The Depths of Love

Last night I had the opportunity to go see The Last Samurai. I had only read one review of the movie, which was an unfavorable one, but I had heard from my friends that it was a good movie. My friends were wrong -- it was a great movie. I am not much of a film buff, having few resources with which to approach movies in an academic way, so I have to resort to forming my opinion based on my emotional reactions and personal tastes. It is on that basis that I think that it is a great movie. While I am far from being an aspiring Buddhist, I was inspired by the brief glimpse of Japanese culture that the movie offered (I am told that it is rather accurate). Every time that I encounter a new culture (even if in only a limited way) I realize that the western thought is not the only way of looking at things. While I do not allow myself to simply absorb every facet of each culture, I find that I can come to a deeper understanding of the world in which I live by reflecting or even absorbing some of the elements of a particular culture. Ultimately, I find that, when I keep these things within a Christian framework, they can even enrich my understanding of and relationship with my God. Through these brief encounters with cultures around the world, I am reminded of how important it is for the Church to be catholic. It is neither fair nor correct for me to imagine that every Christian around the world comes from the same theological and philosophical tradition. As strange as it seems to my mind, I think that this is true and it leaves me with something to ponder: How is it that peoples from every tongue, tribe, and nation can worship the same Lord and Savior with such a diverse multitude of expressions and forms?
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