THE SPARKY CHRONICLES
A SPOOF, A LESSON, and A FALLACY
A review of the Evangelical produced short
by Stan Williams, Ph.D.
THE SPARKY CHRONICLES is a video short released on DVD (30 min) by Gospel Communications and produced by filmmakers Kirk Groombridge and Dan Rutledge. The project is rated for ages 9-16 but this 57 year old found it was long on laughs, special effects, a clever script, and other production values one would only associate with a more sophisticated production. Shot on weekends by a small group of talented filmmakers and young professional actors in Burbank, CA, THE SPARKY CHRONICLES is at once a hilarious spoof, a spiritual lesson, and a fortunate fallacy.
HILARIOUS SPOOF
Director Dan Rutledge writes,
"THE SPARKY CHRONICLES is the tongue-in-cheek story of three bumbling
heroes who are searching to unravel the global conspiracy behind the mysterious
kidnapping of their pet dog," an innocent and forlorn dachshund. "In
this first episode"...and the only one written or produced thus far..."the
heroes find a map that would lead them to the whereabouts of
'Sparky'"...and the doggy abductor. Starring David White (Ethan), Derek
Baynham (Jeff), and Vanessa Raw (Chris), the story takes us on a whirlwind ride
through the environs of Burbank and Los Angeles in a "high-tech" VW
van that has trouble reaching a speed fast enough to feel a residential speed
bump.
Rutledge says the idea for THE SPARKY CHRONICLES developed from his memory of childhood shows like The Monkees, where a group of misfits go on wacky road trip adventures, The A-Team�which featured over-the-top action sequences, and The Princess Bride�with its clever dialogue. But more than anything, SPARKY is a well-executed spoof full of shtick that pays tribute to the television and movie clich�s of CSI, Star Wars, MacGyver, talking-head documentaries, and "the Making of..." genres. Stuff that, in Rutledge's words, "we've all come to love."
SPIRITUAL LESSON
The purpose behind SPARKY was to provide some fun entertainment that integrates spiritual truth to church based teens and youth groups. Rutledge, who wrote the script and created the many and fun effects and graphics for the piece writes, "The whole plot of the story and how the heroes interact with this map is a parallel to how people react to the direction God has give us for life through His Word. These heroes ignore the map, they turn to the opinion of those around them, they doubt the truth of the map, and they fail to study it properly. Finally, after experiencing a variety of mishaps they realize the true value and benefits that a map can have when used properly. Psalm 119:9 says, 'How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your word.' This episode challenges viewers to know the scriptures for themselves and make life decisions on it rather than basing choices on their friends' opinions or their own knowledge. It shows how God's map is there to protect and provide for us, not restrict us."
Ethan, Jeff, and Chris search frantically for their pup using all kinds of ridiculous techniques and jumps of logic. Rutledge told me that his first cut kept the map = Bible analogy subdued and only in the sub-text. But, when he previewed it for Evangelical Christian distributors they didn't get it, and wanted a more explicit Christian element. So Dan re-edited the project and included back-up shots that explicitly mentioned the Bible and the analogy of the Bible as a map for life.
At this point, describing some of the action and integrated lesson will be instructive, especially for my next point and the fortunate fallacy this tale embodies.
The tale begins with a dog snatching, and the decision by our three heroes to track down the dog napper and recover their dog, Sparky.
At one point, Chris, the female member of the trio, is being interviewed in a mocumentary style about the group's effort to find Sparky. They had just caught a kid with "the map" that they think will lead them to the thief and their puppy. She establishes the moral allegory the producers envision between their story and the Christian life.
CHRIS
A lot of people have the Bible but they don't let it impact their lives or decisions. Like this kid. He had the map but did he help Sparky? No. That really ticks me off.
We cut to Jeff who fumbles with the map even as he drives an old VW van outfitted as the group's sleuth mobile.
Jeff
I don't get this thing, it's just confusing.
Chris
(leaning in from behind)
Just give it to me.
Jeff takes one last look at the map before Chris grabs it.
