-Rev Melissa Fain- David Tennant is absolutely one of my favorite actors. From Doctor Who, to Broadchurch, to Jessica Jones. Oh, and Duck Tales! I haven't met a project I don't fall in love with when he's one of the stars. This is also true of Good Omens. I believe his typecast is to take characters we wouldn't generally like and make them, at least, relatable if not make us completely fall in love with them. His effortless performance of Crowley gave me sympathy and understanding towards demons. I blame great writing, and great acting. Let's look deeper into Good Omens, and understand why a minister is praising it today. Synopsis- without spoilersGood Omens was originally a fun writing project between Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman. As they put it, "It was a summer job. We had a great time doing it, we split the money in half, and we swore never to do it again. We didn't think it was important." (ix, Good Omens 2006) The best summary I can give this book as a general reader is as follows: It is a fun take on the end of the world as seen through the eyes of a demon, an angel and a few humans. My summary as an ordained minister in good standing looks like this: It is a fun take on the end of the world as seen through the eyes of a demon, an angel and a few humans. It's the exact same, because this is, by and large, an innocent book. My younger self would have been deeply offended to read it when it was first published. Of course I was completely and totally super Churchy back then and drinking their Kool-Aid, which was always purchased on clearance and heavily watered down. That last bit would have been a footnote in homage to the book, where the footnotes are probably the best parts to read. What I'm trying to say is that it's not a serious book. It's not out to dismantle the church. In fact, the Prime series momentarily stops on the crucifixion of Christ, and it's not funny. There's a brief moment of respect, and the story continues. It didn't go into the Divinity, but it didn't have to. I got it, and hopefully other Christians will get it too. The point the story makes- with spoilers.While I can write a nice and accurate summary in one sentence, I can also do the same with the point: Humans have the capacity to inflict great punishments on themselves, or achieve ultimate love and peace. Choose wisely. That was two sentences, but I realize there's more. If we obliterate what we hate, we won't have anything good, because the context will be gone. The second point was reached by a group of four children, one of the four being the Antichrist. Take that for what you will. The idea of good must be understood within the lens of evil is an old idea that was born in antiquity. Many have written against it, while it's still raised as a serious idea today. This book is not an attack on organized religion, it's an attack on literalist theology. Notice what makes them angry and find the reflection.Honestly, our reflection is not in this series, but how those within our numbers reacted to the Amazon Prime Series. (Yes, I said those "within our numbers," I'm not going to play that game where I exclude Christians because I don't agree with their point of view.)
The Point.I sat on this post an added week, because I think this subject deserves some reflection of my own before I publish.
2 Comments
Jessica Nettles
7/24/2019 08:54:28 am
Just wait till someone does a series based on Chris Moore's Lamb...People are threatened by ideas that they don't understand or want to believe threaten their belief status quo. I read Good Omens years ago before all this kerfluffle. At the time, and still now, I find it challenging and just plain hilarious. Is it dangerous? It's satire, so it's dangerous only in that it makes people think and reconsider their beliefs. Does Aziraphale love Crowley? Yes. Is that wrong. No. Crowley is probably the only entity that understands the angel. It makes sense. I don't understand how a loving relationship is dangerous.
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Melissa Fain
7/24/2019 09:19:38 am
Very well written.
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