Over in South Wales, there’s a group of people re-imagining the purpose and function of the modern church. We asked Dan Evans to provide us with a brief introduction of Canopy in Swansea – here’s what he had to say…

Canopy is a creative community exploring fresh ways of being and doing church. We have got a good mix of people; some of them have grown up in church or been ‘burned’ by church in some way, and others have had no church experience at all.

Canopy is primarily for the 18 to 30s, though we do get people coming along who are a little older than that. The wider Church tends to be very good at children’s and youth work but seems to be haemorrhaging people in young-adulthood.

Our aim is to change that.

The name, ‘Canopy’, comes from the connection with the Rainforest – as a place of refuge. We meet on Sunday evenings at the community Red Café – run by Linden Church – but we developed four very different approaches to our Sunday gatherings, saying that all these styles of Sunday come ‘Under the Canopy’.

They are:

• branch 1 - Sustenance (a good hearty feast)
• branch 2 – Headspace (discussion and debate over current affairs)
• branch 3 - Transmission (alternative/creative prayer and meditation)
• branch 4 – Unplugged (the best live acoustic music)

Canopy is building and developing because it’s fairly organic. It all started when we launched music nights on the last Sunday of the month. We then wanted to develop the faith side of things so we came up with so-called Headspace nights when we have panel discussions on major topics. At our most recent Headspace we looked at the Benefits System and Government reforms. We have people with different views on the panel to look at things from a Christian perspective. In the past we’ve looked at ‘Is the Bible really true?’ and ‘Does Love Win?’

When studying theology I realised the importance  the early church placed on eating together as a community. So we introduced Sustenance, a meal on the first Sunday of the month. Around 20 people come along; we do some slow food and spend a lot of time being in relationship with each other.

We’ve tried all sorts of things when looking at prayer and meditation for ‘Transmission’ Sundays. At one point we tried something called Nine – centred on nine different Bible verses with a theme. We then asked nine different people to present those verses as creatively as they could in five minutes.

Looking ahead, I don’t want to be too forceful in what I want people to get out of it. I’m happy if they just want to come and be together but if this is church for some people, I’m more than happy with that as well. My hope in the next year is for it to continue to develop and that people will support us, grow and come to faith.

Our seafront base at the Red Café is great because the building has been run as a community project by Linden Church Trust since 2001 so lots of people – young people in particular – use it for all sorts of activities. Partnership is very important in that Linden Church is strongly linked in with churches around Swansea. I also meet up with others involved in youth work and we support each other, which is vital. The work is demanding and we all need to be reminded we’re not in it on our own.

You can find out more about Canopy here > www.canopyswansea.co.uk

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Innovation is a funny thing really. It’s easy to innovate and yet few people do it well. At its base, innovation is just solving a problem. The textbook example is the invention of the Post It note by 3M.

The story is that the original post it note was invented by a chemist at 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacture Company) so that he could quickly find his place in his hymnbook at church. He probably couldn’t have foreseen that I’d go through packs of the things writing my to-do lists or using them for brainstorming.

He just knew that he had a problem and it needed to be solved.

We come across problems daily and in every aspect of our lives. If I look around me now, I can see a very uncomfortable chair, a mess of cables, an unsorted pile of washing, sellotape that won’t come off the wall without leaving a mark and a laptop balanced precariously on a ledge where I’m working.

Innovation starts with problems like these. I could take things that already exist to create a chair that’s more comfortable to sit on.  I could use some of that sellotape from the wall to create a basic cable tie. The washing basket should have two compartments – maybe I’ll sew a bed sheet into it to act as a divider. The sellotape needs a new glue for use with walls. I could put the laptop on a small stand that hooks over the ledge.

Innovation requires someone to take a look at a problem and, as Jack London says, call a thing by its proper name.

If innovation is so easy, why don’t we do it more in the Church? I think there are two reasons.

Firstly, innovation requires someone to take a look at a problem and, as Jack London says, call a thing by its proper name. Acknowledging a problem can be painful when it involves two people who know each other. That evangelistic outreach that your good friend started might be fatally flawed but it’s unpleasant to quash his enthusiasm by pointing out it’s failures.

Secondly, innovation leads us out into unknown places. For example, I know of a church who have decided to stop all their mid-week meetings because they found themselves being too insular and wrapped up in their activities to be interested in the community they’re part of. That takes a lot of courage.

