Plasticine People

Do you remember Gumby? And do you remember his horse Pokey? Small clay animation figures that kept kids(and adults) amused and fixed to their TV screen when ever it is on.

Gumby was able to come apart – the reassemble when needed. He could squeeze through cracks. He had all kinds of adventures. He was an amazing little guy that become famous with his antics.

But – more than anything else Gumby was a figment of someone’s imagination. Not real at all – but loved by all. Not a person that lives next door – but real enough to immediately jump into your memory bank when you recalled him with his name. You likely remembered he was green and his horse pokey was red.

The real part that all of us knew was “Plasticine” that we all had played with over the years. We tried diligently to create something with the plasticine but usually crumpled the creation into a lump and retuned it to the container for another time.

The definition and description of plasticine is as follows….

Plasticine - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is trademarked but tends to be used as a generic description in Britain and the Commonwealth, in Ireland as plasticine or márla, in Chile, Uruguay, Portugal and Brazil as plasticina in many countries of Latin America and Spain as plastilina, in Lithuania as plastelinas, in Estonia plasteliin, in Bulgaria plastilin, but pronounced most of times in the spoken language as plastelin, and Albania as plastelin. In the United States the term modelling clay is much more widely used and, although the Plasticine brand is available, it is not well known.

You probably didn’t need that trivia – but it is a gift now.

It states that Plasticine is made of “calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids”. Not really that attractive when you read it aloud – is it? The most it does is help portrait the unreal world in our imagination.

I have been struggling with my world and some of the things that are portrayed around me. The media and the movies have much to do with this area of struggle. The stuff they tell me to consider is not real… yet it has become fastened in my memory as nearly real… then with time it is real.

One such illustration I can provide is a daytime SOAP – TV program. At the time that this illustration took place “General Hospital” was a popular program on afternoon TV. Much ado was made in the news about the program. It had many faithful followers.

The telephone rang at our church office and a dear lady that I knew was calling for prayer. She was upset that someone she knew was very sick and was dieing. She was absolutely serious with her request as well. She gave the name of the person that she was asking prayer for… I knew her family but did not recognize this name. I asked where the person lived and her response was unsure. She then told me that the person needing prayer was on the TV program “General Hospital”. I didn’t know what to say.

A fictitious person acted by a professional actor was sick with a “story line cancer”. Undoubtedly it was a good story line and the lady from our church was so engrossed that she couldn’t separate reality from the unreal world of “General Hospital”. She pushed me to pray on the phone for her TV “friend”. I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it and she left in a huff.

I am sorry – doesn’t anyone else see a problem here? Plasticine People – actors and Hollywood – are not real. Who you see or what you hear about is a figment of someone’s rich imagination.

Recently the news was all a flutter… NEWS Flash…!
“J.K. Rowling has outed one of the main characters of her best-selling Harry Potter series, telling fans in New York that the wizard Albus Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts school, is gay.”

Our national and local news reported on this “story”. They told us that thousands of fans were flocking to the large meeting place in our area to see J.K. Rowling and hear her speak about what she just announced.

I am sorry again – but get a grip – this is all about “plasticine people” – made in someone’s imagination to be later crumpled and put away like all good plasticine should be. It isn’t real. Dumbledore is a character in a book. HE IS NOT REAL… and most people that hear and believe this stuff must be crazy. Get a grip.

In another way out way it is illustrated vibrantly with a TV series that is now a movie entitled “Sex and the City”. In a recent McLean’s magazine article Rosalind Miles made a statement that made me think deeply…
Quote… “And a new archetype? In truth, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte embody a theme that is both primeval myth and modern male nightmare: women out of the control of men. Trying on lovers and other women's husbands like old clothes and treating men like Kleenex to use and throw away, the freely fornicating four represent the opportunistic, terrifying aspect of the female principal following its own lusts.” Enquote.

I know what she is writing about – but the part that amazes me is that Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte are more real than the actresses that play them. Oddly the actresses are likely becoming who they play… and people watching are acting the same as Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

This is a ‘plasticine people’ world. We try to imitate what others are doing or saying or thinking or imagining. When will someone pinch someone else and wake everyone up? This is an unreal world… but we believe what we see and hear.

In my pastoral duties I have stumbled into young couple’s lives when marriage is being considered – some have trouble. I have been brought into mature relationships as they work through problems. Old or young folks have basically the same problems in relationships – they try to be something that they are not. The Plasticine People’s world has invaded ours. It is not good. It is unreal and there are no good reference points.

I want to stand up and say – “I want real! Please don’t try to fool me any longer”.

Away back in the Garden of Eden account… the folk living there were fooled by a snake. They bit into a delicious fruit that offered promise. As old as this story is …it is as up to date as the news tonight. People living a lie and missing the reality is a reality.

“God… how we need your help today. If you are not too busy today God… I need to talk to you some more about some really whacky things that some of my fellow Earthlings are doing and thinking and acting out…. For now… I need more of your help than ever before. This world is nuts! Thanks for listening God… catch you later…”

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~