Jeff
It looks like we're driving in a big black lake.
Chris
That's a chocolate stain, Jeff.
The stain, left from Jeff's gluttonous attraction to ice cream in an earlier scene, is indicative of how personal bias and experience can affect our personal interpretation of Scripture.
Chris studies the map and gives Jeff instructions.
Chris
Okay, now take this road, up here.
Jeff
Wait! That one, are you sure?
Chris
Yes, I'm sure. Trust me. Take it!
The van makes the turn and Chris spots a small car. The van stops and Chris jumps out to accost an old lady in her driveway who has just arrived home with a paper grocery sack brimming with Depends. Chris is convinced this is the dog thief and she begins yelling and screaming at Granny.
Jeff tries to stop Chris from jumping to conclusions, but Chris doesn't let up. Finally, Jeff aims his dart gun at her and yells for Chris to back off.
Chris' reaction is to activate the doggy shock collar that Jeff is wearing around his neck. Jeff goes into shock, drops his arms, shoots himself in the foot with the florescent orange dart, and then drops comatose to the ground.
This doesn't sound necessarily funny, except it's in the hands of a talented group of filmmakers who pull it off with over-the-top pretension, a funny script, good camera angles, tight editing, and the right music and sound effects supplied by John Majkut.
Later the Sparky Team pulls up to an intersection and piles out of their van to argue which way to turn...right or left. The logic used to decide which way to turn in familiar.
Jeff
A lot of cars are going left these days.
Ethan
Wait a minute. I'm in control, here.
In the end they end up asking a variety of people their opinions which way to turn...and everyone has an opinion�all contradictory.
Cut to Chris' mocumentary interview.
Chris
Life is like that. How do I know the right choice?
Cut to Jeff's mocumentary interview:
Jeff
A map can be pretty hard to figure out. Yeah, probably shouldn't give it up on first look.
Cut to Chris's mocumentary interview.
Chris
Well, sometimes with a map, people can tend to take it out of context and quickly determine what it says. But, boy you really gotta study it and make sure what it contains. You know.
In spite of all this logic, in the end the team, lost and defeated, slouches against their broken down van.
Chris
We have nothing. Nothing!
As they lament missing Sparky for these past three years and Jeff laments his lame leg.
The interviews then make the point that while maps are "so restrictive" they are more solid than opinions.
Chris's mocumentary interview.
Chris
The Bible is like a map. It tells you which way to turn.
After Jeff wipes his nose on the map, disgusted Ethan grabs the map, unfolds it, and has an epiphany.
Ethan (V.O.)
So, we finally decided to study the map for ourselves.
And they do, using scanners, protractors...
Ethan
...map analyzation software, outside map reference books, and Jeff even took a college class on map interpretation. So, when we finally understood what it said, it had detailed information about where the thief was going to be at each step.
With that we cut to...
The exterior of a public restroom at a public park, where the team, dressed in A-Team camouflage, sneaks up on the cinder block men's entrance with laser/dart-guns drawn. They rush inside like SWAP commandoes, and proceed one-by-one to kick in the stall doors. In the last stall they come upon a constipated middle-aged man sitting on the can reading the L.A. Times Sports page.
This isn't the doggy-thief.
Of course, their next step is to accidentally flush the map down a public toilet.
Chris' mocumentary interview.
Chris
When we used the map properly, we nearly had the thief in our clutches. And then suddenly we saw, you know, we saw everything go down the drain.
An angry Chris chases Jeff, toilet paper trailing a shoe, out of the restroom, across the park, and into their VW van.
Ethan's mocumentary interview.
Ethan
The thief did give us the slip this time, but we did learn a great lesson about maps. We'll find Sparky one day. I can assure you of that. We won't stop until we do.
Included in the Discussion Guide that comes on the DVD and available for download at the website (http://www.findsparky.com) is a Bible Study of Psalm 119 with excellent suggestions for all Christians�Memorize it (vs11, 13, 98), Meditate on it (v 99), and Obey/Follow it (vs100, 105), and when To Do it (vs 147-148).
