull’s plane in the Arctic. Cap is then unfrozen and wakes up 70 years in the future setting us up for next summer’s Avengers.

This crystal Rubix Cube took
forever to figure out!

This movie was well directed and well acted. It’s not a great piece of cinema but it is a great summer movie. It has comedy, romance, and action. More importantly, it has all of them in the right measure. Special props go to my man Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith!) who is just having a BLAST playing Red Skull. His character is always menacing and never goofy (a tough job for a comic book movie.) Kudos also goes to Tommy Lee Jones for infusing Col. Phillips with just the right amount of comedy and seriousness.

I only have two minor complaints about this movie. The first is the opening scene that shows Cap being unearthed in the present before jumping immediately to 1943. This opening robs Cap’s heroic sacrifice in the finale of some of its drama because we know that he is going to be okay. Secondly, Cap gets a team about half way through the movie. It makes sense that Cap would need a team but we’re never shown that Cap REALLY needs at team. All the movie’s big action sequences are Cap versus a million bad guys.

These are, however, minor complaints. This movie is totally worth your 10 bucks and it has a lot of great things to teach us as men.

Does this movie “Man Up?”

Unlike Rooster Cogburn, Captain America isn’t a complex character with flaws and virtues alike. No, Cap is all virtue. What was particularly good about the message in this movie was that Rogers is chosen to become Captain America because of his determination, bravery, and willingness to always do what’s right. Rogers does this despite the fact that he was being pitted against a platoon of men who were big, strong, and good looking. Dr. Erskine explains to Rogers that his heroism is in his character not his powers. Red Skull, like Cap, was given Erskine’s formula but it was his blind ambition and thirst for power that turned him into a super villain, not his new found strength.

So the important lesson we learn is that what makes a great hero is character not superpowers. This is true for us today as men. Our society puts a premium on being the strongest, the fastest, and the best looking. But the men we admire are the ones of character. Take the example of Saul and David. Saul was chosen as king of Israel because he was the best looking (1 Sam. 9:2, 1 Sam. 9:15-16). However, he thoroughly lacked in character (1 Sam. 15:10-11). David, on the other hand, was small and came from a poor family (1 Sam. 16:7). But there was no one in Israel with more character. When the time came to show his character David bravely faced Goliath (1 Sam. 17:24, 31-37, 48-50) while those around him trembled. In the same way Rogers unflinchingly dives on what he thinks is a live grenade while those around him run.


Here’s what it boils down to men, men of character will always be the heroes when things get tough. Cap crash’s a jet to save New York in the finale. We also see character in Jesus’ example. He was God and could have saved his own bacon anytime he wanted to (Matt. 26:53-54). But Jesus was a man of Godly character. Instead, he sacrificed himself to save humanity from sin.

Rating

Pornography. It is now ubiquitous in our internet society. No matter where you turn on the internet it won’t be long before you see scantily clad women and men. A few clicks from there an you’ll have access to hours of videos depicting strangers having rough sex with each other. But porn is bad, right? If you grew up, or are in, a Christian church no doubt you’ve heard this message. Even secular psychologists agree that as men and women become more interested in virtual partners they become less interested in their actual partners. So there, it’s settled. Porn is bad, both sides agree on that.

But not so fast, if that is the case why does porn remain a multi-billion dollar industry? The reason is because there is something we like about porn even though we know it’s wrong.

So how do we stop? This is the question that much of secular psychology lets us down on. The love or our partners and the compelling evidence about porn’s harmful nature are supposed to be enough. But it isn’t.

In the Christian culture we are told the God doesn’t like us to look at porn. Which is true enough (Matt. 5:27-28).Thus, we are taught to fear God’s anger. But the fear of God often isn’t enough to pry us away from the tempting glow of the computer screen.

Today I’m here to offer different reason you should turn away from porn. Here’s the reason, because Jesus loves you.

