R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON (1958-2009)

There are musical superstars, and there is Michael Jackson. We truly lost a legend yesterday, and I must admit that I shed a tear for the deceased star. I can't think of a musical genius and entertainer that has had the kind of impact that Michael Jackson has had on the world of music. I lived in Nigeria when Michael Jackson was at the peak of his career, and I can attest to the fact that he was as big of a star there as he was anywhere else in the world. He revolutionized music not only with his tantalizing moves, but also with his revolutionary videos like "thriller" which made music videos a staple in the careers of today's artists. Whether you watch contemporary acts like Usher, Justin Timberlake, Omarion, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, or even his baby sister Janet, his influence is all over popular music. But as they say, there are many imitators, but only one original.

"Off the Wall" was one of my first albums that my dad bought for me, and till this day my favorite MJ album, followed closely by the record breaking "Thriller", which still stands as the biggest selling album of all time. But Michael's music spans across generations and cultural boundaries. His early hits with his brothers (The Jackson 5) like "I'll be there", "Sam", "I want you back", "ABC" are still as great today as they were in the 70s.

I will never forget the sweet memories of me and my brothers trying to emulate his moves while listening to one of his albums or watching his videos.

Michael, you will be missed, you were a global icon without equal. Yes, you were eccentric and had your issues, but maybe now you can rest in perfect peace. Thanks for the memories, you will live on through your music for decades to come.

Unconventional Spiritual Truths

Here are some spiritual lessons I have learned in the 20 plus years since I became a Christian. These are lessons that I wish I had learned sooner, but as is often the case, we tend to learn the biggest lesson in life at moments of crisis and pain:

1) Being a Christian does not give you immunity from life's trials and struggles: I remember being a naive and young 15 year old, who had just "accepted Christ as His Lord and savior" after being witnessed to by some friends in Secondary School, and thinking that "if I just obeyed the Bible to the best of my ability" I would be immune to life's trials. I have since learned that no matter how long you have been "walking with God' there is no such think as immunity from trials. You can learn to live with joy in the midst of tribulation, but the ups and downs of life are a given.

2) All suffering is not always a matter of reaping what you sow: How many times have we heard someone quote the ever popular verse from Galatians 6:7 about reaping what we sow. While this is a general principle that applies in many cases, it cannot be used as a one size fits all formula to explain all incidents of suffering. Are children born to abusive parents somehow "reaping what they sowed"? Are children born with birth defects of severe chronic illness "reaping what they show"? Are all citizens who are victims of dictatorial authoritarianism reaping what they sowed? If a woman is viciously assualted and raped and left with phyical and emotional scars, is she "reaping what she sowed"? If a plane crashes and all passengers die, does that mean they were all "reaping what they sowed" because they were somehow the most notorious and devious people alive in their communities? These assumptions would be ludicrous and absurd, and Jesus even dispelled this notion in Luke chapter 13:1-4 and when he talked about a man that was born blind (John 9:1-5)

3) The message of God's grace is the core of the Gospel, but it is very hard to fully comprehend: Within the last 10 years, I realized that the core message of the Gospel is the good news of God's grace - God's one way love for humanity which is NOT based on our ability to perform for him. This message, however, is very hard to teach and almost impossible for the human heart to comprehend because we live in a world which is filled with so much "ungrace" or conditional "love" that is doled out based on performance. So the end result is that most Christians know about grace in theory, but deny it in practice, which is quite unfortunate, because there are so many hurting people in the world who need heavy doses of God's grace.
There is nothing I can do to enable God to love me more, nothing I can do to make him love me less. This is really a phrase I got from reading Philip Yancey's "what's so Amazing about grace?" This is an extension of point #3 above and simply means that we don't gain lose our status as God's children based on our behavior, while it is true that behavior does have earthly consequences, it is a misleading notion to think that God accepts or rejects us based on anything other than the love expressed through Jesus. If we were to be judged based on our behavior or attempts at obeying the Bible, we would all be in bad shape.

4) The church is almost always in a struggle against self-righteousness: One of the constant struggles in Christendom is whether to really accept our total dependence on God and His message of Grace or to erect self-righteous monuments to ourselves where we accept or reject people based on their perceived obedience to Biblical Law. Once you understand what it really means when the Bible says that "we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23) you quickly realize that while I may be able to lovingly try to help someone who is struggling with self-destructive habits or thoughts, it is not my job or anyone else's for that matter to condemn that person, because we all have our issues that we struggle with, everyone from the pastor to the lay person in the pews. Unfortunately, however, self-righteousness - the notion that I am more acceptable than you because I keep certain aspects of Biblical law - is such a rampant and subtle temptation in religious circles that one can easily get swept away in it. The goal, however is to always remember our own flaws, not in a spirit of self-flagellation, but to keep us humble and prevent us from condemning others.