Obviously, watching THE SPARKY CHRONICLES and using the discussion guide, especially the study of Psalm 119, is good advice for everyone, young and old. And even though the analogy, discussed below, just does not work, any subsequent discussion should provide stimulating discussion about moral truth and the absolutes that should guide our lives.
A FORTUNATE FALLACY
But, having said all that, there are aspects of this SPARKY project that simply do not work. First is that the analogy of the stories map representing the Bible, breaks apart before it holds anything together. Second is that although it was produced for and by Protestant-Evangelicals, SPARKY ironically supports Roman Catholicism claim that Protestant-Evangelical have trouble following "the map" or to use the analogy, the Bible.
First, the Bad Analogy
There's an adage that says all analogies breakdown at some point. But in THE SPARKY CHRONICLES I'm not sure the analogy of the Bible as a map ever works.
Oh, I will admit that there is a way that the Bible can be described as analogous to a map, but not in the way its portrayed in SPARKY.
In one of her mocumentary interviews Chris claims that: "The Bible is like a map. It tells you which way to turn."
A map, however, does not tell you which way to turn. A map is nothing more than the lay of the land and the many possible paths you can travel on that land. To know how to get somewhere you need Directions. Now, the map can be useful but only with directions given to you by an authority that knows the way, or at least knows where you are now and where you need to go. Even with the map, without some authoritative information at least about where you are, you'll be lost. A better way would have been to present the Bible as the directions given by an authority in how to find your way across the landscape described by the map.
Chris also says, "A lot of people have the Bible but they don't let it impact their lives or decisions. Like this kid. He had the map but did he help Sparky?"
In the context of making moral decisions this is a true statement. But while the protagonist have a reason for finding Sparky, the kid who had the map for a while, doesn't even know that Sparky exists.
And if the kid did know that Sparky exists, there needs to be some reason for the kid to want or need to find Sparky. But no such need or desire is established.
Even if we look at the film's subtext, (moral decision making) there is not a lick of morality at stake in the story for any of the protagonists or for the kid. So, the point of the map being found by the kid is really lost.
It might have helped if Sparky's presence, before the dog napping, provided some balance or good for the community at large (e.g. the blind Mayor's seeing eye dog) and that the kid knew the value of Sparky but decided to hide or obstruct Sparky's return. Then there would be both physical and spiritual knowledge and culpability on the part of all the characters. But as it is, the only people that could possibly know or care about Sparky are our heroes.
For these reasons the story's map, as a plot element is weak.
Second, the Project's Support of Roman Catholicism
One of the great mystiques about Roman Catholicism to a Protestant-Evangelical (and I should know for I was one for five decades) is that they don't know what Catholics really believe, or what sets Evangelicals and Catholics apart doctrinally. From my personal experience as an active Evangelical for several decades, Evangelicals do not consider Catholicism to even be a close resemblance of Christianity. Our sense was that Catholics worshiped the saints and Mary and not Christ or God; that they never read the Bible or knew very much about it; and that their religious practice was arbitrarily decided and ridden with cultish rituals. So far adrift were Catholics we believed, that Catholicism was never even considered when mapping out the landscape of Christianity.
I do not know where the producers and distributor actually are in their understanding of Catholicism, but it is clear that they do not understand the true distinctives between these two great Christian sects. If they did SPARKY would have been constructed much differently. As it is, SPARKY is a striking critique of the Evangelical mindset, and in so doing, supports the Catholic mindset that although Protestants and Evangelicals may carry their Bibles to church, but they aren't very good at interpreting it.
This ironic happenstance in THE SPARKY CHRONICLES (dare I call it Providential) is very simple to demonstrate. But, first one true distinctive between Evangelical and Catholic doctrine ought to be made clear.
