Percentages

I'm in the one percent. And I'm not happy about it.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving, I went in for my long overdue vasectomy procedure. I had put it off for a couple of years (which is why we have 4 kids instead of 3), but finally got up the courage to get it done. I talked with friends who told me it was no big deal. I went to the urologist's office to hear how the procedure works and what would happen afterwards. And as I drove myself to the office that morning, I was calm, cool and collected.

That was at 8:00am. By the time 3:00pm rolled around, I was anything but.

I was in the one percent that has complications. In my case, a cut/broken/burst blood vessel that filled any and all available space within that area with blood. For close to two weeks now I've been miserable, in pain, and generally useless. Now I just have to wait for my body to reabsorb all of that excess fluid build up.

One percent.

My son Tanner had his first birthday just a couple of days after my procedure. He's an even more astounding percentage. My wife was (faithfully) on the birth control pill when Tanner was conceived. That puts him in the "less than one percent" range; closer to one half of one-percent, as the pill has an effective rate of somewhere around 99.5%.

Half of one percent.

Before Tanner was born, the doctors ordered tests, and we were told that there was a one in 50 chance (that works out to 2%) that he might be born with Down's Syndrome, or a similar genetic disorder. That was scary news to hear. Really scary.

Two percent.

So many of life's monumental events hinge on which side of the percentages you fall. And the question most grapple with is who to blame: luck, fate or providence?

Run Lola Run

This past week I spent a few days with my denominational colleagues in ministry from the East Coast, up at Pilgrim Pines Conference Center in Swanzey, NH. It was a good week of fellowship, worship, and lots of laughs. I appreciate those times of connection and return home refreshed and thankful to be part of something bigger than my local congregation.
Our times of continuing education were led by the husband and wife team of Robert Johnston (Professor of Theology & Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary) and Catherine Barsotti (former director of development for Centro Hispano de Estudios Teologicos), co-authors of Finding God In The Movies: 33 Films of Reel Faith.

The premise put forth by Johnston and Barsotti, is that film has become the common language of our post-modern culture, and through that common language, a meaningful and rich avenue for dialogue has developed on matters of spirituality. As the church, and as members of the clergy, that opportunity for dialogue is one that we should recognize and embrace.

One of the more humorous times of the week together was when we would watch a film and then discuss it. We were a diverse group to be sure: old-timers, young pastors, big churches already using multimedia on a regular and grand scale, small churches with one VCR (probably broken). As you might expect, the opinions towards the use of film as a starting point for dialogue were equally varied. So when we gathered to watch the cult-classic, subtitled (the dialogue is in German) film Run Lola Run, which I had seen parts of before, I was expecting some interesting opinions.

And there were.

And yet, it worked, even with such a strange film as Run Lola Run (and believe me, it is strange!). It worked, because as we began to discuss it, the conversations and arguments ran through the gamut of deep theological questions that are at the heart of faith in God, and faith in Christ as Savior. It really did create an opportunity for dialogue that was fruitful, and more than one pastor could be heard muttering "I get it." (even if we did not "get" the film itself)

Throughout the scriptures we find God using individuals and peoples and events from "the outside" to awaken his people, and challenge their faith, and expand their understanding of him and his mercies, so that they might better be the light to the world that he intended them to be.

Is it possible that even something as bizarre as Run Lola Run could be that means in our post-modern world?