Stressing Noah’s Drunkenness:

The New Aronofsky Movie

By Pastor Marshall

March 2014

I agree with Richard Roeper that this new movie on Noah, starring Russell Crowe, may well be one of the most dazzling and unforgettable Biblical epics “ever put on film.” And I also agree with Daren Ruecker, that next to the recent Coen brothers film, “A Serious Man” (2009) on the Book of Job, this Noah movie is one of the best Biblical films ever. And so I highly recommend it. (I was there on opening night at the Southcenter Mall to see it.)

Filling in the Gaps. At the center of this spectacular cinematic retelling of the catastrophic flood in Genesis 6-9, are the stunning elaborations of Genesis 9:21 and Genesis 6:4. Both of these verses are underdeveloped in the Bible. The first has to do with Noah falling down drunk and naked. The other has to do with the Nephilim. By going after these two verses, Aronofsky reveals his principle of Biblical interpretation: Don’t change what’s on the pages of the Bible, simply add to what’s missing from them. Aronofsky follows this principle fairly well except in three cases.

First in Genesis 7:13-16, he changes the text to allow only one daughter-in-law on to the ark as well as an arch-evil stowaway, Tubal-cain (Genesis 4:22). Secondly he excises Genesis 8:20 on the post-flood animal burnt offerings – which would have linked Noah to his forefather Abel and his animal sacrifice (Genesis 4:4). And third, he changes the reason for the rainbow in Genesis 9:15 from God promising never again to destroy the world by the waters of a flood, to his affirming of Noah’s love for humanity and the renewed propagation of the species (Genesis 9:7).

Noah’s Drunkenness & Uncertainty. Aronofsky elaborates Genesis 9:21 on Noah’s drunkenness to explain why it happened. He links it to a huge confrontation on the ark between Noah and his family over whether or not God wants humanity to have a second chance after the flood to live better lives. After some time of uncertainty, Noah decides that God doesn’t want people to have a second go at it. Everyone else in his family disagrees with him.

This ambiguity or uncertainty that Noah confronts is not in the Genesis account. But it is found elsewhere in the Bible. Remember how confused little Samuel was when God was talking to him (1 Samuel 3:1-10)? Remember how mixed-up Jeremiah was over what God meant by promising to protect him from his enemies (Jeremiah 1:18, 20:7-8). And remember Saint Paul’s words about seeing everything only dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12)?

Once Noah is set clearly against his family (Matthew 10:36), a life and death struggle ensues in the ark over this disagreement – and Noah loses. As a result he is alienated from his family which depresses him, and he also figures that he had disobeyed God which throws him further into despair. So he gets drunk the first chance he has – he who at the beginning of the story was nothing but righteous (Genesis 6:8; Luther’s Works 2:54). This is the main plot of the movie. And in it the themes of human wickedness and divine wrath and mercy are explored – ideas which are well worth our attention. Luther also knew of some such contest:

[The disobedient] charged Noah with blasphemy and lies. “Stating that God is about to destroy the whole world by the Flood,” they maintained, “is the same as saying that God is not compassionate and not a father, but a cruel tyrant. Noah, you are preaching the wrath of God! Has not God promised deliverance from sin and death through the Seed of the woman [Genesis 1:26]? God’s wrath will not swallow up the entire earth. We are God’s people, and we have outstanding gifts of God. God would never have granted us these gifts if He had decided to proceed against us in such a hostile manner.” In this manner the ungodly are wont to apply the promises to themselves, and because of their reliance on them they disregard and laugh at all threats (LW 2:53).

This is what the fierce Tubal-cain character does in this movie. But for Christians these themes are not resolved until Christ dies for us (Romans 5:8-9) – but for Aronofsky, as a lapsed Jew (Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, “Noah: A Midrash by Darren Aronofsky,” and Christopher Orr, “God’s Will vs. Man’s Will in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah,” The Atlantic, March 2014), he limits himself to what the Jewish tradition has to say.

Those Nephilim Giants. In Aronofsky’s hands, the Nephilim of Genesis 6:4 serve two purposes. First these otherworldly giants build the huge ark – which in the Bible is left unexplained (Genesis 6:14, 22). And secondly they fight off the evil masses from forcing their way on to the ark when the floods come – something which the Bible doesn’t report on (Genesis 7:21-23). One of the most grizzly scenes in the movie is of people fighting to make it to the last mountain top as the waters of the flood relentlessly and ferociously rise faster and faster. (The only other place I’ve ever seen this depiction is in my family’s 1880 Norwegian Bible.)

