Aaargh! Why pirates?

What's the deal with pirates?

They're everywhere. From children's parties to Hollywood movies to National Geographic Museum exhibits, we are fascinated by the life and adventures of these 18th century marauders. And from radio stations to Internet culture to the shores of Somalia, we just keep labeling people as pirates.


So why pirates? At Crossroads, we looked at this topic last week and will spend more time on it this coming week. Perhaps, as author and theologian Kester Brewin argues, our cultural fascination with pirates stems from our own feeling of being "blocked" by the economic systems of our day. Perhaps we, like the pirates of the 18th century, sense that things that should be held in common are being concentrated in the hands of the few. Perhaps we are seeking a kind of community and a kind of lifestyle outside the carefully defined--and often violently protected--boundaries of world powers.

We don't want to romanticize the violent life of pirates. But we do think it's worth asking: why pirates? And what, if anything, does our interest in them have to tell us about Jesus?

Telling Stories

Here at Crossroads, we've been talking a lot about stories recently. In particular, we've been looking at biblical stories and asking ourselves: "How do I find myself in this story? How does this story intersect with my own? How do I connect with God's story?"

On June 30, we talked about how we share our stories with others, and how we listen to stories outside the walls of the church. We left worship carrying a stone to remind us to share pieces of our faith story with people who might not normally step foot in a church building.

This Sunday, we got to meet our new pastor, Dottie.

She shared some of her own story, and also looked at the concept of "The Better Story" in the film The Life of Pi--the story of mystery and awe. The story of imagination. The story of God.

This month we'll be looking at movies that were nominated for Oscars this past year, but we're not done with stories. We're still learning how to share them, how to listen to them, and how to look for God's story and God's activity in the world. We are learning, together, how to participate in that story as we are sent out to serve.