5) All Christians have their humbling "thorn in their flesh": I borrow the thorn in the flesh phrase from the teachings of the Apostle Paul where he talks about some affliction that plagues his soul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. We never really get to know what this "thorn" is, but we do know that God, for whatever reason, does not take it away. Paul says this experience keeps him humble. When you get beyond the neat little masks that we often wear to hide our flaws, you will quickly realize that even in the most religious settings - especially in the most religious settings- we all have our unique struggles and thorns. It no longer shocks me to know that some of the people whom we assume have it altogether struggle in ways that we would rarely imagine. The fact that we thrive despite these issues is a testament to God's grace.

Stephen O. Akinduro

FAVORITE 25 MOVIES OF ALL TIME:

I wanted to write about something a little “lighter” for my latest blog entry and take a slight departure from the weightier spiritual topics. Other than playing tennis, watching movies and listening to great music (and occasionally getting my dance on) rank as my favorite hobbies. I was recently in a conversation with someone about our all time favorite movies, and I tried to come up with a top-10 list, but I couldn’t; there were just too many to mention, so I came up with this list. So here it is. This is not to say these are the best all time movies (because it would take a movie critique who has watched practically all movies to debate that question), but of the movies I have seen in my lifetime, here are my 25 all-time favorites. They are sorted by release date, from most recent going backwards:

1. Gran Torino (2008: Clint Eastwood): I consider this to be the best movie released last year, with all due respect to Slumdog Millionaire, which won the honors at the Oscars. This is Clint Eastwood at his vintage finest in a truly moving story of a man stuck in his ways, having to face his own bigotry later in life because of some unforeseen events.

2. Far From Heaven (2002: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid): the bottom line of this movie is set in the 50s is that it would be better to be gay (even this was also highly taboo then also) than to be involved in an interracial relationship. A stunningly beautifully told story with the All State Insurance commercial guy, Dennis Haysbert, playing Julianne Moore’s love interest. It is a sad story in the end, but a reflection of the times in which the movie is set.

3. Training Day (2001: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke): When I first saw this movie, I remember coming out of the theater thinking, “I can’t believe Denzel’s character was that bad and corrupt!” Being so used to seeing Denzel play the hero and savior in his movies, this was a revelation as to the true depths of his acting genius, playing the corrupt detective who is involved in some shady deals to cover his tracks while trying to simultaneously training a rookie. Denzel showing another side to his acting chops!!

4. Gladiator (2000: Russell Crowe): Russell Crowe has emerged as one of the great character actors of his generation, as evident in this great story of a former military leader forced into exile by the actions of his nemesis, only to later turn into a slave and then liberator of his people. It is a classic heroic story with a great theme; a reminder that even in supposed “defeat”, one’s life can still have tremendous meaning.

5. Life (1999: Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence): This movie brings together two of the comedic icons of their time in a great story about an unlikely friendship that goes through its turbulent ups and downs after a wrongful conviction. Great comedy with too many stars to mention, including the late great Bernie Mac. And who can forget the character called “can’t get right”?

6. The Insider (1999: Russell Crowe, Al Pacino). What would you do if you were a scientist for a top corporation and had insider information about your company’s practices that you knew were unethical and ruining the health of billions of people all over the world? This is the question that is asked and answered in this brilliant story based on the real life events surrounding the tobacco industry and the revelation that they knew that they were boosting the addictive nature of their product with chemicals to maximize profits, even though the medical evidence showed the destructive nature of cigarettes. If you want to know the true story of why you can barely smoke anywhere now in the developed world, watch this movie. Truly Fascinating.

7. Hav Plenty (1998: Christopher Scott Cherot, Hill Harper): A small indie film that did not make lots of waves at the Box office, but is simply a delight to watch because it so captures the essence of the challenges in young professionals trying to find love. The story follows the life of a young aspiring novelist who ends up needing the charity of a good female friend, and tracks the tale of their unlikely romance. One of those great stories that is so true to life.