Vegetarianism. Noah is part of the dwindling good clan, descended from Seth (Genesis 4:25-26, 5:3, 29) – who were vegetarians. For not until after the flood did God allow his people to eat animals (Genesis 9:3). But those evil clans descended from Cain (Genesis 4:11, 15) were meat-eaters, in defiance of God’s law (Genesis 1:30), according to Aronofsky. And so, again according to Aronofsky, the reason the animals were preserved on the ark was because they, unlike people, still acted righteously, as they did in the Garden of Eden. Why God wants to save the animals (Genesis 6:19, 7:3) isn’t explained in the Bible. Aronofsky also has Noah sedate the animals into hibernation so they don’t kill each other on the trip in the ark. And Luther would seem to agree at least in part: “[These] wild animals [all enter] the ark miraculously [having] had a premonition of the wrath of God and of the awful catastrophe that was about to take place” (LW 2:75).

Geysers & Cloud Bursts. When the flood waters break loose in the movie, water not only pours down from the skies, but geysers shoot up from the ground, left and right. Water is gushing forth from everywhere. I thought this was made-up by Aronofsky until I reread in Genesis 7:11 and 8:2 about the “fountains of the great deep bursting forth.” So I’m indebted to Aronofsky for pointing out what I had missed over and over again after many readings of Genesis over the last fifty some years!

Realistic. While conservatives will complain about the divergences from the Biblical account in this movie, liberals will not take kindly to all of the realism and literalism in it: Noah is a real historical person and not some fictional character. The ark is a real boat in this movie. All the animals fit in the ark. And the flood covers the entire world – and we get to see of picture of it from outer space! I agree with Luther on this that the Biblical account isn’t mythical or metaphorical but realistic and literal. I also agree with him that from a strictly rationalistic perspective, the entire story of Noah and the flood seems “exceedingly stupid” (LW 2:71)! But from a faith perspective, that, of course, is not the case.

I think this student paper by one of our members is well worth your attention. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.           Pastor Marshall

The West Seattle Helpline:

My Senior Project at

Sealth High School

Cristian Clemente

Seattle, Washington

December 2012

Poverty. What is poverty, who is responsible for it and how can individuals help on a local level to get rid of it?

Poverty, by definition, is the opposite of wellbeing. It is the inability to satisfy one's basic needs because one lacks income to buy services or from lack of access to services.

Which people are poor? Racial and ethnic minorities, women, children, and families headed by single women are particularly vulnerable to poverty and deep poverty. Also people with disabilities have a tendency to be poor. According to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, more than 46 million people today in America are living below the poverty line – far more than the size of our largest state.

Who is responsible for poverty? Basic ethical issues behind this debate continue unsettled. Is society responsible for the well-being of the poor? If so, at what cost to the rest of us? Are the poor to be held in any way responsible for themselves? How far must poverty go before society is morally bound to act to help them?

Responsibility. But should the government be responsible for helping poor people? As a result of trying to answer these difficult questions, in addition to ever changing attitudes towards poverty, many methods have been tried to solve this social crisis. From the early part of the 16th century to the modern day, poverty laws passed by Parliament in England changed from a system of punishment (being sent to the poor house because you’re poor), to a system of governmental support and protection. Also during this time economic systems changed from the barter style economy to the early days of capitalism. Throughout this time frame, authorities asked such questions as, "Who exactly should benefit from laws that are passed?" and "Who is responsible for the care of people in need?"

Religious Groups. And others were asking if the Christian church and other religious organizations should also be responsible for helping the poor according to governmental principles. I don’t think so because our government has no right to dictate how a church should help people, and in the US we also have laws separating church from state. The First Amendment to the US Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." If a church were to support a charitable organization it should be free to follow its own guidelines laid out in the Bible:

1.      In the story of Jesus and the rich young man, the young ruler's wealth makes it hard for him to follow Jesus and attain the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus comments on the young man's difficulty:

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 19:23-27)

2.      Furthermore, Saint Mary sings that God has “shown the might of his arm: and has scattered the proud, in the conceit of their hearts. He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich has sent empty away. (Luke 1:51-53)

Solutions. So how is poverty approached in the US today? In the book by Alice O’Conner, Poverty Knowledge: Social Science, Social Policy, and the Poor in Twentieth-Century U. S. History (2002), I learned that studying social problems will lead to a solution has long been a belief in America. Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to solving the poverty problem.

For well over a century, social scholars have studied poor people in the hopes of creating a knowledge base for informed social action. Frustrated by what they call a contradiction of “poverty amidst plenty,” social scientists often charge that politics and too much thinking are to blame. Unfortunately all of this historical analysis to better understand the political, ideological, institutional, and cultural reading don’t do a lot to relieve the problem.

