While in Texas we spent Considerable amount of time studying what in those days were referred to as Church Splits. These were complex orchestrations caused by a combination of issues whose effects were often devastating to the leader and pastor of the church.
Often the two sides tended to congregate around the pastor on one hand and the worship leader on the other as two people of influence who had the power to command vast portions of the congregation.
In other situations, a young lady or young man of great influence had managed to charm his way into the congregation and by use of blackmail silenced the congregation and its leadership because of precious bits of compromising information he had accumulated over the years. In others it was the attempt by state to have a hand in church in an arranged marriage of sorts designed in some sense to curb the effects of the church over a weakened state (reeling over the indirect influence of the former on civil society).
The literature around some of these happenings (which i had read much earlier) was related to the desire to Control and Manipulate people and was therefore linked to famous characters like Jezebel and her Husband Ahab. The first book I read on this subject was called "Control a Powerful Force" (1997-1998) and dealt with the subject matter in a very comprehensive way. Riots, demonstrations, sits in, and more were clustered under this idea to control and manipulate leadership into bending to the desires of a few.
Other experts chose to deal with the weaknesses of men, Juxtaposing these weaknesses across the strengths of Women. Still others myself included chose to think of these are simple manifestations of rifts in complex power struggle between families where the death on one member can upset the succession claims of another and a simple birth of a new heir can raise possibilities for often overlooked families.
Much like the changes in rank that take place when field officers pass on.
Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman represent an amazing portrayal of some of the forces that are at play when two leaders are confronted with some major challenges and one has to find the balance between the two.
It appears that the character played by Washington is much younger, black and more scholarly in his approach. The much more aged character played by Hackman is older more experienced and medaled and is clearly basing the bulk of his arguments on time tested experience.
These two are placed in positions of power in which they have at their control some of the nations most valued arsenal.
Permit me to draw some parallels of these experiences to spiritual life.
Maybe what makes this most difficult is the idea that the believer feels like he is dealing with Human Souls and fighting an Eternal battle hose effects he cannot truly fathom. The Minister is therefore In a sense dealing with similar arsenal-capable of defense and also of devastating consequences if it falls into the wrong hands.
Ephesians 4:11-12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Broadly speaking both men are called to serve and fulfill three major things, perfect the saints, do the work of the ministry and edifying the body of Christ.
The clash will take place based on the approach that each of these men chose in a time of crisis and on a ship whose rules can be very complex.
Watch as two distinct sides emerge from a conflict on the Submarine and men are forced to chose between two opposing positions often at the risk of loosing their lives. You have elements of experience clashing over book knowledge as Washington's character makes full use of his knowledge to deal with his superior. There are ideas around age, transition and change.
The succession idea also comes into play as a third group emerges whose role will prove vital in the restoration of order once the two bulls have clashed in the proverbial field.
This third group will serve the role of executor of the will of the people and it is this group which we must watch and whose fight we must pay additional attention to.
Perhaps the other notable idea about this masterpiece is the choice of setting and the complex manner in which conflict takes place in such close quarters and how these groups of men have to deal with it and other issues. Maybe these parallels exist in a similar manner and take the form of relationships that define how we love, live and work and how these fruitful relationships can also have disastrous consequences.
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