c. scott andreas

Yesterday evening, I found myself reading up on green energy and brainstorming ideas to cut down on consumption. Google pointed me to the 2005 Sustainability Report on my electric company’s web site.

From the report:

Cinergy’s leadership on this issue is not limited to rhetoric…We introduced a green tariff in Indiana and will actively market carbon-free electricity in the Hoosier state in 2006.

Cool.

I called my electric company, Duke Energy (formerly Cinergy), this afternoon to find out more. Brenda, my rep, had not heard of “green energy.” I explained that it generally referred to electricity produced by sustainable means such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. She explained that this hasn’t yet occurred. Instead, she said that Duke had “mostly coal plants” and maybe “a couple fusion ones.”

Fusion, eh? Perhaps they’re further ahead here than I thought. Brenda suggested that I call back later in the year.

I just might.

I just finished watching American History X with a few friends while molting and eating a bowl of ice cream (quite a Friday night, eh?). Over the next few days, I will be smashing this film and the Kingdom of God together. It’ll be a trip.

I’m not sure that I would recommend it to those who are uncomfortable with intense “adult themes” — it’s certainly not for the faint of heart. But it is a film that conveys an intensely powerful message which I believe we need to hear…whether or not we’ve a swastica tattooed over our heart (as the protagonist, Derek).

For those who have not seen the film or do not wish to, here’s a brief description of the plot:

[ possible spoilers ]

Derek, disillusioned by crime and poverty in his neighborhood, slowly begins to blame ethnic minorities and illegal immigrants for the situation he sees around him. Taking charge of the neighborhood, he forms a white supremacist gang to purify the streets. Hatred bred hatred; Derek began to abuse family members, hitting his mother and sister in short order. After killing two black men who’d attempted to break into his car, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

While away, his younger brother Danny came to idolize him — he sought to replace him in the area’s rising neo-Nazi youth culture. A respected teacher encourages Danny to investigate his brother’s past the night he was released from prison on parole.

Derek attempts to set his brother right, explaining to him the brutal story of transformation that came to define his life while in prison. Near the end of the film, he’s asked to enter back into the problem and begin to set things right, stopping the cycle of violence by confronting those who perpetuate it.

I’ll leave the rest of the tale for your DVD player to tell. Watch the trailer here.

[ /possible spoilers ]

In a few strange, intriguing, and problematic ways, I saw images of the Kingdom and our present reality in this film. If you have the opportunity to watch it and feel comfortable doing so before reading these next few posts, I’d recommend that you take it.

all the best from the pacific northwest,

c. scott andreas

Sacred Space is a city-wide urban renewal project sponsored by Imago Dei in Portland, Oregon. On August 12, nearly one thousand church and community members will partner together to bring new life to fifty spots around the city.

I’ve been tasked with developing the visual identity for this project. So far, this has consisted of a logo, letterhead, business card, DVD cover, and training pak labels.

Most significant, however, is a short promotional video that I wrote with a few others, then shot, edit, packaged, and distributed. Watch it below, or download an iPod Video-compatible version here.

sacred space 2006 :: click to play