Learning Component Based on “Gran Tourino”
April 9, 2016
1. The Scripture Reading
John 12:20-40 The Message (MSG) A Grain of Wheat Must Die
There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?” Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
This is Walt Kowalski. Walt is angry and shut down on account of all the loss he has endured: he has just lost his wife, he’s estranged from his kids and grandkids, the neighborhood has changed….as Hmong immigrants have moved in….derisively he calls them ‘swamp rats.’ Walt lives in Detroit, and worked on the line at the Ford plant. Now, American auto-makers are seeing significant competition from Japan. Walt is a veteran of the Korean War….he earned a silver star….but he’s never dealt with the lingering emotional wounds of the war….has never talked about the scars on his soul; Lately, Walt has been coughing up blood. He is dying.
The 1972 Gran Tourino is Walt’s prized possession. Pristine….it represents all that Walt wants to hold onto….all that Walt values, from the past.
Clip #1
Walt to the Rescue 24:17-26:29 through 28:00 (4 min)
When a violent gang tries to take Tao, and a scuffle ensues, Walt intervenes, with a shotgun. The violent gang leaves and Walt becomes a hero to his Hmong neighbors.
Assign half of the tables Walt and the other half the Hmong. Watch with curiosity about your character.
Who are you? What is important to you? What do you think about each other?
After watching the clip, invite large-group sharing, pop-corn style.
What words or phrases would you use to describe Walt, in this scene?
What words or phrases would you use to describe the Hmong?
Clip #2:
Soo invites Walt over for a barbecue. Walt is out of beer and hasn’t eaten all day. It is his birthday, and he is alone. So, he goes. Soo becomes his translator and guide to understanding some of the distinct characteristics of the Hmong culture. The shaman sees into his soul and names truths Walt has never admitted, even to himself.
Chipping Away At the Barriers 42:32-47:27 (5 min)
Still speaking from the perspective of your table’s assigned character (either Walt or the Hmong):
What is it like for you to be in this social situation with ‘the other’?
What do you think it is like for ‘the other’ to be in this social situation with you?
What do you risk? What do you gain?
Clip #3:
A relationship between Walt and Tao has begun. Walt continues to defend Tao, Soo, and their family when threatened by the neighborhood gangs and bullies. He helps Tao find a new job, so he will have an alternative to the violence of life as a gang member.
Investing in Tao and Finding New Purpose 1:11:24-1:12:54
And so it begins…Walt sees the redemptive potential in Tao….which will ultimately become the path to his own redemption. But first, he invests in Tao by helping him find a new job and lending him tools. Walt finds new purpose in helping his young immigrant neighbor. He has seen how vulnerable the young boy is, to the often violent, bullying forces of the neighborhood gangs. And wants to give him a chance at another kind of life.
Maybe, deep down inside Walt is trying to atone for the estrangement from his own children that deeply troubles him.
Maybe he is seeking cosmic forgiveness for the life of a young Korean boy he took, during the war.
But it also seems clear that Walt wants his own life to count for something. As he faces his own mortality, he wants his remaining days to make a difference.
It has been said, “with death as its companion, each moment of life becomes instantly more compelling.” Our liberation begins when we surrender to the illusion that we will not die. When the future is taken away, fear and desperation naturally dissolve. No place to go but right here, no time left but right now. When we accept we are already dying, we are set free to live.
I wonder if the same is true, for churches??!! How shall our congregations live, knowing they will someday die? [No discussion here….simply planting this question as we watch the next clip.]
Catharsis 1:29- 1:30:14 or 1:32:05
The family has been terrorized by the neighborhood thugs. A drive-by shooting has wounded Tao. Soo has been taken and raped. When she returns home, battered and bloodied, something breaks, in Walt. Her pain becomes his. He vents his anger by breaking things in the kitchen. A single tear falls from his eye. He sits quietly, alone, in the dark, thinking.
After watching the clip, summarize the following events:
“Stay calm; come back here at 4:00.” says Walt. It seems that he has made his plan. For the rest of the day he will cut the grass, take a bubble bath, get a hair cut and a straight shave, be fitted for a new suit, and even go to the priest to make his confession. He will clean his gun and lock Tao in the basement to keep him safe and protected from what he is about to do. Apparently acting in their best interest, he will carry out his plan in a way that gives Tao and Soo a chance to live their lives in peace; he leaves his dog with one of the Hmong neighbors. And to Tao’s shouting, begging cries to let him out, Walt says, “I’ve got blood on my hands. I’m soiled. That’s why I’m going it alone tonight.”