But neither of these things should be obstacles if we take an innovative approach to change. God made us creative people. Since the dawn of time (whenever that was), we’ve been creating cool stuff. So here are three ways to be more innovative in your church or your community or your life as a whole.

1) Be self-obsessed – Not advice you will usually be given. Self obsession causes you to look at every detail of your existence and weigh it up to see what’s working and what is not. There’s nothing hippyish about being honest with yourself. If you find something that isn’t what it should be, move on to step 2.

2) Be bold – don’t be afraid of making mistakes. It’s usually in making mistakes that we find out what actually works. There is no shame in having failed ideas. A friend of mine recently asked what I had failed at and I was happy to give him a list of 15 things I had tried and not succeeded in. Afterwards, I considered the converse and was pleased to be able to list 15 things I had succeeded in after failing in the original 15. You hit and you miss. It’s not a big deal. Now for the final thing…

3) Be kind to one another – The biggest problem is that we think too much of ourselves. Essentially, pride is the biggest stumbling block to innovation. If someone tries to innovate on your great idea, don’t be insulted. They want what you’ve started to succeed and are willing to put their time into it. Resist the temptation to be insulted or feel put out.

I very much respect the work of Studio Neat – two guys who decided to just get together and make products that solved their problems. Their first release – the Glif – is a way to attach an iPhone to a tripod. They’ve since released two other things and have become darlings of the internet.

They wrote a book about innovation and I’ll finish this post with the title of the book which sums up perfectly the adventure you’re about to embark on: It Will Be Exhilarating.

Marc Thomas is a designer, journalist, editor, entrepreneur. A graduate of The Cardiff School of Journalism, Marc has founded magazines both online and in print. He blogs at www.thatisjustawesome.com

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Innovation in the Church is growing. There are people and organisations, with amazing (and simple) ideas, making strides in evangelism, church and global justice.

Over the next few months we’re focusing on innovation and entrepreneurialism.

The up-coming articles will bring you features on individuals, networks and organisations breaking the mould and challenging the way we’ve always done things.

On top of that, you’ll find some great insights from our writers on how we can encourage innovation in our congregations, youth groups and communities.

The series also marks the launch of #thisischurch v2.0 – a brand new website, with new features including integrated twitter feed and photo archive – check it out and get involved.

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I don’t think I’m the only one who, being inundated with news feeds and overwhelmed by link after link, is feeling tired, lost and distracted from reality. We are surrounded by media communications, and our lives permeate with technology. But what is it going to take for us to actually chat face to face rather than text, or reach for a Bible rather than a phone?

Our modern technological habits might be having a massive effect on our relations with each other and with God. It sounds obvious, we know these things have become a daily part of our lives. But God and people don’t always work in our instant access and mass e-mail idea of time.

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

 

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There has never been an atheist president. I’m yet to hear of an atheist presidential candidate. Indeed, current and previous competitors not only bring their skills and abilities to the electoral fore, but also their approach to religion, faith, and moral attitudes. But let’s strip away the arrogant campaign videos, the bold promises, and the cat fights between opposition – what are we left with? What are the basics us Christians should pay attention to?

The religious affiliations of an individual are massively important to the electorate – as is the trend with contemporary American Politics; voters vote for the calibre of the candidate, not necessarily their party politics. The 2012 race has been no different. From the blessed relief that Sarah Palin wasn’t running, to the two-horse race between Obama and Romney, religious principles have often been in the firing line. Contentious issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage and motives for war continue to plague electoral campaigns and in some situations prove to be deal breakers for voters. But more worryingly, faith seems to shape the identity of campaigners and voters alike. It is ironic that as UK politics seems intent on separating religion and politics in favour of a secularist approach, religion is fundamental to US policy.

Being a British, twenty something Christian female, I might have an element of bias in these opinions, but here’s a brief overview of the candidates so far, and their policies and faiths.

Barack Obama Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Having been in Presidential position for one term already, it’s an easy supposition to make that he will ‘walk’ tomorrows election. Known for his incredible public speaking ability, his relaxed approach to religion (and specifically on larger moral issues, such as abortion) has not gone down well with the rather more conservative, ‘by the book’ Christian voters, who quintessentially happen to be Republican.

From slavery to the suffrage movement to civil rights, faith — and the moral obligations that derive from our faith — have always helped us to navigate some of our greatest moral challenges with a recognition that there’s something bigger than ourselves: We have obligations that extend beyond our own self-interest. We face big challenges in this country.