What Catholicism is Not
Six years ago, after many frustrating discussions with Evangelical pastors, theologians and bishops (for I was an Evangelical at that time) I decided that in spite of Evangelical's verbal claim to the contrary, Evangelical doctrine was not consistent from one church to the other in matters of salvation, baptism, sin, forgiveness, the gifts of the spirit, the baptism of the spirit, the manner and method of entering heaven, and a number of other important doctrines. At the heart of these disagreements was the absence of any consistent method or benchmark of Biblical interpretation. As a life long Bible student and teacher, what I read in the Bible and culled from commentaries and Greek texts, was at times very different from the leaders of the church I happened to be attending. And what the leaders of that particular church believed was often in stark contrast with what the leaders of the church down the street believed. Yet both claimed that their source of truth was not just the same book (The Bible) but often the same verses and translation. Such relativism made a mockery of truth, especially the absolute truth that both churches claimed to have privy to.
It did not occur to me then, but later this "individualization" of the Scriptures explains why there are tens of thousands of Protestant Churches in the world today. Admittedly, some of these (the Oxford Encyclopedia of Christianity pins the number at over 30,000) do agree on a lot, but the vast majority disagrees on the essentials. This despite their verbal claim that they disagree only on the non-essentials...which demands the question, "Then what divides you, the essentials or the non-essentials? And if what divides you are the non-essentials then why are you so essentially divided on matters of core Christian doctrines?"
What I discovered, much to my shock after eight months of study, is that (a) Catholic doctrine directs the faithful in very precise, explicit, devout and careful ways not to worship saints or Mary but instead to worship God through the person of Jesus Christ and his incarnation, death, and resurrection. Why Protestants think that Catholics worship the saints is not a matter for this essay, except to say that the reasons have everything to do with semantics, equivocation, and an irrational hatred that stems from historical prejudice...but not the facts.
I also discovered that (b) the reasons Catholics do not take their Bibles to church is not because they don't use Scripture in church, but because the use of the Bible in the Mass is so extensive and integrated that flipping back and forth and accessing the dozens and dozens of Scripture that the Mass uses would be nearly impossible even for a Bible scholar. Instead, the Mass directs the congregation through the Bible (in readings, prayers, recitations, responses, and ritual) through published missals, lectionaries and sacramentaries. The congregation, the lector and cantor, and the priest use these three different kinds of books during the Mass, other services, and personal devotions respectfully. Through a three-year cycle, the entire Bible is covered from Genesis to Revelations using three unique sets of passages. In this way the Mass richly incorporates vast amounts of Scripture in a historic ritual of worship that patterns not just back to the New Testament church but also to Jewish worship of the Old Testament. When a practicing Jew attends The Mass they are struck by the similarity and structure with their own Jewish worship�a patterned practiced that has been handed down these 2000 years.
Lastly, I discovered that (c) the Catholic Mass is directed almost exclusively in word and action toward God the Father with extensive and devout focus on the life, death, resurrection and reign in heaven of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are sometimes minor remembrances in The Mass of the Christian role models that went before us, such as Mary and the saints, but no where do such remembrances of these great figures of faith whose obedience we are encouraged to follow, resemble in any sense, worship.
So, without explaining the in's and out's of those three areas of misunderstanding, they are not the distinctives that separate Evangelicals and Catholics. Oh, to some who don't understand what I just explained, it may seem that Mary, the saints, the use of the Bible, and worship practices separate these Christians, but in reality the things that separate are much different.
The Prime Distinctive
The main distinctive that separates Protestant-Evangelicals and Catholic doctrine, and the distinctive that THE SPARKY CHRONICLES points to so elegantly, is that the Bible needs a single, infallible interpreter (in the institution of an authoritative church) if an individual is to accurately find his way from point A to point B along the map of life and find salvation. This is what Catholicism holds and it is ironically explicated in SPARKY. Contrary to this concept, Protestants and Evangelicals teach and practice that the individual, or groups are autonomous when interpreting Scripture and deciding doctrine.
