Where does your Faith lie?

I came across this poem the other day on the ikon web site. Ikon is a "Belfast-based collective who offer anarchic experiments in transformance art, challenging the distinction between theist and atheist, faith and no faith."

The piece is titled "Where Does Your Faith Lie?" written by the poet Jon Hatch. It spoke to me on many levels and stayed with me for days after I read it. What struck me about this poem was the word lie and how each line has multiple interpretations based on how you (the reader) chose to define the word lie. This is not a piece of art presented for ones consumption and thus easily digested. Its purpose is to challenge and provoke you into engaging with the piece itself. It does not judge nor does it let itself be judged. What it does do is invites the reader to judge, not for themselves, but themselves.

Where Does Your Faith Lie?
by John Hatch

Where does your faith lie?

Does your faith lie in the belief that the universe was created in six 24-hour days?

Does your faith lie in there being an ark on Mount Ararat?

Does your faith lie in the account that God once made a donkey talk?

Does your faith lie in the belief that miracles don’t happen?

Does your faith lie in God once wiping out a city of thousands because it had homosexuals living in it?

Does your faith lie in the belief that everything the Bible says about ancient Israel is directly applicable to the modern state of Israel?

Does your faith lie in the belief that you will beat the odds and your smoking will not lead to a long and very painful death due to emphysema?

Does your faith lie in the research of the Royal College of Physicians or in the research funded by the tobacco industry?

Does your faith lie in the notion that the next politician you vote for will not support the next war?

Does your faith lie in Jesus having brothers and sisters?

Does your faith lie in the hope that heaven is full of people like you?

Does your faith lie in the free market?

Does your faith lie in the postcards that Christian Aid has you sent to the Prime Minister?

Does your faith lie in making poverty history?

Does your faith lie in the next president of the United States?

Does your faith lie in the United Nations?

Does your faith lie in scientific rationalism?

Does your faith lie in Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK?

Does your faith lie in the belief that there must be a good reason for why your government is detaining people indefinitely without trial?

Does your faith lie in your own ability to discern the mind of God?

Does your faith lie in the physical resurrection of Jesus?

Does your faith lie in the belief that civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are unavoidable?

Does your faith lie in the hope that a nineteen year-old Iraqi man whose sister and mother were killed by an errant allied cruise missile will not hold you responsible because you once carried a sign that read ‘Not in My Name’?

Does your faith lie in the belief that God does not punish sin?

Does your faith lie in the belief that there was nothing more that you could have done?

Does your faith lie in your tradition being closer to the truth than another?

Does your faith lie in the virgin birth?

Does your faith lie in a balanced diet and exercising?

Does your faith lie in your own body image?

Does your faith lie in the belief that anyone who shoots back is a terrorist?

Does your faith lie in maintenance of the status quo?

Does your faith lie in he (or she) eventually coming to their senses and taking you back?

Does your faith lie in a hell beyond this life for those who didn’t accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and saviour?

Does your faith lie in an endless supply of cheap energy?

Does your faith lie in the Stormont Assembly?

Does your faith lie in the words ‘peacemaker’ and ‘peace supporter’ being synonymous?

Does your faith lie in the belief that ‘follower of Jesus’ and ‘member of a church’ being synonymous?

Does your faith lie in your job?

Does your faith lie in financial savings?

Does your faith lie in the belief that sectarianism has nothing to do with you?

Does your faith lie in liberalism?

Does your faith lie in your own good intentions?

Does your faith lie in the belief that the investment and development coming into Belfast City Centre is significantly improving the lives of those living in the estates in Shankill, Ballymurphy, New Lodge, Ballysillan, Glencairn, Dundonald, Ballymacarrat, the Village, Finaghy, and the Markets?

Does your faith lie in Loving God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving your neighbor as yourself?

Does your faith lie in God loving the world so much that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have eternal life?

Where does you faith… Where does your faith… lie?

Some Things Never Change

When I was a kid I used to spend hours, sometimes half of a day, building lego armies or castles made of cups—creating worlds for the eminent battles that the afternoon would bring. I, of course, was always the main character. A character I had given personality to in my mind. Day after day, I would construct elaborate scenarios, meticulously minding the details, and then drop my character into the midst to respond to my surroundings and follow my imagination until the entire world had been obliterated, it was too dark to see, or it was time for supper.

I was telling my wife all about my imaginary worlds the other night when it occurred to me that I never really grew out of it. We had just spent the better part of two weeks tracking down costumes, gathering supplies, finding actors, building props and storyboarding scenes for what will ultimately be a three minute promotional video for my production company.

Here are a few still shots from the day. Welcome to one of my many crazy worlds.

Jazz

I’m learning a lot about jazz. A friend of mine, Sean Dietrich, asked me if I would shoot his jazz trio at a house party. I thought it would be like any other live band video I had shot before--right up until the second take. On the first take, they had nailed it. And judging by the musicianship I had just witnessed, I was expecting a perfect replication of what I just heard. What I didn’t realize was that for a musician like Sean, perfection has nothing to do with replication. A song’s worth has more to do with the conversation between the musicians at any given moment, which means that I ended up with four individually perfect and completely unique takes of the same song. For the record, this is incredible to experience live, but a potential nightmare at the editing desk. I can honestly say that I walked away from that night having no clue how I was going to pull off the video.

The Process

One of the things that I love about filmmaking is the process of bringing something that only exists in my mind into reality. This project that I did for Chris Taylor is a perfect example of that. From the conception to the completion the whole experience only lasted about ten days. Literally a week before there was no thought about the video. From the time he called and asked me come up with something to the day we began construction of the set was three days. Our budget was only $100, spent entirely on sharpie markers, paper and tape. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have time to over think it, maybe it was that I only got four hours of sleep during the three night shoot or maybe it was that a week after the call I was cutting together clips of a world that had only been an idea just a few days before. Whatever it was, it reminded me again why I love filmmaking.

Here is a glimpse of the process of creating the world, and the finished project. Enjoy.