Barack Obama

Mitt Romney Leader of the Republican party, currently in opposition to Obama in the bid to become POTUS (President of the United States – for all you West Wing fans out there!). Throughout the election process, he’s upheld a very conservative religious outlook, identifying that he is ‘pro-life’ except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. During his Presidency he would work to see the outcome of the infamous ‘Roe vs Wade’ case overturned – the very case that worked hard to make ‘pro-choice’ a possibility. This of course is vastly different from his opposition. It is perhaps fair to argue that should Romney win his place in the White House, US politics would take a far more down the line religious principle.

We should acknowledge the Creator, as did the Founders — in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places.

Mitt Romney

The results of tonight’s election are still fairly unpredictable, as of two days ago, poll results were displaying a dead heat. The recent events of Hurricane Sandy have boosted poll ratings in both camps; and there really is no saying which way the voting will go.

This election outcome has such great significance in world politics, and with both candidates representing such polar opposites, it’s a moment that could define the future of Christianity and, more importantly, agnostic and atheist perspectives of the church. Whichever way the cookie crumbles, America and beyond will be governed by a President claiming Christian values – something that is very important for American citizens and voters. Ronald Reagan once summed it up perfectly:

“Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience…without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure…If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”

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I feel sick of slick. I feel sick of people who smile sweetly, who present a ‘got it together’ image. Sick of downloading vodcasts and podcasts of the latest Christian personality.

I feel sick of the celebrity culture in the church. The ‘I follow Apollos’ mentality that decides whether I’m in or out, credible or not. Bright lights and a camera on a crane. Popstars and doting faithfuls, carrying the bags and hanging on the words of bright minds and sharp wits. Sick also of the ‘anointed’ frauds I hear about and read about. ‘Follow me’ Jesus said to a group of fishermen and outcasts. Was this really in his mind? A church full of TV presenters and the nausea inducing age of Christianity I live in?

I haven’t got room in my stomach for name-dropping or rhetoric. Words seem too deceitful to trust. I don’t know who I am, or what I really think. I like only the sound of the syllables and the images, the twists they create in my mind. A clever phrase here, a long pause there. Tugging on heart strings, looking for weak spots for a good ‘way in’ to someone’s heart. I hate it that when I hear a good story or am moved by a touching illustration my first thought is to file it away for a rainy day or a sermon that’s lacking some ‘fizz’.

I feel sick that my life and mind are full of inconsistencies and holes, I am double-sided at best. Am I a successful Christian because I can preach? Am I faithful because I can hold a crowd or gain a following?

I want only to follow the saviour, want only to see him save souls, heal the sick and transform lives. I don’t want hype, flashing lights, smoke machines and emotional responses. I want honesty, integrity and authenticity. Honestly.

I feel the draw of jargon more than ever before, the lure of hypocrisy like I’ve never known. If I can present an image or a brand, use the right words, avoid scandal and keep everyone happy then I’ll have made it. Grow a church and live a quiet life, isn’t that what Paul told me to do? Act therefore. Fake it until you make it. Right?

Wrong.

That is not church.

Authenticity. I hate the word because of its overuse but I have no other. Authenticity. Not a brand or an image but a genuine heart felt and honest pursuit of Jesus’ intended meaning for my life. Oh how I want to love people, to see people healed and delivered, to see the Kingdom of God established as Jesus and Isaiah described it. His vision for my life is far better than anything I could ever have concocted on my own, his understanding of my nature more comprehensive than I ever would have dared to admit, his remedy more satisfying for my soul than I could have imagined.

Surrender. Complete and utter, honest surrender. The end of hypocrisy, the end of acting. The end of idolatry and self-centered decision making. The end of ‘I’m ok’ and the end of ‘I’ll do it my way.’

As I am he bids me – “come”. Shortcomings and all, questions-a-plenty and the removal of any masks I might wear.

I shall live for ever in pursuit of him and his vision of church: a crowd of honest, faith-full, spirit empowered lovers of God and others. A place of no pretence. A place where healing, restoration and obedience sometimes-through-gritted-teeth and other times in joy and delight honours Jesus; the God-man who conquered our greatest enemy and rose to new life and complete authority. The greatest hoax the world has ever known – or true.

Nothing else will cut it, nothing else will do. The world has seen a show, it’s been to the West End and it has watched countless X-Factors. Now let’s give it the church.