Going it alone, for this:
Walt goes to the house where the thugs are. There is a confrontation in the front yard.
Walt puts a cigarette in his mouth. Words are exchanged. He makes a shooting gesture with his thumb and index finger. He says, “Hail Mary full of grace” and reaches into his coat. Instantly a barrage of gun-fire hits him, as the thugs gun him down. Walt falls to the ground, arms spread, as if crucified.
1:43:42-1:48:14 (6 minutes)
“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.”
Those processing Walt’s perspective: Why did you do this?
Those processing Tao and Soo’s perspective: What did you receive from Walt?
On the screen, one statement per slide:
· What if our churches are stuck and dying, like Walt was?
· What if some of us are walking around with walls around our hearts….protecting ourselves from layers of pain and grief from losses too deep to bear?
· What if we are bound up in racism and fear of “the other?”
· What if it is too uncomfortable to interact with neighbors whose culture, language, and food are unfamiliar?
· What if our church buildings, like the Gran Tourino, symbolize our longing for the restoration of all that we have loved and lost?
· What if we have to die to all of this, before we can experience resurrection? [– not reviving a dead body, or restoring an old, tired and tarnished body to its former glory, or extending life support to forestall the inevitable….but participating in an entirely new creation, given by God, on the other side of our surrender, our relinquishment, our generous self-giving, our death.]
What might this look like? Here are some examples of resurrection, Presbyterian-style:
Underwood Park Crossfit
Underwood Park CrossFit Gym endeavors to produce people who are healthier, happier, more energetic, more centered in their lives, more productive membersofsociety.We seekphysical, mental, and even spiritual health.
The driving force behind the foundation of Underwood Park CrossFit is the inclusion of a worshiping community in the gym. The worshiping community combines spiritual practices and workouts in a unique format that uses the pursuit of fitness to open participants to something deeper.
The Table in Presbytery of Wyoming in Casper began in 2014 out of the practice of sharing monthly common meals. Now people gather weekly to listen, to practice hospitality and compassion, and act in ways that bring peace to their city.
Hope Christian Ministry, in the Presbytery of Minnesota Valley ministers to the Anuak people—new immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees from the South Sudan and Ethiopia who are a growing part of their neighborhoods and communities.
Presbyterian Church of the Redeemer is Ghanaian worshiping community in Houston, of 35 to 50 adults, and 20 to 27 children now inhabiting a permanent storefront worship space, thanks to the legacy of an existing congregation that had reached the end of its life cycle and transitioned their storefront lease to the Ghanaian community, leaving some funds to cover a portion of their rent.
Presbyterian Church Shekinah Fellowship is a worshiping community ministering to Portuguese speaking new immigrants in Lowell, Massachusetts in Presbytery of Northern New England.
Sweaty Sheep Ministries pursues to pursue recreation as a means of breaking socio-economic and faith barriers. Through the simple medianof Playand the excitement of exploration, the Sweaty Sheep community embraces worship, travel, laughter, prayer, running, and dancing, toenjoy life by embracing the "abundance" Jesus yearned for us to know. From interactive worship services (indoors and outdoors) to Bible studies, from pre-race prayers to post-race parties, from mission trips to gardening, from quiet prayer and yoga to loud concerts andmarathons- this community seeks to experience the divine in new, exciting, and unique ways!
The Garden Church is re-imagining church as an interconnected organism, worshiping, loving and serving together as we transform a plot of land into a vibrant urban garden. Rooted in the Christian tradition and Swedenborgian theology, the Garden Church provides a living experience of encountering the Divine in community, scripture, nature, and the life of useful service, and being the church together on multiple levels. Through worshiping, working and learning together, feeding the hungry, and addressing the needs of the local community, this church is living sanctuary for all who seek a place to grow, to love and be loved, and to belong. Creating a place of spiritual community where God’s love is made visible as people are fed in body, mind, and spirit.
On a slide:
Not only in church buildings
Not just for the benefit of existing congregations
Church…in new forms, in new places, with new people.
What if our future is here? What is the next right thing to do?
[How could we offer an act of commitment?]
Designed and Led by the Rev. Cheryl D. Galan, Transitional Leader