Eight Cows
As usual, disclaimers regarding opinion. While I think that I am speaking accurately, it is opinion.
If you are familiar with some of the cultural pieces of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), then you already understand the title. Hate it or love it, Johnny Lingo is one of the most classic seminary videos of all time. It has somewhat of a following of Boomers, and Gen Xers. What is Johnny Lingo, and why am I writing about it today?
I had the opportunity to fill in last week as an Early Morning Seminary Teacher for Paola HS, for the last three days of classes. Early Morning Seminary is a religion class that LDS High School aged youth get up, and go to every morning before school. Each year has a theme, Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Church History. They consistently rotate, so that by the time you graduate HS, you have had each course. This year has been New Testament, and since it was the end of the year, my lessons dealt with the last chapters of the Revelation of John. Think about that, teenagers getting up to go to a religion class before school.
Today, we had the Louisburg class come over (another HS within our congregation) and the Bishop and his counselors cooked breakfast for them. (think about that. the leaders of the congregation starting their day early to come and cook, before going to work, no paid clergy here) We had a great time, and I opted to show the video Johnny Lingo. it is about 25 minutes long, and made in 1969, so no CGI, non-digital production, and very cheesy; it was produced by Brigham Young University, and was filmed on what is now the BYU-Hawaii campus.
A lot of background, but why? And what does it have to do with Revelation?
Without giving away the ending, it is about a polynesian man coming to an island to bargain with a girl's father for her hand in marriage. He is well known as a very shrewd trader, and the girl that he is bargaining for is known through the village as being very shy, and ugly; even her father refers to her in such a way. In the movie, and I presume in the culture at the time, the exchange for wives were cows. "For two or three cows, one can buy a good wife; four or five buys a superior one." (Mr. Harris, who ran the store in the village) Long story, most thought she would be a one cow woman. Her father asks for three, and everyone laughs. But they are silenced by Johnny's offer of eight cows. Anyway, I will just leave it there, as that was what I wanted to talk about.
In Revelation, John refers to Christ as the Bridegroom, and the Church as his bride. (Rev. 19:7 KJV) This is not the first time that this symbol has been used, and is very appropriate. We ourselves are a fallen people. We cannot be redeemed through our own actions alone. The Atoning blood of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to be saved.
Johnny Lingo saw what no one else saw in his bride to be. He loved her. Her happiness was paramount to him. He saw the beauty that had been covered with shame, with mocking, and with a father who thought little of her. He was very willing to pay the high price of eight cows. To say she was damaged goods would be an understatement, and yet, Johnny saw that she really was an eight cow wife. In the same way, Christ knows each of us. Even though we are broken ourselves, even though the world mocks and despises us, as part of His church, He willingly pays the price, knowing our potential.
The offer of Eternal Life has been made. Do we accept it?
Do we have eight cow potential? Something to think about.
Interested in the video? This version has some interesting facts about the filming of the movie as popups.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-05-0010-johnny-lingo?lang=eng
If you are familiar with some of the cultural pieces of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), then you already understand the title. Hate it or love it, Johnny Lingo is one of the most classic seminary videos of all time. It has somewhat of a following of Boomers, and Gen Xers. What is Johnny Lingo, and why am I writing about it today?
I had the opportunity to fill in last week as an Early Morning Seminary Teacher for Paola HS, for the last three days of classes. Early Morning Seminary is a religion class that LDS High School aged youth get up, and go to every morning before school. Each year has a theme, Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Church History. They consistently rotate, so that by the time you graduate HS, you have had each course. This year has been New Testament, and since it was the end of the year, my lessons dealt with the last chapters of the Revelation of John. Think about that, teenagers getting up to go to a religion class before school.
Today, we had the Louisburg class come over (another HS within our congregation) and the Bishop and his counselors cooked breakfast for them. (think about that. the leaders of the congregation starting their day early to come and cook, before going to work, no paid clergy here) We had a great time, and I opted to show the video Johnny Lingo. it is about 25 minutes long, and made in 1969, so no CGI, non-digital production, and very cheesy; it was produced by Brigham Young University, and was filmed on what is now the BYU-Hawaii campus.
A lot of background, but why? And what does it have to do with Revelation?
Without giving away the ending, it is about a polynesian man coming to an island to bargain with a girl's father for her hand in marriage. He is well known as a very shrewd trader, and the girl that he is bargaining for is known through the village as being very shy, and ugly; even her father refers to her in such a way. In the movie, and I presume in the culture at the time, the exchange for wives were cows. "For two or three cows, one can buy a good wife; four or five buys a superior one." (Mr. Harris, who ran the store in the village) Long story, most thought she would be a one cow woman. Her father asks for three, and everyone laughs. But they are silenced by Johnny's offer of eight cows. Anyway, I will just leave it there, as that was what I wanted to talk about.
In Revelation, John refers to Christ as the Bridegroom, and the Church as his bride. (Rev. 19:7 KJV) This is not the first time that this symbol has been used, and is very appropriate. We ourselves are a fallen people. We cannot be redeemed through our own actions alone. The Atoning blood of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to be saved.
Johnny Lingo saw what no one else saw in his bride to be. He loved her. Her happiness was paramount to him. He saw the beauty that had been covered with shame, with mocking, and with a father who thought little of her. He was very willing to pay the high price of eight cows. To say she was damaged goods would be an understatement, and yet, Johnny saw that she really was an eight cow wife. In the same way, Christ knows each of us. Even though we are broken ourselves, even though the world mocks and despises us, as part of His church, He willingly pays the price, knowing our potential.
The offer of Eternal Life has been made. Do we accept it?
Do we have eight cow potential? Something to think about.
Interested in the video? This version has some interesting facts about the filming of the movie as popups.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-05-0010-johnny-lingo?lang=eng
Comments
Post a Comment