Why love?
When someone truly loves us it serves as a powerful deterrent against any activity that would hurt the one who loves you. Remember the first time your Dad gave you that “I’m not mad just disappointed” look? Mine came when I just didn’t show up to a job because I was too busy playing video games. I know for me that look hurt way worse than any beating he could have given me. When we love someone we try to avoid doing the things that hurt them.

God Loves Us
We see God’s great love in the book of Exodus. The book of Exodus tells us that God wants us to have “no other god” before him (Exodus 20:3). God said this because he loved the Israelites. He didn’t want to share his love with other, lesser gods. He had proved his love to the Israelites by delivering them out of Egypt. (Exodus 20:2). In the same way when a man loves his wife he doesn’t want her to have other boyfriends. We later see God’s love when Jesus died upon a cross (Phil. 2:8). So sad was God when he thought of his creation being condemned by sin that he sent his only son to die.

But Why Would Porn Upset Jesus?
Simply put when we start on a path to porn addiction we find something that we love more than God. Matthew 5:27-28 tells us that lust is tantamount to adultery. Now in terms of human relationships it is worse to cheat on your spouse than it is to watch porn. To God, however, your love of porn is replacing, or at lease weakening, your love of Jesus. Jesus died that we might be holy and sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11). When you give into the flesh God is sad and disappointed. Disappointed, because he has loved and sacrificed so much only to see you turn down a path to self destructive sin. He is sad because He created you for so much more than self gratification in front of a computer screen.

Great, now instead of fear I feel guilt!
The above is not meant to push us toward putting off sin because we “feel” a certain way. Rather, it is to get us to think about Jesus not as an abstract concept but as a real person with whom we have a relationship. Let me put it another way, Jesus is a real person who loves us. This is the real reason why porn is bad (I bet you were wondering when I was going to get to that). Do you believe that Jesus is a real person with real feelings that get hurt when you sin? If we believe this then sin will be an abomination to us. We’ll want to avoid it so we don’t upset Jesus.

Sin upsets Jesus but how does sin hurt us?
Susanna Wesley summed up sin pretty well when she defined it as “whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."

Porn hurts your marriage, your sex life, and your view of the opposite sex. More important than any of that porn provides a love that is something other than Jesus. Jesus loves you and wants what’s best for you. Loving porn more than Jesus hurts Him and those around us. Would a real man hurt his wife or mother? Would a real man hurt anyone he loves?

How does this help us become “fully man?”
It may seem a little touchy feely to talk about doing things because we love somebody. “That’s girly” you may say, but consider this. Every year men dress up in funny out fits and brave sub zero temperatures. I’m talking about football fans. To show their team, and everyone else, their great love they paint up their bodies and faces. Consider this less “girly” example. A man who loves his country might join the army to defend what it stands for. As men we do plenty of things out of love. We can, in a manly and decisive way, show our love for Jesus and others by turning away from porn.

So don’t try to cut out porn through power of will or great arguments. Because it just won’t work. Rather, remind yourself that porn is not a victimless crime and that somebody up there loves you.

Further Reading:

Your Brain on Porn

How Porn can Ruin your Sex Life – and your Marriage

The Song Jesus Christ Is Singing to You

Lust: Not for Men Only

Did you like this article? Is there something I missed? Do you have opinions? I would love to hear them? So, put them in the comments section

Review Wednesday: True Grit

Will True Grit Bring Out the Man in You? 

I know I’m a little late to the party on this one but I thought, in keeping with the cowboy theme, this would be a good movie for Fully Man to review. True Grit (a remake of the 1969 John Wayne original) is about two men (and a little girl) hunting down a band of thieves in the Wild West. This movie shows us a lot of good masculine themes and some great characters. Ultimately, I’m not sure it all comes together the way that it should by the end.

As the movie’s intro tells us Maddie Ross’ (Hailee Steinfeld) father is gunned down by “the coward Tom Cheney” (James Brolin). Thirsty for revenge Maddie hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Daniels). Rooster is known as the meanest marshal in the west. Maddie hires him because Rooster is most likely to shoot the man who shot her father. Along, the way they pick up the Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) who is also after Cheney.