Jez Field was youth pastor at Kings Church Eastbourne, and now leads Kings Church, Seaford. He blogs at http://jezfield.blogspot.co.uk/

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We’re back. Did you miss us? After a summer of events, conferences and jet-setting, the Godculture team are settling back into the rhythm and routine of everyday life. It’s been nearly two months since our last article, and we’re itching to get going again. 

Trips to Italy, Shepton Mallet, London, Keswick, Essex and elsewhere have split our part-time team up over the last few months. Rather than work overtime and produce articles not up-to-scratch, we took a break.

But don’t worry, we’re back now and we’ll be switching our attention to more creativity, culture and faith. In the next few weeks you’ll find articles focusing on some great start-ups and entrepreneurs making a real difference in their respective fields, along with the usual brilliant reads. You can also expect an updated #thisischurch website, which is currently offline awaiting the launch of stage 2 of the project.

Thank you for all the support you’ve given us over the last 10 months. It’s been awesome to be a part of it, and we’re incredibly blessed to be working on something we love.

Dan
Editor

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First off, tell me a little about Vietnamthemovie. Where did the name come from? And what’s the main aim of your work? 

The name comes from one of my favorite films, Full Metal Jacket;  some illustrators have cool or stupid names when they work and this happened to be mine.  The name is completely random and when I started out so was my work,  random colors, subjects & styles.  I am now focusing on what I call ‘Christian Art’  not that I actually know what that is!  I am trying to bring my ‘randomness’ into what I create, using robots, skateboards and till receipts to get my message across.

Why did you choose John’s gospel as the basis for a project? (find out more here)

I’m a born again Christian, which means that somebody or something brought me to God.  For me it was a somebody,  a friend called John.  So I suppose that’s how I became connected with this certain book of The Bible.  I’ve since found it’s many people’s favorite gospel. It’s been great to work with because it’s brilliant material and very inspiring, making it easy to illustrate.  Funnily enough, when ‘John’ saw the project, he looked embarrassed and showed no real connection.  I think his artistic tastes are very different but this was tough to take at the time.

A piece from the upcoming "Stations of the Cross" project

When creating projects based on the Bible, what particular elements of scripture do you pull out to use as inspiration?

This is what I’m trying to change about Christian art.  I will read a page or passage from The Bible and just create. That’s it!  Whatever sticks or inspires me is what I focus on.  ”Does it make sense?”, “Will this bring people to God?” – They’re questions I don’t concern myself with. I wish more people would just read and create!

Do you draw inspiration from elsewhere too? 

I never studied art at school or university and I’m completely self taught.  My style is very much Andy Warhol with a bit of Banksy.  I love Damien Hirst, although every other artist seems to hate him! As for inspiration, I love fashion.  If I am stuck for ideas I will search fashion blogs and sometimes visit some of the big clothing chains to look at colors and design.  Fashion and the Bible seems to work for me!

There’s also a lot of abstract and eccentric elements to your illustrations. Is that a glimpse of your personality shining through?

Don’t know really.  When starting as an artist I had a 3 year plan.  During the first year I tried lots of different styles, although they were mostly digital.  The second year was spent concentrating on cementing a style I liked.  That’s when I began to focus on the eyes in pictures and splats around my work.  I still have this style and like to focus on head, face or shoulders and not full body work.  I also enjoyed creating digital collages but this can seemed quite lazy and cliched.  The third year of my plan was to take over the world…. I’m still working on that in year five!

What has been the general response from Christians and non-Christians alike?  

Do you know what, it has been hard.  I speak to God a lot and I am very proud of the project and what I’ve created.  But my ego longs for success like every other artist.  Some people really understand the project and where I am coming from but others don’t and this can be hard when trying to promote my work in the Christian world.  If I am honest I think that non-Christians like my work more but I think they are turned off by the biblical text.  If it had been a raging success I would now be creating biblical art for my second project but as it stands I am working the normal life!  I think this is where faith comes in, right?

Simon's work on display at Bristol Cathedral

What role do projects like John’s gospel have in ‘modern day’ evangelism? 

I think they should be playing a major role. Art is powerful and can’t be ignored, which draws people in.  Some say the message is hidden in my work but I want to connect to the audience first.  This is me evangelising:

Them: Cool picture!

Me: Thanks.

Them:  Who is it?

Me: You know…Mary Magdalene…from The Bible.

Them: Oh…..cool.

Me:  So are you an artist?