I will not describe this difference in detail, except to say that without an absolute authority to interpret the Word of God and thus to establish absolute moral right and wrong, moral relativism is inevitable. In secular culture we see moral relativism in its gross proportions. But even between Christian Churches we witness moral relativism when different churches and denominations take opposite stances on such things as abortion, capital punishment, and how a person finds and keeps Christian salvation. In the SPARKY vernacular, Protestantism as a whole does not know whether to turn right or left on the central issues of Christianity. Yes, an individual within a single Protestant tradition may have such confidence, but not if that person begins to consider the various and sundry interpretations other Protestant denominations proclaim as true.
What is odd to the Catholic theologian, when considering Protestant and Evangelical doctrine, is the verbal insistence that Protestants say they consult only the Bible (Sola Scriptura) as their "map" or source of doctrine, (the intent of the message in THE SPARKY CHRONICLES.) But yet, this central Protestant tenet (Sola Scriptura), as well as some other beliefs and not a few practices, can be fond nowhere in the Bible, e.g. altar calls, Gospel tracks, exclusion of the Gifts of the Spirit, declaration of polygamy as a sin, construction church buildings, edifices, and even abortion is not defined by the Bible as murder. And while holding to these extra-Biblical beliefs and practices these same Protestant and Evangelicals will criticize Catholicism for holding to extra-Biblical believes that are pervasive throughout Scripture�e.g. that the Church and not Scripture is the "pillar and foundation of truth" (c.f. Matt 16:18-19, 18:17-18, 28:18-20; Luke 10:16; John 14:16 & 26, 16:12, 20:23, 1 Tim 3:15, et al). Even the cannon of Scripture, that is held in highest doctrinal regard by Protestant-Evangelicalism, is itself extra-Biblical.
Thus, there is a contradiction in Protestant-Evangelicalism that cannot be reconciled. It is not a paradox, but a true logical disruption. This is wonderfully evident in THE SPARKY CHRONICLES as described below.
In the Film
Jeff says of the map (the Bible) "I don't get this thing, it's just confusing." Chris grabs the map and makes a snap judgment: "Just give it to me...take this road up here...Yes, I'm sure. Trust me."
But, of course, his indecision and Chris' rush to judgment commit the entire van (an entire church) down the wrong path. At the end of that path, Jeff shoots himself in the foot and Chris is carried off like a crazy. The problem? Our heroes had no infallible set of directions. They decided to interpret the map based on their own neophyte understanding of God Word.
In our heroes' discussions of whether to turn right or left (read: right or wrong) the elder of the group, Ethan, takes control. "I'm in control here. Follow me. I'll decide."
The result is that they end up asking the opinions of everyone they meet, much like an Evangelical Bible study where the group reads a Bible verse together, and then everyone in the circle gives their opinion about what it means. This is why Bible Studies are so popular in Evangelical circles and not so prevalent in Catholic parishes. Protestant-Evangelicals are trying to figure out what the Bible means and Catholics don't have to do that. Evangelical denominations typically do not have a Catechism that explains Christian doctrine, like Mainline Protestant denominations and Catholics have, so they spend a great deal of time trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, when they do figure it out...they have no assurance that their conclusion is right or wrong (In Sparky language, "right or left"). I have participated in Bible studies that have given rise to doctrinal dissention, a church split, and new churches being formed. In those cases, the elder with the strongest personality and ability to think somewhat logically stood up and said, like Ethan: "I'm in control here. Follow me. I'll decide."
Chris says in another place, "Well, sometimes with a map, people can tend to take it out of context and quickly determine what it says. But, boy you really gotta study it and make sure what it contains. You know." And so our heroes study the map (the Bible) with all the tools at their disposal.
But how, without a God inspired and directed authority can any amount of study bring a person to understand with total assurance what is true? Inevitably an individual or group, not infallibly directed by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26), will read into a text their personal bias, personality, and experience, and cultural history. In THE SPARKY CHRONICLES, our heroes use every means at their disposal, except the infallible one. And what do they discover? What almost every other Protestant group discovers�a middle-aged constipated man sitting on the can reading the sports page. Is that so far from the truth? Even the Evangelical denominational churches we attended (Free Methodist, Assembly of God, Christian Missionary Alliance) the pastor made up some of the doctrines and practices as he went along. When that happens his habits, health and bias enter in, for such pastors do not fall under the Biblical, infallible covenant.
