From Golgotha to Hank
Don't know if you've seen them, but I'd advise you to stay away. They seem clever up front, but in the end just point to a more ironic reason for our failure. I'm talking about the series of studies based around the Beverly Hillbillies & Andy Griffith.
I used to like both of these shows, much akin to my affections for the 3 stooges & little rascals, but using them to equate the gospel to today's folk is much like giving a kid an atari when all he knows/wants is ps2. The picture of a round peg & square hole comes to mind. Our churches today seem to have this same mentality.
"Well, it was a morally good show even if it hasn't aired originally in over 30 years, so, why not? It still ought to work, right?"
This brings me to my new favorite series of all time. Many may find this to be offensive or unsuitable for kids, but I can't get enough of The King of the Hill. I know that I'm late to the game, but thankfully for me I can get a healthy diet of Hank through syndication monday thru friday 5:30-7pm.
Last nite's show reminded me so much of the gospel story that I couldn't help but smile. I don't know if anyone else would've gotten the same message (unintended I'm sure), but it was there. The Message was there, hidden within the idiocy of Hank & his crew and has to be relevant to someone.
The episode was based on the Olympic Torch coming to town on it's way to Salt Lake City for the now past winter games. Hank is chosen as Arlen's most prized citizen to carry said torch for the city, which drudges up issues with Hank. He is a pretty stoic character, as far as cartoon characters go, and strives to stick to the rules that leads to his own moral purity.
As Hank prepares for his leg of the Torch run, his pal Dale can't help but light a cigarette off the flame. This piece of the story seems innocuous enough, but plays a vital role later. Hank finally gets on his way with the torch to much fan fare and when he seems to finally turn the corner, the impossible happens.
The Torch is dropped and extinguished. All hope seems to be lost. Peggy (Hank's wife) comes along & convinces Hank to re-light the Torch from another source & that no one will know the difference. Hank appears to relent, but before he passes this new flame on to the next runner, he stops and puts it out himself. No one else may know that this was not the original, but Hank does, and refuses to propagate a lie. There is just no substitute for the originally intended way, even if no one else buys it.
This is the point where Bobby, (Hank's son) steps up and delivers. He recalls the lit cigarette that contains the spark of the original fire within it and wrests it from Dale to re-light the Torch anew. In a totally unthinkable way, the Olympic Spirit is redeemed by the son through a cigarette of all things.
I'm not for throwing out the bible for a study of cable tv, but we just might be able to learn a bit here. Hank (the Father), realizes that there is a price to be paid for the purity of Origin. Peggy (a daughter of Eve), seems to see nothing wrong with circumventing said purity for improvisation and not to mention, saving face. Dale (the devil...?...see they both start with d...conincidence?...I think not) appears to control the fate of the original intent of the flame, but that is fleeting and wrested away from him. Bobby (the Son), comes along and redeems the day by an act so asinine (as Hank would put it), that it doesn't seem plausible, but in the end is the only remedy for the current state of affairs.
You may be sitting here finding all of this a stretch, but I'm reminded of Romans:
19But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! 20By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.
We give God credit for creating nature, so why not King of the Hill? Only seems right, since He was/is/ever will be our King of the hill & hopefully our heart...
Just a thought...yep
I used to like both of these shows, much akin to my affections for the 3 stooges & little rascals, but using them to equate the gospel to today's folk is much like giving a kid an atari when all he knows/wants is ps2. The picture of a round peg & square hole comes to mind. Our churches today seem to have this same mentality.
"Well, it was a morally good show even if it hasn't aired originally in over 30 years, so, why not? It still ought to work, right?"
This brings me to my new favorite series of all time. Many may find this to be offensive or unsuitable for kids, but I can't get enough of The King of the Hill. I know that I'm late to the game, but thankfully for me I can get a healthy diet of Hank through syndication monday thru friday 5:30-7pm.
Last nite's show reminded me so much of the gospel story that I couldn't help but smile. I don't know if anyone else would've gotten the same message (unintended I'm sure), but it was there. The Message was there, hidden within the idiocy of Hank & his crew and has to be relevant to someone.
The episode was based on the Olympic Torch coming to town on it's way to Salt Lake City for the now past winter games. Hank is chosen as Arlen's most prized citizen to carry said torch for the city, which drudges up issues with Hank. He is a pretty stoic character, as far as cartoon characters go, and strives to stick to the rules that leads to his own moral purity.
As Hank prepares for his leg of the Torch run, his pal Dale can't help but light a cigarette off the flame. This piece of the story seems innocuous enough, but plays a vital role later. Hank finally gets on his way with the torch to much fan fare and when he seems to finally turn the corner, the impossible happens.
The Torch is dropped and extinguished. All hope seems to be lost. Peggy (Hank's wife) comes along & convinces Hank to re-light the Torch from another source & that no one will know the difference. Hank appears to relent, but before he passes this new flame on to the next runner, he stops and puts it out himself. No one else may know that this was not the original, but Hank does, and refuses to propagate a lie. There is just no substitute for the originally intended way, even if no one else buys it.
This is the point where Bobby, (Hank's son) steps up and delivers. He recalls the lit cigarette that contains the spark of the original fire within it and wrests it from Dale to re-light the Torch anew. In a totally unthinkable way, the Olympic Spirit is redeemed by the son through a cigarette of all things.
I'm not for throwing out the bible for a study of cable tv, but we just might be able to learn a bit here. Hank (the Father), realizes that there is a price to be paid for the purity of Origin. Peggy (a daughter of Eve), seems to see nothing wrong with circumventing said purity for improvisation and not to mention, saving face. Dale (the devil...?...see they both start with d...conincidence?...I think not) appears to control the fate of the original intent of the flame, but that is fleeting and wrested away from him. Bobby (the Son), comes along and redeems the day by an act so asinine (as Hank would put it), that it doesn't seem plausible, but in the end is the only remedy for the current state of affairs.
You may be sitting here finding all of this a stretch, but I'm reminded of Romans:
19But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! 20By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.
We give God credit for creating nature, so why not King of the Hill? Only seems right, since He was/is/ever will be our King of the hill & hopefully our heart...
Just a thought...yep
posted by lee at 2:09 PM
2 Comments:
King of the Hill. Hank is my boy. This is one of my favoite shows as well. Did you know Hank originated with Beavis and Butthead?
I appreciate your drawing comparison to contemporary culture. I used to use Eminem lyrics in my adult Bible study. I told them Jesus and Em were pissed off about some of the same shit. I even wrote a Bible study using Metallica lyrics for the newcomer who was a huge Metallica fan. A couple years later I attended his Baptism.
It works when its real. :)
Thanks for keeping it real.
Rick
Dude, Hank & the Arlen boys (& gals) are what life is all about.
Hey I thought we outcast Sassers were the only ones who thought the Hillbillies/Andy Griffith series was really badly thought out.
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