No pressure.  Engage and maybe one day they may pick up a Bible or look at my work.  It is a long shot but better than asking a stranger if they have Jesus in their life as a ‘getting to know you’ line.

So what’s in the pipeline for you, any new projects coming up?

When I get back on the ‘art’ horse I am working on the Stations of the Cross. – I didn’t even know what they were until about a year ago. Some Christians will think my lack of knowledge is lame but I see it as a strength, through fresh eyes. I’ll be creating 14 images based around the stations and produce another book and exhibition.

Do you have any advice for any creative types who are looking to start projects for the Church?

Don’t bother!  Wow, that was an firm reply!  Take your work out on the streets, to the galleries, to the public.  Spread the word in new and interesting ways.  Just paint a red square and call it Joseph!  Get people talking!

You can buy ‘John’ by Vietnam the Movie at:  http://thechristianillustrator.com

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Caravaggio - The Taking of Christ

Caravaggio’s ‘The Taking of Christ’ is beautiful and meaty. This all-consuming scene is the evidence that Caravaggio does not paint wet religious scenes. There is nothing wimpy about the gospel that he presents. Firstly let’s check out his painting technique. He confidently sculpts figures out of shadows, employing a high contrast technique that provides the exact impetus such a scene deserves. This moment, when Christ is betrayed and arrested, needs to be dramatic, striking, commanding.

Despite being a scene so convincing, a Christ so attractive – so authentic and yet divine – Caravaggio himself expresses his doubt.

And then there’s Christ. Probably the most beautiful Christ I have seen in paint – and I don’t mean how realistically Caravaggio has painted each feature, I certainly don’t mean aesthetically with his overgrown beard, and matted hair, I mean that His character is just the Christ I want to follow. He is reluctant, but he does not resist Judas’ kiss. His heart is heavy – broken for the world, and for His disciple who has turned away from Him in his betrayal. His thoughts and actions are considered, he knows what he must do, and will carry it through. He is strong-willed, but willing. He is a peacemaker, but will rightly disrupt any misplaced peace in favour of God’s name and his people. There is nothing wet about this Christ.

Despite being a scene so convincing, a Christ so attractive – so authentic and yet divine – Caravaggio himself expresses his doubt. The artist has inserted himself as an onlooker – the young figure to the far right of the scene, who, with curiosity holds up a lantern to shed light on the matter. He is an active seeker, but can be contrasted to John, the figure on the far left, who was ‘the beloved disciple’ of Christ. Caravaggio paints John as though attached by the head to Christ – he couldn’t be closer – and in despair of Christ’s destiny, cries out before fleeing in fear. Paradoxically, we see the artist standing to one side, judging Christ for himself, seemingly unsure of what to make of Him.

He is a peacemaker, but will rightly disrupt any misplaced peace in favour of God’s name and his people. There is nothing wet about this Christ.

The lantern is somewhat superficial, we can tell from the lighting in the painting that it is not actually illuminating Christ, Judas or the soldier. This lantern must therefore be symbolic. This is especially true when looking to where the starkest light has been painted, and that is: Christ (importantly), and Caravaggio forehead (unexpectedly.) The result is that the gaze of the artist is tied to its subject, and this constructs a narrative of a relationship between the artist and Christ within the scene. What surely would make more sense for the biblical narrative, would be to have Judas or the solider spotlighted, but evidently part of the act of painting this piece for the artist, is the determining of his own relationship with Christ, His passion, and the conclusive salvation.

This is what I feel when I look at Caravaggio’s paintings, that I can’t help but be absorbed by the narrative unveiled, and in turn find myself contemplating the God I worship, and the precious relationship I have with him.

Talking of discerning for oneself, the account of Thomas doubting the resurrected Christ has been a gospel account I find relevant again and again. Each time I read it, I have to commit myself to believing, whether I can see the fruit of God’s goodness or not. Caravaggio’s ‘The Doubting Thomas’ (below) materialises this challenge in such a stunning manner. Three disciples gather round the resurrected Christ, to see what to make of His stomach wound. Christ, like the teacher he was, has patiently pulled back his robe (as though a curtain), to reveal the deep cut in his side, which he then guides Thomas’ hand into, so that he may feel the wound for himself. Thomas must trust in Jesus.

