The Dark Knight Week 4

The Dark Knight ­ Week 4 Mixer: Can you remember a time when your emotions got the best of you?  How do you feel  now looking back?   Going Deeper: 1. Let’s talk about the ferry boat scene. What is the Joker trying to do by setting up  this situation? Create a situation where “the chips are down” as he says before, so  these people will turn on each other and act for themselves alone. Imagine you are  on the boat. How would you vote? Do you agree with the idea that the prisoners  deserve to die because they “had their chance” and “already made their  choices”? Why or Why not? In church history there are instances of martyrs trying to avoid being killed, not  because they were afraid of dying but because they wanted to keep their executioner  from the being responsible for their murder. They didn’t want that guilt and blood  to be on their hands. Is this an example of loving your neighbor as yourself? How is  the way the ferry boat scene plays out a picture of the kingdom of God?

2. What does Two­Face want and what are his motives? He wants retribution. Eye  for an eye justice. In the movie he screams, “It’s not about what I want it’s about  what’s fair.” Drawing on our definitions of justice from last week (God’s big­ picture setting everything to rights) what is the difference between fairness and  justice? Should Christians seek one or the other? Or both? Fairness is a dubious term to me these days, because it’s got that “eye for and eye”  mentality going. You can see why Jesus subverts it in the scriptures last week.  Fairness is  about doing unto to others as they have done to you. It’s about everyone having the same  as everyone else and getting what they deserve. But this is not the kingdom of God. In the  kingdom of God NO ONE gets what they deserve – but EVERYONE gets what they need.  (See examples like the Year of Jubilee for how this plays out). Consider where you seek  fairness instead of justice in your life. What would the loving, Jesus centered  © Dixon Kinser 2009

response to Two­Face be? 3.) What does the Psalmist say about justice and God’s activity amongst injustice?  What does it mean to rely on God in the face of injustice?  How does or doesn’t our  faith in Christ really matter in a time of crisis?  I (Steven) think perhaps that this needs  to be more of conversation on practical application rather than ideology.  Perhaps ask the  group what it means to rely on God in the face of terrorism, genocide, or slave labor.  How should we (the church) respond to real and present evil in the world?  We  believe that Jesus’ resurrection represents the ultimate defeat of evil in the world.  Therefore, our task as Christians is to participate with God in the redemption or ‘bringing  things to right’ in the world.  Therefore we are to make right all things in creation from  our friendships to our polluted environment.  We respond to evil by forgiving our  neighbor, by repenting to the way we have alienated the marginalized, or by learning to  live in a way that doesn’t destroy the earth.    3. Think about how it is possible that the Joker is able to pull off such elaborate  and incredible crimes.  We are beginning to discover that some of the people in the  inner­workings of Gotham city are lending a hand to the Joker.  We find out later  people help the Joker because they surrender to the Joker or because the Joker offers  them money, security, etc.  We are also beginning to see that he uses the mentally ill  and desperate people of the city to help him.  Does this frustrate you that people  help the Joker out of their own self­interest?  How might you looking out for  your own self­interest spread injustice and evil in our world?  a. Consider the tremendous dysfunction of our society and its commerce  (i.e. sweat shops, oil wars, blood diamonds).  Now consider the way we  feel when we see the Joker laugh and enjoy himself while doing acts of  violence and dehumanization on people.  Are there times in our lives  where we enjoy ourselves while doing acts of injustice?  How far  removed from the Joker are we? b. Now consider the way our society values power, admiration, and  ‘survival of the fittest’ ethics.  Have there been times in your day­to­ day life where you enjoy yourself while hurting others or weakening  our neighbors?  How far removed from the Joker are we? 4. Read this passage:  12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love © Dixon Kinser 2009

him. 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created. 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. a. Where have you seen the Joker use people’s fears and emotions  against them this week?  Reflect on the passage above and discuss how  things would have been different had they not played into the Jokers  manipulation.  (i.e. the cop in the interrogation room, the guards in the  jail cell, Harvey Dent in the hospital)  Close by praying that God grant us the wisdom, courage, patience and imagination  to respond well to the things working against bringing of God’s Kingdom.

© Dixon Kinser 2009