Wednesday, September 19, 2007

On New Zealand (and the Shape of Christian Hope)

Click HERE is an Advertisement for NZ. And it's pretty darn good.

What interested me is that it (kind of) mirrors the Christian doctrine of Creation, and it even has the gentle echo of the promise of Eternal Life. It looks back (to creation) and forward (in hope).

But in the end, it's only about New Zealand.

Sorry, Gordo, to quote C.S. Lewis:

If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.
So I've got a choice: Either I spent my time, my money and my yearnings going to NZ and taking lots of pictures that never satisfy, or I take my joy trusting in a good God who will renew the whole of creation at the restoration of all things.

Is good.

____________________

8 comments:

Lachlan Payne said...

I have a friend who grew up in New Zealand who swore to me that there wasn't a single good looking girl in the entire country.

Yet I saw a number in that advertisement. Someone is lying to me.

Or maybe they were tourists.

[Sorry not to have added anything poignant to your post, Justin.]

Lachlan Payne said...

P.S. Apologies to any New Zealand readers ...

Anonymous said...

ouch lunch...that cuts me real deep...


:P


Jman, Id never seen this add before, but it is pretty cool! I lvoe that it mirrored creation I guess mostly cos as someone who was born there and spent a lot of time there I love the country cos it is simply so beautiful & to look at it and experience it, as a Christian, knowing this is God's amazing creative work, is very cool.

BUT, you are so very right - how much more joy will be found in the restoration of creation - what a beautiful thing to look forward to and hope in....
as you say, 'is good' indeed!

:)

-c

Benjamin Ady said...

I think the ad more accurately portrays the western christian take on advertising christianity. Neither the average evangelist, nor the ad agency that made this ad, is willing to film or show us the dark, terrifying side of the reality--the way human beings in both NZ and in Christianity fuck with each other in really mostrous ways. (oh dear, I hope I'm not breaking the rules of the blog here)

Justin said...

Yeah, you broke a rule.

To make something that mirrored sin, you'd need to do something else. Like the movie 'Seven' with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. My point that it mirrors two other matters: creation and hope.

byron smith said...

So I've got a choice: Either I spent my time, my money and my yearnings going to NZ and taking lots of pictures that never satisfy, or I take my joy trusting in a good God who will renew the whole of creation at the restoration of all things.
Can't I do both? (as long as it's only some of my time, money and yearnings) :-)

Justin said...

Byron,

Maybe, but you know the Scriptures...

"Put away your gold of Ophir and the Lord your God will become your Gold."

There's something about 'can't I have both?' that just never feels quite right.

Right?

byron smith said...

So I've got a choice: Either I spent my time, my money and my yearnings going to NZ and taking lots of pictures that never satisfy, or I take my joy trusting in a good God who will renew the whole of creation at the restoration of all things.
Can't I do both? (as long as it's only some of my time, money and yearnings) :-)