This movie is expertly acted, filmed, and scored. Damon and Daniels chew the scenery with their nuanced and powerful portrayals of lawmen who hunt other men for a living. However, neither of these men is without their demons. Daniels especially steals the show as Cogburn. Cogburn is a man who can stare fearlessly into the face of death but is keenly aware of his own self destructive nature. Steinfeld also does an excellent job portraying Maddie as a smart and headstrong girl who has a lot to learn about the world. 

The Cohen Brothers, as usual, do an excellent job in crafting a world this is, in equal portions, familiar and surreal (be sure to check out No Country for Old Men and Fargo). Despite all the excellent aspects of this movie things just never really come together at the end. This movie has very few crescendos staying mostly at the same pace throughout. In the end I couldn’t help but think “was that it?” Despite this minor criticism this is still an excellent movie with some excellent masculine themes.

Does This Movie “Man Up?”

Rooster Cogburn can teach us a lot about being men. Rooster is “real” man. By that I mean no one characteristic of his is blown out of proportion. He has his strengths but he also has his flaws. Rooster is the scourge the criminal world in the Wild West. His toughness and willingness to do anything to get the job done makes him the best. At the same time the things that make him a great lawman have led him down a self descructive path. Despite his reputation as a great lawman is rivaled by his reputation as a drunkard. This shows us the duality of masculinity, there are things that make us great but at the same time those same things make bring us woe. Coburn’s willingness to fully commit to everything he does, drinking included, is what make him a great lawman and a detriment to himself.

In the end Cogburn (and LeBoeuf as well) teaches us that everyman with noble characteristics will show his true stripes in times of duress. In the climax of the movie Cogburn shows us that despite his drunken and surly nature lives a man who is to be admired. Cogburn and LeBoeuf’s commitment to doing what is right is stronger than their individual flaws. Furthermore, this movie teaches us that we must sometimes look past a rough exterior to find a character worthy of emulation.

Rating

Most Quote Worthy Line

Lawyer: Mr. Cogburn how many men have you shot?

Cogburn: Shot or killed?

Lawyer: Let us keep it to “killed” so that we may have a manageable number.

Where have all the Cowboys Gone? Part 2

Welcome back to the second part of our two part discussion about the loss of zeal in modern man. If you haven’t read part one it’s highly recommended. Anyways, let jump back in!

I’m Mad as Hell and I Can’t Take it Anymore!
Zeal is a powerful tool that God has given to humanity. It drives us to action so that we can do and say great things for God. However, we must make sure that our zeal isn’t misguided. Misguided zeal helped bring on the Holocaust. Mistaken zeal for God has led to the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition.

We must make sure that our zeal is to do the things God directs us to in the bible. Justice, helping the weak, proper honoring of God, defending the faith, etc. are all reasons to arouse you zeal. Want the cure to misguided zeal? It’s simple, read your Bible regularly and carefully (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This is the best way to make sure that we are zealous for the things God is zealous about and not simply venting our anger in ignorance.

Why Can’t We Feel the Zeal Anymore?
My evidence is going to be anecdotally but it seems to me that Christian men just get less “fired up” than they used to. Now, before you write me off as some old codger who thinks things were “better back when” let me give you a few arguments.

In the 19th and early 20th century men’s desire to serve God was so great that they whet bravely into remote parts of the world unsupported. Men like Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, and Jim Elliot were not only missionaries but they were going to places where no white man had ever been. They couldn’t stand the idea that there were people in the world unreached by God’s word. Is dying for your cause the great honor it used to be? I would say not.

We live in a very cynical age. Patriotism, adherence to a moral code, and Christianity are old concepts never to be trusted completely and anyone who does is not to be trusted either. Don’t believe me? Look at the success of the Onion and the Daily Show. These are two “news” sources that encourage us to be suspicious of and lampoon authority. This type of environment does not encourage zeal. It encourages us to be skeptical and laugh at anyone who is zealous about anything.

