Best Picture Nominated Movie: Oppenheimer
Resuming a Robertson-Wesley tradition, on Sunday, February 4, the sermon will look at the scripture reading of the day with an Oscar-nominated movie in mind. Both sources deal with powerful forces and how they are dealt with by key, historic individuals—Jesus and J. Robert Oppenheimer. The movie has more than one scene that portrays a cosmic and/or molecular firestorm that might perhaps relate more closely to the cosmic beginning of the Gospel of John. However, in both today’s Gospel passage and the movie, one individual is seen as having a particular insight into and responsibility of stewardship of power that lies both within and beyond the normal human realm. Even though they both enlist the help of others around them each of these individuals is challenged as to why they are responsible for and worthy of their weighty roles. With what visual, audible, tactile or literary images do you imagine cosmic forces? Are these forces ultimately constructive or destructive? Who is worthy of exploring and engaging these forces?