8. Love Jones (1997: Nia Long, Larenz Tate): there are very few positive movies that capture romance between young and upwardly mobile professional African-American characters, but this one does. It is such a beautifully written story and it depicts the crazy games we often play in the name of “love” with such authenticity. Two young lovers caught in the web of rebounding from past hurts and also trying to open their hearts again. Add the beautiful and talented Nia Long to the mix and you have an all time classic.

9. Titanic (1997; Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet): The movie that now ranks as the highest grossing movie ever is worth the hype. The makers of the movie used a touch of sheer brilliance by throwing in the fictional love story into the tragic tale of the sinking ship. The love story itself, is a tale of liberation, and the reason why the movie probably did so well. This is one that was worth the hype.

10. Liar Liar: (1997: Jim Carrey). Jim Carrey is a great comedian, and Liar Liar is one of his finest films. It is hard to pick my favorite Jim Carrey movie, but this one ranks right up there. Carrey’s genius lies in his ability to do body comedy, in the tradition of Steve Martin and his talents are on full display in this family comedy.

11. Sling Blade (1996: Billy Bob Thornton): In my opinion, Billy Bob Thornton’s finest movie to date. Capturing the chilling but moving story of the mentally challenged Karl Childers, with his peculiar accent and eccentric habits (his love for fried potatoes & mustard being one of them). It is really a story about friendship, how family tragedy tends to follow us throughout life, and the extents to which the human soul will go in search of a quite place of serenity. Captures the paradoxes of the human spirit like few movies do.

12. Friday (1995: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker): This movie has become a cult classic in the black community. There is barely any black person from generations X and younger that cannot recite whole lines and phrases from this day in the life of Craig and Smokey. A great comedy that undoubtedly launched Chris Tucker’s career. The sequels were good, but nothing tops the first one.

13. Leaving Las Vegas (1995: Nicolas Cage, Elizabeth Shue): This is a story that can only be described as a flawlessly tragic love story. It is tragic for obvious reasons; it is the tale of a drunk who decides that he wants to kill himself, because he can’t make life work for himself. It is tragic because even though he finds love in the person of a prostitute who is also fighting her own demons (and they thus find acceptability in each other) he refuses to get the help he needs to get better. Watching this movie, I am reminded of the fact that the best stories don’t always give us fairy-tale endings (otherwise we would not have writers like Shakespeare and Leo Tosltoy), but capture the brutal complexities or life.

14. Crimson Tide: (1995: Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington). A truly intelligent submarine movie. Two commanding officers clash because of their egos and different philosophical views on the subject of war and are forced to confront their vulnerability as they head to the brink of nuclear disaster. One of my favorite lines from the movie is the line uttered by Denzel’s character when he says, “In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself."

15. The Lion King (1994). A true animation classic; This tale of the cub Simba coming into his own after a family feud that leads to tragedy is a movie I have watched quite a few times. And although the graphics look tame compared to the CGI work that we often see in today’s animation, it is still a great animated movie with a heartwarming story. There are jokes in the movie for adults and kids, and the story is for everyone. This is an all time Disney Classic.

16. Forrest Gump (1994: Tom Hanks): Sheer brilliance in filmmaking. What makes this movie so great is that it is a comedy, drama, romance all tied into one and keeps your attention for the entire movie because it is so entertaining. Merging the story with real events from the times makes it even more believable. Although Gump’s southern accent seems a little too forced watching it now, it is still a great movie.

17. Malcolm X (1992: Denzel Washington). Spike Lee’s finest work and truly a great biopic of the controversial yet iconic leader Malcolm X. Denzel becomes Malcolm in this movie, in his mannerisms and speeches. Whatever you think of the iconic leader, you cannot help appreciating this great film by Spike Lee.

18. My Cousin Vinny (1992: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei): Just too funny of a comedy; this upstart lawyer (Joe Pesci) trying to defend his cousin after being wrongfully charged in a murder. Marisa Tomie’s character steals the show as the unlikely auto-mechanic and girlfriend who knows a little more than expected.

19. A Few Good Men (1992: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson): We all remember the now classic line “you can’t handle the truth!” uttered by Jack Nicholson’s fiery character in this movie. A classic movie that shows that the truth is almost always very hard to dig up because of the hidden agenda of all those involved who have too much to lose if the truth is revealed. Great military thriller.

