The New Cathedrals
One of my favourite movies is One Perfect Day
The story of One Perfect Day… Tommy Matisse is a gifted musician studying at London’s Royal Academy of Music, where he is striving to write a brilliant new operatic song called “One Perfect Day” in conjunction with his girlfriend Alysse back in Australia. When Tommy’s sister Emma dies of a drug overdose after a night of clubbing with Alysse, he returns to Melbourne and breaks up with Alysse when she admits her part in Emma’s death. As Alysse seeks solace in drugs and in the arms of a manipulative nightclub owner Hector Lee, Tommy undertakes an odyssey of self-discovery and tragedy in Melbourne’s dance music scene. Fate brings them together again when Tommy reworks their opera by infusing classical music and sounds of nature with electronic beats, but further tragedy is just around the corner… I don’t want to give the movie away… Hire it, its great for discussion!!
During the movie Hector says about the rave scene - “These my friends are the new cathedrals”. Rave clubs aren’t all that different to the traditional cathedrals that people may be used to. They are large open spaces where music is played, the mood is controlled by one person (the priest/bishop or DJ). They attract a large audience and in Australia usually only one age group. I have been to a number of Raves to watch the passion at which people participate. Its letting oneself go to be taken over by the music, Is this any different to how we should behave with prayer? Shouldn’t we allow God to take over us?
Earlier in the movie Trig - one of Hector’s drug pushers and talent scouts for Hector’s recording studio takes Tommy to play at a nightlong outdoor rave to play the dawn set. When they arrive Trig says “this is my tribe, my people, its where I belong. This is our church, where people enjoy church. ” Where do we belong? With which people and places do we connect with? Is it in the clubs, pubs, churches, homes, streets, and lanes?? Do we connect with others or are we individualistic and find our hearts in solitude? Or do we prefer to be part of a crowd of thousands.
So where is it we as young christians in 2007 belong
Me… I belong with friends sitting with them talking and listening… I belong hearing the cry of the disadvantaged… I belong in open spaces.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:10 am
I think part of letting God ‘take us over’ is giving the time and permission for God to do that. That’s really challenging and it does involve stopping our busy lives to devote some quality time to God. i know I rarely get around to taking the time to do this. It seems to be the one thing in my schedule that can be put aside for a better time, but then that better time doesn’t arrive.
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 am
Jessie…
I couldn\’t have said it better myself….