“I have been reading posts of folks who claim to be Christians who seem to be living in total fear. Fear for the future, based on things coming but are not yet realized. I read one post that told us that evil has recently invaded our world, and things will only get worse. My first thought was….have you no sense of history? When has evil not been a part of human existence? For Christians, the sacred scripture tell us evil entered our world at the very beginning. Focusing on the presence of evil only diminishes the presence of a loving and creative Divine creator. Have folks decided that God has left the room?… Evil is real and it always has been. But that is only part of the story. Goodness, kindness, forgiveness, and love still exist. And love is the greatest power in our world.” ~ Rev. Ken Bailey
It’s been a long time since I was assigned to watch a movie. Tonight, it was Matewan. I’d seen it not long after it came out in 1987. Still, it was good to see it again because it is essential to remember Central Appalachian people’s struggles over centuries of extractive capitalism. I wish the film had been better made and some of the acting elevated (like getting people who don’t have to fake the accent would have gone a long way), but the point gets made all the same. What is particularly timely about the film is the frightening similarity between the coal company’s tactics and today’s politics. The use of lies and misinformation is not new. Dividing people and pitting them against one another is not new. Using religion as a weapon – not new. In Matewan I saw my dad’s family and the many hardships they faced living in coal camps created and run by that same formula. Anyway, I don’t want to go too far down that rabbit hole. My point is if you ever come across this movie and don’t know much about Central Appalachian struggles, make time to see it.
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