In true Catholic style THE SPARKY CHRONICLES accurately describes the efforts of Evangelical groups to define doctrine apart form the blessing of infallibility given to the Apostles and handed down to what today is known as Catholicism. In Chris' words, "we saw everything go down the drain. "
At the end of the film, Ethan says, "The thief did give us the slip this time, but we did learn a great lesson about maps."
Strangely, whatever that lesson was, it is never mentioned. And in spite of all their effort, their study of the map, and their high-tech tools, our heroes never even get close to finding Sparky. At the end of the story, our heroes are totally lost, and they've even lost the map. Such is the film's ridicule of Protestant-Evangelicalism.
In the Discussion Guide
THE SPARKY CHRONICLES' Discussion Guide comes with a number of good questions, and suggested places in the film and in the Bible, to look for the answers. I thought I would answer some of these questions.
"What is the problem with using opinion to determine moral choices?"
The problem of using opinion to determine moral choices is that even with the Bible in hand there is a chance that something less than moral right and wrong will be decided. Without an infallible source, different groups will, as they have in the past, interpret the same Bible passages differently. There is at least one Evangelical Christian denomination that has a hospital near Chicago where family rooms are set aside for elective abortions. In these rooms a pastor comes and baptizes the baby.
"What mistakes did the heroes make once they actually had the map?
They had no infallible source of directions. And consequently they ended up lost.
What are similar errors we make when studying the Bible?
Like Chris we can jump to the wrong conclusion, even with all the extra-Biblical help we can find, save the one that is in covenant with Christ.
What steps can we take to correctly use the Bible as our map for life? Scenes to consider: The heroes buckle down to really study the map for themselves.
2 Peter 1:20 "Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of persona interpretation." Go to an infallible source of interpreting moral laws. In John 16:12-13 Christ says to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming." Then in John 20:23 Christ says to the Apostles, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, them and whose sins you retain are retained." And in Matt 16:19 Christ says to Peter, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Historically the doctrines developed from these covenant declarations by Christ to the Apostles (the first leaders of the Church) can be traced to the present day Catechism of the Catholic Church. There is a direct link that in absent in every other Christian church.
RECOMMENDATION
My criticism of the message in THE SPARKY CHRONICLES relates either to the workability of the allegory (map = Bible) or the unintended support of Roman Catholicism in the face of Evangelicalism.
But, for most audiences in the Christian community all of this simply will not matter. They will have fun watching the film and they will get what the filmmakers have intended�to get people to look to God's Word for direction. To a great extent such moral precepts elucidated by Scripture are clear, beginning with The Ten Commandments, summarized by Christ in the Two Great Commandments, and further expounded and detailed in the Epistles.
There are many groups that disagree on the precise formulations for living a Christian life and for getting into heaven. But according to Romans 2:14-16 individuals will be responsible before God for what the Holy Spirit reveals to their conscience, and not for some precise formulation prescribed by the Apostles or John Smith.
So, I can recommend THE SPARKY CHRONICLES. Even though there are some things about it that "don't work" in a theoretical story sense, and even thought it unintentionally and ironically supports Roman Catholicism, I really believe that the vast majority of those that watch it and use the Discussion Guide will receive spiritual benefit form it.
My only fear is that these same individuals will trust in themselves to properly interpret God's Word as recorded in the Bible and believe they are a law unto themselves. I hope they do not miss the point that God left behind, as reason would expect, not just an infallible document, but also an infallible interpreter. Both are required if we are to know the truth and be set free.
CONTACT INFORMATION
THE SPARKY CHRONICLES is distributed by
Gospel Communications
P. O. Box 455
Muskegon, MI 49443-0455.
http://www.GospelDirect.com
1-800-253-0413
Produced by Spotlight Media
Project website
http://www.findsparky.com