Another factor that has led to a loss of zeal is that in 21st century America is that we have lot of ways to keep busy. As such it is easy to get involved with our jobs, our twitter accounts, iPads, iPhones, and staying up to date on our favorite TV shows and websites. When I have tried to put together groups of men to help someone or study the bible the retort is usually “I’m just too busy” yet somehow those same men (myself included) find the time to do all the fun they want to do. I say they are doing it at the expense of serving God. Or, in other words, their zeal isn’t for God.

Not that we’ve discussed some of the things that inhibit zealousness how do we get it back?

Bring Back The Zeal

Remember how we defined zeal? In case you forgot here it is again. Zeal is the urge we get that makes us want to take action when we see things that are out of line with God’s created order. Therefore, we must get our emotions, thoughts, and actions aligned with those of God. How do we do that? There are two ways, prayer and studying the bible. We must study our bible regularly to discern what God would have us be zealous about. Also, we must pray that God would give us wisdom in how to act on our zeal.

How is this important to men? Traditionally God has called on men to lead his people. As men we must work to cultivate zeal if we want to do great things for God. Men of God lead others to greatness by being zealous for God. It’s how God created us!! (Maybe to good topic for a later post . . .)

The solution definitely falls into the “easier said than done” category. Here it is, make sure your thoughts are right, go out, and try to do great things for God (1 Kings 2:2-3). Afterwards, don’t be upset when you fail because God is great and so is his Savior. (Romans 8: 31-39)

Alright men, we now know what zeal is a how to get it. Let get out there and change the world!

Did you like this article? Is there something I missed? Do you have opinions? I would love to hear them? So, put them in the comments section.

Where have all the Cowboys Gone? Part 1

I hope that you’ll forgive me the Paula Cole reference but I thought it was appropriate given that we’re going to start our two part series about zeal and lack thereof among today’s Christian men.

What is Zeal?
The English word zeal comes from the Greek word “zelos” and means fervor for a person, cause, or object. This is a fine definition to get us started. But the question that must interest us is what is zeal in the Bible? I would argue that Zeal is the urge we get that makes us want to take action when we see things that are out of line with God’s created order. That urge can compel us to do great things for God. Zeal can manifest itself in several ways. Maybe you want to start a bible study, help the homeless, or speak out against oppression. When the desire to serve God wells up inside of you, becomes too great to ignore, and compels you to action that is zeal.

Examples of Zeal
The Old Testament is filled with lots of examples of men and women zealous to serve God. However, to my mind, Nehemiah is the one that stands out most. Nehemiah was a displaced Jew serving the king of Persia as a cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11). However, once he heard that the city of Jerusalem, God’s holy city, was in disrepair he couldn’t abide sitting idly by and doing nothing (Neh 2:3-6). Eventually, Nehemiah completed his task of repairing Jerusalem and left the care of Jerusalem to others. However, when he came back to see that the caretakers were not properly worshiping God he was not afraid to bust up some furniture to get his point across (Neh 13:6-10)!

Of course, the most famous example of zeal comes from the book of John. Jesus, approaching the temple in Jerusalem, saw that God’s holy place had been turned into a market house. The temple had become a place where greed and goods were worshiped more readily than God. Jesus, being filled with zeal and righteous (i.e. appropriate) anger, began to overturn tables and dump money changers coins on the floor (John 2:13-17). Jesus’ zeal for God made such an impact on John that he even mentions it reminded him of Psalms 69:9.

Here is a pretty good reenactment of what it might have looked like

Nehemiah and Jesus had this in common when acting on their zeal. Neither could stand the idea of a world where God was not being glorified in the way that he ought. So great was their love for God that the idea of not doing something was to unbearable. Nehemiah risked punishment from his king and Jesus risked punishment from authorities both civil and religious. But they didn’t care. Sin had distorted the goodness of God’s creation and they did something about it.

Now that we know what zeal is and we’ve seen some examples of it. Come back next week when we discuss misguided zeal, lack of zeal, and how to get our zeal back.

Did you like this article? Is there something I missed? Do you have opinions? I would love to hear them? So, put them in the comments section.