#Gangsters paradise movie

All these things are found eminently in God in reference to GodвЂ™s people. The idea, which the language suggests, is that of tender care protection particular attention to the young and the feeble, providing for their wants. Hong Kong: Tear gas and clashes at democracy protestДavid, in his old age would naturally recall the occupations of his early life and the memory of the care of God over him would naturally recall the care, which he had, in earlier years, extended over his flocks. The comparison of the care, which God extends over GodвЂ™s people to that of a shepherd for his flock, is one that would naturally occur to those who were accustomed to pastoral life-to someone like David, perhaps. Traditionally, Psalm 23 is categorized as a psalm of trust, one that expresses a confidence in GodвЂ™s care- The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. It committed violence to the psalm she had known.

However, something else seemed to bother her. Surely, my mothers concerns about lyrical content were not unfounded-I mean, I was only 9 or 10 at the time. вЂњItвЂ™s too dark,вЂќ she said, вЂњthis song is too violent.вЂќ I donвЂ™t recall whether we made it through this first verse without her changing the station, however I do remember her not liking the songвЂ™s use of the 23 rd psalm. I remember hearing this song on the radio while riding in the car with my mother. IвЂ™m the kinda G the little homies wanna be like Or you and your homies might be lined in chalkДЄs they croak I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool You better watch how you talkin,вЂ™ and where you walkinвЂ™ Me be treated like a punk, you know thatвЂ™s unheard of I take a look at my life and realize thereвЂ™s nuttinвЂ™ leftД¬ause IвЂ™ve been blastinвЂ™ and laughinвЂ™ so long thatД«ut I ainвЂ™t never crossed a man that didnвЂ™t deserve it (better known by his stage name, Coolio) reflects this reality and starts with a line from the psalm,ДЄs I walk through the valley of the shadow of death The movieвЂ™s theme song, GangsterвЂ™s Paradise by Artis Leon Ivey, Jr. In fact in 1992, it had the highest homicide rate in the country. During the mid-80s and early 90s it was a city with an incredibly high crime rate.

#Gangsters paradise movie

The movie featured Michelle Pfeiffer as LouAnne Johnson, who took up a teaching position at Clarmont High School in Belmont, California, where most of her students were African-American and Latino teenagers from East Palo Alto, a then-unincorporated town at the opposite end of the school district. A movie that came out in the mid-90вЂ™s based on LouAnne JohnsonвЂ™s autobiography, My Posse DonвЂ™t Do Homework. Some of you might recall the movie, Dangerous Minds. Which is to say, when Psalm 23 is quoted, it is quoted and set in an entirely new setting, recontexualized-sometimes in an altered form-re-presented in remarkably atypical and surprising ways. In fact, to actually quote the psalm вЂњas isвЂќ with some sense of authority seems to be the exception to the rule. There is little presentation without re-presentation. In popular, mainstream media we do not typically find the psalm вЂњas isвЂќ or largely unchanged. But what is the nature of the reference? How is the psalm being used? Even among the media, from radio to television, to movies that hit the big screen, psalm 23 seems to pervade. From rap to reggae to metal to classic rock-psalm 23 certainly gets around.

Or perhaps something a bit more contemporary, Tupac Shakur, Dennis Brown, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, and yes, even ChicagoвЂ™s own, Kanye West. Some of you might recall songs by Duke Ellington from his album Black, Brown and Beige. Psalm 23 is equally popular among the popular-in songs you might actually hear on the radio or movies that arenвЂ™t released directly to DVD. Psalm 23 is not just popular among the pious pew-sitters, to be found only in dusty old hymnals, or in the lyrics of the next generation of Christian song-writers. The psalm has been set to music, to canvas, and to memory-ready to be recited upon request during prayer services, at hospital bedsides, funerals, and memorials. To say that the 23 rd Psalm is вЂњbelovedвЂќ or вЂњwell-knownвЂќ is a bit of an understatement. Psalm 23.В A psalm of David.В A psalm of promise.В A psalm of praise! It was called вЂњLiving in a GangsterвЂ™s Paradise.вЂќ So,В IвЂ™m just going to leave it right here with some additional newsВ linksВ and imagesВ fromВ Hong Kong: Hong Kong: Tear gas and clashes at democracy protest (click here). I wonвЂ™t be preaching on the psalm this time, however, considering it made me recall a sermon that I wroteВ while I was in seminary. This morning I woke up to a text from my ma that read: вЂњCheck out the protests in Hong Kong.вЂќ After reading the news, I sat down to read the lectionary for Sunday Oct 12 (because thatвЂ™s the next time I preach), and saw that it includes Psalm 23.