Action. What it takes is action. Welfare programs available in the United States include: Medicaid, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Head Start, Work Study, and Medicare.

Social Security is also considered one of the welfare programs in the U.S. Two programs that I’ve seen work at school are FAFSA and the Free or Reduced Lunch Program.

In 2009 we saw the largest yearly increase in the US poverty rate since the US Government began calculating poverty figures back in 1959 when poverty rate was at 33%! In 2009 they brought about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Since its enactment in February of 2009, $778.6 billion has been paid out:

          ·         To fight hunger Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);

          ·         Neighborhood Stabilization Funds to keep people in their homes or rapidly re-house them;

          ·         The Act increases funding for the Community Services Block Grant by $1 billion;

          ·         The Act increases the Weatherization Assistance Program by $5 billion to help low income families save on their energy;

          ·         The Act increases job training funds;

          ·         The Act provides increased income support for Unemployment Insurance eligibility, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income and new resources for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; and,

          ·         The Act provides tax breaks to working families.

So is the state, then, finally the one responsible? Washington State has a poverty rate that is 2% less than the national average of 11.5 %. The national average rose from 14.3 percent in 2009 to 15.1 percent in 2010. And the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) oversees the social services provided to the citizens of Washington State.

Local Communities. But what about local neighborhoods and their communities – how can they help? The West Seattle Helpline started in 1989 with one man’s vision – Mr. Dick Rhodes (1926-2003). His business of operating the exquisite Queen Anne Thriftway grocery store, daily reminded him that people were in need. In 1988 he got together with a few people in the West Seattle Branch of the Seattle Public Library, and pledged some money to start the Helpline. Since its opening on April 19,1989, the West Seattle Helpline has been funded by many individuals, businesses, and churches within West Seattle. They have only one paid employee and are staffed primarily by a corps of volunteers who care about the needs of their neighbors. The last five years they have been helping out over 3,000 clients yearly – when their greatly expanded clothing bank is taken into account.

Since 1983 the West Seattle Food Bank had been in operation in a couple of different locations. On May 1, 2007, they started distributing food from their new offices custom built for their operations on the corner of 35th and Morgan Street. Shortly thereafter the Helpline moved their offices into the same building. The West Seattle Helpline serves the community by distributing information, money and clothes to those working families who have fallen behind on their bills.

Individuals. What about individuals? Well, in my case, for my senior project, I am studying the West Seattle Helpline. I will meet with my mentor, Pastor Ron Marshall, the Helpline executive director, Tara Luckie, and my high school counselor, Jol Raymond. Pastor Marshall is one of the founders of the Helpline and has been on its board for over twenty years. He’s also finishing up a book on the history of the West Seattle Food Bank.

I will also make a poster and write my outline for my report, and then finish it up in written form. My plan is to put in over 25 hours of volunteer time with the Helpline. I will also be interviewing people who work in the field. I have been curious about poverty and this report will help be understand it better.

I also hope my report will increase awareness of the problem of poverty in our community. I hope that my peers at school who need assistance will learn about how to get help with paying their bills and getting clothing from the Helpline.

Sources:  

http://www.wshelpline.org/

www.whitehouse.gov›

www.businessinsider.com

Alice O'Connor:  Poverty Knowledge: Social Science, Social Policy, and the Poor in Twentieth Century

 www.fafsa.ed.gov

 http://www.welfareinfo.org/state/

http://www.adl.org/issue_religious_freedom/separation_cs_primer.asp

 www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch

 http://mynorthwest.com/11/545490/Washington-state-poverty-rate-

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v8n3/welfare.html

 http://www.nclej.org/poverty-in-the-us.php

www.dhsh.com

(edited by the Rev. Ronald F. Marshall, 4-22-2014)

THE ASCENSION

OF OUR LORD

This great feast of the Easter Season, the Ascension of Our Lord, follows Easter by 40 days.  On Thursday, May 29th, the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 11:45 am in the chapel.  Study Luke 24:50:      Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.

The Visitation

Saturday, May 31, 2014

    Holy Eucharist will be celebrated on the Feast of the Holy Visitation, Saturday, May 31st, in the chapel at 11:45 am. 

    On this holy day we give thanks to God for the blessed words between Saint Mary and Saint Elizabeth.  We also give thanks for the honor paid Saint Mary by the still unborn Saint John the Baptist, when he moved in the womb of his mother, Saint Elizabeth. 

    To prepare for this festival, study Luke 1:39-47 and Isaiah 11:1-5.