Jen Shroder
Mel Gibson: Wake up, Samson, the media is upon you!
By Jen Shroder
A calculating woman armed with a tape recorder — that's our modern day Delilah accompanied by Paparazzi Philistines in league to destroy a mighty warrior.
"And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death..." (Judges 16)
And vexed he was. "You don't care," Mel sneered at Oksana Giorieva. I wonder if Samson spat out those same words to Delilah as the Philistines gouged out his eyes.
Samson was deeply in lust. So was Mel. Both men were strayed and betrayed, but let us examine the bait. As a Hollywood chauffeur, I've heard a parade of sirens chew men up, spit them out and watch them crawl back begging for more. They know exactly what buttons to push, what words to say and how to say them. Mel should have suspected the trap when the part Oksana was playing rang false to her history. Samson should have suspected the trap after Delilah's rehearsals to weaken and bind him. Men can be so blind.
"For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword." (Prov 5)
Samson had many women. So did Mel. Samson became obsessed with one and sacrificed everything for her. So did Mel. Delilah was a home-wrecker in league with an army, so was Oksana with the media in tow, three previous husbands and Mel's wife in her wake.
Oksana delivered a poised performance and Gibson fell for it right on cue. As disgusting as Mel's rant was, it's an all too common occurrence usually ignored as battered women forgive their abusers. Those are the women deserving of real help, not thrice-divorced socialites standing to gain multi-millions, living in the homes of their manipulated sugardaddys.
No, this was the tortured realization of a man that he lost the best thing he ever had, his wife of 30 years and mother of his 7 children. Robyn, the essence of grace recently said, "Mel never engaged in any physical abuse of any kind toward me before, during or after our marriage. Mel was a wonderful and loving father." Mel's slow realization to have lost a woman like that for the cold void of Delilah can be heard in the torment of his words. The desperation, the hope against hope of trying to make something out of the ashes that cost so dearly as his enemies loomed in the backdrop. Ever since "The Passion of the Christ," a film that rocked an audience to the core and that Hollywood failed to understand, those enemies have waited to tear Mel to shreds.
Talk show hosts have been beating the drum of doom for Gibson, speculating whether fans will still appreciate "The Passion of the Christ" after they're done with him. Oh the joyous frenzy of Hollywood! But then, so did the Philistines rejoice at the site of Samson, publicly humiliated, brought down before them, blind and chained. How they laughed, snapping their fingers at the words of angels.
Samson paid a heavy price and Gibson will as well. But the work of the Holy Spirit and what He did through Mel and Samson is no less miraculous. None of us are perfect aside from Christ, and we have a part in this. For who among us thought to pray for Mel after God used him in such a way, knowing the fury of the enemy crouched at his door? And Satan has his helpers, our main stream media, playing these sound bytes 24/7, naming Gibson as a racist while ignoring the New Black Panther's call for the killing of cracker babies. Most of us won't see Mel at future voting booths, but many of us will see swinging batons like Samir Shabazz's if Obama's administration doesn't start upholding the law.
Samson brought down the coliseum blind and bound in chains, but our faith is not in Samson or Mel Gibson, our faith is in Christ. Pray He delivers us from the storm brewing on all horizons. Pray for Israel. Pray for Mel Gibson and pray for your pastor. The greatest witnesses among us face the full brunt of darkness enraged. Our leaders seem strong, but they need His strength. And when our leaders fall, help them up again. And take heart. God has not forgotten us.
© Jen Shroder
July 17, 2010
A calculating woman armed with a tape recorder — that's our modern day Delilah accompanied by Paparazzi Philistines in league to destroy a mighty warrior.
"And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death..." (Judges 16)And vexed he was. "You don't care," Mel sneered at Oksana Giorieva. I wonder if Samson spat out those same words to Delilah as the Philistines gouged out his eyes.
Samson was deeply in lust. So was Mel. Both men were strayed and betrayed, but let us examine the bait. As a Hollywood chauffeur, I've heard a parade of sirens chew men up, spit them out and watch them crawl back begging for more. They know exactly what buttons to push, what words to say and how to say them. Mel should have suspected the trap when the part Oksana was playing rang false to her history. Samson should have suspected the trap after Delilah's rehearsals to weaken and bind him. Men can be so blind.
"For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword." (Prov 5)
Samson had many women. So did Mel. Samson became obsessed with one and sacrificed everything for her. So did Mel. Delilah was a home-wrecker in league with an army, so was Oksana with the media in tow, three previous husbands and Mel's wife in her wake.
Oksana delivered a poised performance and Gibson fell for it right on cue. As disgusting as Mel's rant was, it's an all too common occurrence usually ignored as battered women forgive their abusers. Those are the women deserving of real help, not thrice-divorced socialites standing to gain multi-millions, living in the homes of their manipulated sugardaddys.
No, this was the tortured realization of a man that he lost the best thing he ever had, his wife of 30 years and mother of his 7 children. Robyn, the essence of grace recently said, "Mel never engaged in any physical abuse of any kind toward me before, during or after our marriage. Mel was a wonderful and loving father." Mel's slow realization to have lost a woman like that for the cold void of Delilah can be heard in the torment of his words. The desperation, the hope against hope of trying to make something out of the ashes that cost so dearly as his enemies loomed in the backdrop. Ever since "The Passion of the Christ," a film that rocked an audience to the core and that Hollywood failed to understand, those enemies have waited to tear Mel to shreds.
Talk show hosts have been beating the drum of doom for Gibson, speculating whether fans will still appreciate "The Passion of the Christ" after they're done with him. Oh the joyous frenzy of Hollywood! But then, so did the Philistines rejoice at the site of Samson, publicly humiliated, brought down before them, blind and chained. How they laughed, snapping their fingers at the words of angels.
Samson paid a heavy price and Gibson will as well. But the work of the Holy Spirit and what He did through Mel and Samson is no less miraculous. None of us are perfect aside from Christ, and we have a part in this. For who among us thought to pray for Mel after God used him in such a way, knowing the fury of the enemy crouched at his door? And Satan has his helpers, our main stream media, playing these sound bytes 24/7, naming Gibson as a racist while ignoring the New Black Panther's call for the killing of cracker babies. Most of us won't see Mel at future voting booths, but many of us will see swinging batons like Samir Shabazz's if Obama's administration doesn't start upholding the law.
Samson brought down the coliseum blind and bound in chains, but our faith is not in Samson or Mel Gibson, our faith is in Christ. Pray He delivers us from the storm brewing on all horizons. Pray for Israel. Pray for Mel Gibson and pray for your pastor. The greatest witnesses among us face the full brunt of darkness enraged. Our leaders seem strong, but they need His strength. And when our leaders fall, help them up again. And take heart. God has not forgotten us.
© Jen Shroder
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