20. Jungle Fever (1991: Wesley Snipes): The subject of interracial relationships is not really one that you can tackle easily, as evident by the way many critics panned this movie, but Spike Lee, being the provocative director that he is, has always been able to make movies that at least spark a conversation. I think more than anything, while one can argue that the main characters in this movie lack depth, it does capture the racial stereotypes that fascinate people when it comes to the issue of interracial sex, especially as far as black men is concerned. I was really young and naïve when I first saw this movie, but now I really get it.

21. Coming to America (1988: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall): Now this is really one movie I have truly watched countless times. You could turn the volume off while watching this movie, and I could probably recite the whole script for you. This is Eddie Murphy at his funniest, back in the 80s when he was the biggest comedy star in the world. Truly great writing and great story. One of my all time favorite comedies, without a doubt.

22. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979); There are few standup comedians who can rival Richard Pryor when it comes to standup comedy. VH1 recently did a special naming the 100 greatest standup comics of all time, and he came in #1, to no ones surprise. If you want to know why, you have to see this comedy special. Many contemporary comics (Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle) got their style from Pryor and you can see why. His comedy rings as true today as it did decades ago. Pryor was a genius on stage!

23. The Godfather (1972: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino): I remember this being one of the first VHS movies my dad bought. When I was younger, I really did not understand it and wondered why he watched it so much. But when I got older, I could not get enough of it. It is the gangster movie by which all others are mentioned. There have been many imitators, but there is only one Godfather. The script is truly classic, and most guys can rant of whole section of the script from memory.

24. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1968: Clint Eastwood): I don’t typically like Westerns, but I can watch this western over and over again. Great story, with Clint Eastwood at his timeless best. The score to the movie is also timeless, even contemporary artists like Jay Z have used it in their songs.

25. The Sound of Music (1965: Julie Andrews). During any major holiday season, I find myself surfing the channels looking for this movie, because I know it is going to be shown. I grew up watching this movie and it has become such a sentimental classic for me. It is a great musical about family and finding love. Truly timeless.

Stephen Oladotun Akinduro

Supporting our troops and helping them with the war within.

8 days ago, last Monday, we celebrated our annual Memorial Day, a day when we pay tribute to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, through service in any branch of the armed forced. As we salute the many men and women who have died in wars from the present and the past, we must not forget the heavy price that many of our veterans are paying when it comes to their mental health and sanity. Recent reports in the national media have underscored the escalating rate of suicide amongst military personnel. The crisis has gotten so bad in some circles, that Fort Campbell had to shut down for three days recently to address to suicide epidemic that took the base by storm. See this link for details:

(http://www.kypost.com/content/news/commonwealth/story/Suicides-On-The-Rise-At-Fort-Campbell/G-isCZBdpEm4amMHPeRvkA.cspx

In a time when the phrase "support the troops" has become a cliche to denote a political stance or ideological affiliation, it would behoove us to move past pious platitudes and talking-points to really showing our troops the empathy that they need to assimilate back into society, especially after they've served multiple tours of duty, a feat that is bound to have a huge emotional toll on any person. Regardless of what your political affiliation is, we can all agree that the many men and women who are serving the nation in the armed forces are doing a terrific job. But many of them have a hard time readjusting to society after battle, having to face serious bouts of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD), and yet being asked to function as normal when most of them have experienced the kind of trauma from war that is not easy to just "get over." I remember watching one such soldier on a TV documentary about the lives of returning soldiers, and he talked about how he felt like he was a killing machine who could not find the "off" button; even the slightest of aggravations was likely to make him snap; and here he was being asked to be a "normal" and "calm" individual in a 9 to 5 job. He was not only having a tough time keeping a job, but his relationship was on the rocks...Studies have shown that most of the suicides that occur are due to the ensuing relationships problems that these soldiers face once they get home.

Supporting the troops has to become more than a bumper sticker slogan and a conservative vs liberal political debate. Thankfully, there was a hearing about this very issue earlier in the year on Capital Hill, as our elected officials have taken notice of this rise in suicides in the armed forces. But please remember, if you have a loved one or friend who is in the armed forces, show them your unconditional love and support, and be patient and empathetic with them, especially when they have time to come home. They may never be able to openly voice some of the horrors that they have experienced in war, because war is never pretty, but they will always appreciate the love and support from family and friends. This may be the main difference between life and death and may help them get over the stigma that prevents many from seeking the professional help that they need to function again in society.

For more details about this story, you can check out this CNN article that was published a few months ago:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/18/military.suicides/

Stephen O. Akinduro