Where the Hell is Matt?
July 7, 2008
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
I don’t know why, but when I watched this, I was really moved. Matt says on his webpage that he doesn’t have a reason for doing what he does, and people can draw their own conclusions, and this is mine:
People long to be free. Freedom of expression is a part of that – they long to be able to express joy and not care how they go about doing it. But one of the barriers to freedom is the need to consider tomorrow, and the repercussions that today’s actions will have on it. If you act like an idiot, then tomorrow you won’t get the job you want (“someone saw me acting like an idiot in public, and word got out”).
One of my favorite webcomics is XKCD. Probably my favorite strip, though I don’t refer to it often because of the language, is this one:
I think that what people need to act out their freedom is a leader – someone who takes the first step.
I’ve seen it time and again in my life, and I’m sure others have seen it too: something is too hard, too embarrassing, too weird to do – until someone else does it. Suddenly, everyone is doing the hard, embarrassing, weird thing, and have an amazing internal thrill at the freedom they now have. The classic example is dance or worship expression in the church. People who go to a church where the majority raise their hands, coming from churches where that isn’t the norm, experience the thrill of dramatic worship without the risk of possible offense that it would carry back home. When they return to their original churches, they return to their original styles of worship – but if you observe their quiet or personal times with God, you’ll see that they’ll prefer the option that grants more freedom.
So to clarify: I think this guy goes places, and does things many people want to do – express joy with their bodies, repercussions be damned – and I think that people join him because they resonate with what he’s doing, and he’s giving them the freedom to act out their joy.
And I think that this is beautiful. Baz Luhrman famously said:
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
I stand in awe at Matt. I don’t know what his beliefs are, but I honestly believe he has tapped into something of heaven, because I see what he does and I think of home.
Charles Spurgeon, Quotes that Rock
July 1, 2008
I was doing an investigation on a Bible verse that my sister used to quote at me a whole lot, the following:
No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer
2 Timothy 2:4
In the process, I searched out commentaries and sermons that mentioned it. And found one made by Charles Spurgeon.
All I can say is “wow”. So much truth. A lot of it is hard, and all of it is good. Here are a choice few that really struck home:
Do not think a man can hold in his hands four or five doctrines and say to you, “Do you believe them?” “Well, but what are they?” “Never mind; you are a true believer, and you must believe then without knowing them.” A man who has no power of belief at all says, “Oh, yes, I believe; I will kiss your feet if necessary, or do anything you like to tell me.” But the thoughtful man, the man who is: likely to be saved, says at once, “I find it impossible to believe until I first know what I am to believe.”
I have heard it often asserted that, if you believe that Jesus Christ died for you you will be saved. My dear hearer, do not be deluded by such an idea. You may believe that Jesus Christ died for you, and may believe what is not true; you may believe that which will bring you no sort of good whatever. That is not saving faith. The man who, has saving faith afterwards attains to the conviction that Christ died for him, but it is not of the essence of saving faith. Do not get that into your head, or it will ruin you. Do not say, “I believe that Jesus Christ died for me,” and because of that feel that you are saved.
The matter, then, which saves is this — a man trusts Christ, but he trusts Christ because he knows him. See! He knows Christ, and therefore he trusts him. How does he come to know him? Well, he has heard of him, he has read of him, he seeks him in prayer, and when he has learned his character, he trusts him.
A few bits that also really inspired me, speaking of the “good soldier”:
Once again, the true soldier is an ambitious being. He pants for honor, seeks for glory. On the field of strife he gathers his laurels, and amidst a thousand dangers he reaps renown. The Christian is fired by higher ambitions than earthly warrior ever knew. He sees a crown that can never fade; he loves a King who best of all is worthy to be served; he has a motive within him which moves him to the noblest deeds, a divine spirit impelling him to the most self-sacrificing actions. Thus you see the Christian is a soldier, and it is one of the main things in Christian life, to contend earnestly for the faith, and to fight valorously against sin.
[Speaking of "the good soldier":] …to conquer will be his ruling passion. The fight is on, and the soldier’s blood is up, and now he feels “I must drive the enemy from his entrenchment, I must take yonder redoubt. I must plant our conquering standard on the castle of the foe, or I must die. Accursed be the sun if he go down this day and see me turn my back upon the enemy.” He is resolved that he will win or lie cold and stark upon the battle field. The Christian man, in order that he may win for Christ the souls of others, may make known Christ’s truth, may establish Christ’s church on fresh ground, is quite as ready to suffer or die as is the boldest member of the most renowned regiment.
A soldier when he receives his colors finds certain words embroidered on them, to remind him of the former victories of the regiment in which he serves. Look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and see the long list of the triumphs of the faithful. Remember how prophets and apostles served God; recollect how martyrs joyfully laid down their lives; look at the long line of the reformers and the confessors; remember your martyred sires and covenanting fathers, and by the grace of God I beseech you walk not unworthy of your noble lineage.
