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Watch. Think. Discuss.

12 posted on November 12, 2008
17 Comments
POSTED IN: Makes You Think

The latest Nooma Video, Tomato is premiering at Neue. It will be streaming in its entirety for the next 24 hours only. Head on over there, watch it, then come back here and discuss.

Do you ever find yourself telling a story in a certain way to make yourself look better?

We pick up at a very young age from the world around us that it’s about winning or impressing. We leark quite quickly that the way to get ahead is to take the path of ascent, to climb higher and higher.

We spend all this energy maintaining this false self, carefully protecting and preserving this image that we’ve created. Jesus invites that part of us to die. The part of us that always has to be right, always has to be better, always has to look good.

Think about how many broken relationships aren’t going to get any better until somebody is the first to apologize. Why is that so hard? Because when we say we’re sorry we admit that our hands aren’t clean, that we may have contributed to this mess – saying you’re sorry is a form of death. It’s a refusal to carry on the false self and prop it up, it’s a refusal to maintain that perfect image of yourself.

Jesus invites us to lose our life so that we can really find it.

I don’t know about you but the message of this video hit me between the eyes.

Discuss.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am and is filed under Makes You Think. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

17 Comments

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  1. Visit My Website

    November 12, 2008

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    1 Travis Thompson said:

    Brad – I thought it was very powerful too, but I didn’t completely get the guy in the suit, the one with the twinkie, until I watched it the second time. I love the dissonance it creates in my brain.

    Travis Thompsons last blog post..Veteran’s Day



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    November 12, 2008

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    2 Brad Ruggles said:

    Yeah, I kinda wasn’t sure at first where they were going with him. For me he represented consumerism and worry about what people thought – getting you to buy this, or say this, or act this way. I loved in the end how the guy ran off and left him standing there stretching.



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    November 12, 2008

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    3 blake said:

    the part i liked the most was about the path of ascent vs. the path of descent.

    the path of ascent is elevating ourselves where the the path of descent is lowering ourselves.

    that is something that i need to hear on a pretty much daily basis.

    it took me a while to get into it – but i really liked it.

    blakes last blog post..titus



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    November 12, 2008

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    4 Brad Ruggles said:

    Yup.

    The only way up is down. Only way to experience true life is to die to self.



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    November 12, 2008

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    5 Juli Jarvis said:

    I thought it was good too, but had trouble following the story line with the guy with the umbrella. It’s a very important message though — dying to self. I need to keep this in mind all the time.

    Juli Jarviss last blog post..Please Pray



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    November 12, 2008

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    6 nathancouch said:

    Ouch! Man is that the pressure we feel sometimes. Makes you ask what it would feel like to dump that pressure to impress.



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    November 12, 2008

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    7 Linny Best said:

    Dale explained it as a simple gospel message over a hipster version of the Screwtape Letters. Makes sense when you think about the guy in the suit…attempting to make the people do what they don’t want to/shouldn’t.

    I do love me some deep Nooma discussion…

    Linny Bests last blog post..Shoes Shoes Shoes



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    November 12, 2008

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    8 Brad Ruggles said:

    Hiptster version of the Screwtape Letters…I like that.



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    November 12, 2008

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    9 Dale Best said:

    I about said what Linny just said. It’s the first thing I thought of as I was watching it. Rob gives a simple Gospel message … probably the clearest and easiest to understand Gospel message I’ve ever heard Rob give … and he places it over a this hipster version of the Screwtapes Letters.

    It’s like Rob takes a page from the very folks who like to criticize him the most.

    Dale Bests last blog post..Thinking About Wordpress



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    November 12, 2008

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    10 Cherith said:

    I really liked the video. I’m glad I’m not the only one that did get the guy in the suit. lol. anyways, I loved his illustration about death and life. What a great way to grab your attention, and then to tie it into dying to yourself. So awesome. We hear stuff like this in highschool all the time, but it’s so hard to apply at that age. You want to be cool and excepted no matter what it takes. As an adult I find the need to be more excepted by God instead of people, because that is where all my true happiness comes from.

    Cheriths last blog post..I’m sick



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    11 Cherith said:

    correction: I DIDN’T get the guy in the suit.. haha

    Cheriths last blog post..I’m sick



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    12 Brian Becker said:

    First reaction: Complicated. I’d probably have to watch it again to get more out of it. My favorite Nooma is their very first one “RAIN”. I loved the imagery and the simple message. Rob Bell is so creative and articulate – he does a great job.

    B.

    Brian Beckers last blog post.."Simple Church" Book Review & App (Part 1)



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    13 stephen lechner said:

    I loved it. I got the guy in the suit like 3 minutes into the video.

    Great job of depicting how we must die to ourselves. It’s never an easy realization but it must be done each day.



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    14 Shanda said:

    I thought it was great. Although it did take me a while to get the story line with umbrella man.
    And Rain is by far my favorite too.

    Shandas last blog post..My Story…Part Three



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    15 Rachel said:

    WOW! That is so powerful. I am DEFINITELY guilty of all of the above. Although, in more recent days I’ll have to say I’ve learned that there’s so much more freedom in admiting that I’m not always perfect, or even close to it, and somedays, I’m just not okay. It’s so freeing.



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    November 13, 2008

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    16 Bonnie Irving said:

    WOW! that was very Cool! I Got the Guy in the Suit, I thought he was Representing our
    ” false Self” and some people Ignored it and went on and some didnt and just hung out and was buddies with it. Lots Of spiritual meat to chew on mentally and process. This Topic is a HARD thing to do, but so worth it!



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    November 24, 2008

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    17 Top 50 + Bloggers in Indianapolis | Kyle Lacy, Social Media – Indianapolis said:

    [...] 24. Brad Ruggles: Marketing, Social Media, Design, Religion Recent Post: Watch. Think. Discuss [...]



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    I love my family more than anything but I still struggle to keep my passions and priorities in order. I’m passionate about the Church, its influence on culture, and making it better. I’m constantly challenging the process - examining what I do, why I do it and its relevance in today’s progressive culture. read more
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