Caravaggio - The Doubting Thomas

As far as we know Thomas wasn’t blind, but here Caravaggio represents him as having the wide, misplaced eyes of a man who is – illustrating that he is spiritually blind – he cannot recognise that this is the resurrected Christ before him. However, what unfolded as you look longer at the painting is the recognition the disciple has of who Christ is – his eyebrows become raised with the shock of his revelation and he bends humbly towards his Saviour.

The artist’s incredibly tactile (almost low-relief) wound is an allusion to the audience’s own desire to see in order to believe, and speaks of the pioneering role the artist had in painting realistic, believable and approachable re-enactments of the gospel. Everyone needs encouragement to believe. Right now I’m wondering what could be a better tool for bringing people to Christ than paintings such as these?

Rachel Guthrie is an avid arts writer and aspiring art critic. Follow Rachel on Twitter.

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As a species, humans are really quite detestable, and I feel OK about saying that because I’m not bitter about it. I just don’t expect any better – myself or otherwise. I think the most recent time I learnt to expect very little from myself or others was while I was sitting in a chair catching up on some TV this morning. Two and a half hours of my life were spent watching a whole host of my favourite British actors play people in disastrous relationships. The BBC’s five-part series “True Love” was a fantastic piece of television, a great selection of writing and also had a diamond sound track.

But of all the perverse thoughts of the perverse thoughts in the world, why is it that I found myself silently hoping that Billy Piper’s character would manage to get away with a relationship with fellow actress Kaya Scodelario who plays a 16 year old student? That is some seriously weird longing on so many levels.

American evangelical leader Mike Bickle used to speak about love a lot. In fact, he even wrote a book about the subject. His conclusion is that the deepest longing of the human heart is to be loved and that everything else comes down to that. I couldn’t agree with him more. Everything we do is about love: if we’re rich or poor, sick or in health, better or, in our case, worse – it all comes down to love. Love is unconditional and doesn’t see circumstance. And that makes me simultaneously very happy and very uneasy. Especially when I feel so moved by the idea of a teacher running off with a nubile teenager both of whom appear to be quite unhappy with their lives and their loves. Can we really judge a person for pursuing the deepest desire of their heart? Who are we to say that a relationship is evil? Perhaps if Piper’s character was a Christian we would have more right to be concerned. But as it is, she is not and can’t be expected to follow the moral standards that are clearly laid out in scripture.

***

Piper starts out in an affair with a married man (whose own wife has an affair in the next episode). She’s evidently unhappy and disinterested in any relation with the man, physical or emotional.

Hopeless as a teacher, too, she is discontent with her life and begins to feel the wanderlust that comes from sadness and melancholy. She’s approached by Scodelario’s character after a class one day and although initially uncertain whether she should accept an invitation from the pupil to go to an art exhibition, she goes. The two begin a relationship which escalates in a way that only television can develop a relationship – a Polaroid snapshot of a complicated album – and before they know it, we see them making a decision to run away together. This reminds me quite a bit of that essay by the writer David Foster Wallace, a wonderful writer, entitled E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction where he writes: “And I’m not saying that television is vulgar and dumb because the people who compose the Audience are vulgar and dumb. Television is the way it is simply because people tend to be extremely similar in their vulgar and prurient and dumb interests and wildly different in their refined and aesthetic and noble interests.”

He has a point. In reality, or in a book even, there would be a repercussion for what, although legal, is in a severely grey area in terms of ethical considerations: a teacher running away with a student of the same sex. But television is vulgar and dumb because our interests are vulgar, prurient and dumb. Or are they? I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that.

***

I’m very fond of the closing scene in Annie Hall – actually I’m fond of all the scenes in Annie Hall – where Woody Allen tells the joke of the two brothers, one of whom is mad and although I hate to spoil a punchline, I think this is just as good an occasion as any to do so…

“You know, this guy goes to his psychiatrist and says, “Doc, my brother’s crazy. He thinks he’s a chicken.” And the doctor says, “Well why don’t you turn him in?” The guy says, “I would, but I need the eggs.” Well, I guess that’s pretty much now how I feel about relationships– you know, they’re totally irrational and crazy and absurd, but, I guess we keep going through it because most of us need the eggs.”

I guess it’s kind of a mixture of what Bickle says and what Allen says. Love is crazy and irrational but our deepest human longing is for love to win out – even if it has to be at the cost of all the well reasoned arguments that we lay out in our minds. I think at the bottom of everything, we really need the eggs.

Marc Thomas is a journalist and designer, he also runs an online culture magazine. Follow Marc on Twitter

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