Erwin McManus creates a DVD to Fulfill our Inner Craving
Diana deRegnier
May 01, 2008
Erwin McManus is lead pastor and Cultural Architect of the Los Angeles based church Mosaic. "The name of our community comes from the diversity of our members and from the symbolism of a broken and fragmented humanity which can become a work of beauty under the artful hands of God."
"When you give up on yourself, you start throwing out things like dreams, optimism, hope, intimacy, love, trust, truth, meaning and faith." Says Erwin in his book "Soul Cravings." Erwin McManus and Awaken films has created "Crave" to deliver the message of "Soul Cravings" and Mosaic through dramatic storytelling. Three stories reveal the deep human need for intimacy, meaning and destiny and invite the most vulnerable within each of us into conversation about our deepest longings.
As my first question in a telephone interview with Erwin, Wednesday morning, I could not resist asking, "What is a Cultural Architect?"
Erwin: I get that so much, and we don't take the titles as seriously as the people reading them. We were actually sitting on a boat as a team in Big Bear talking about how to describe what we do. And rather than describe in a language that doesn't translate, our team said, 'Really what you do is a combination of what an engineer does. He has to create systems and structures to help get what people need to them. But you're also an artist that brings in ethos and the culture.' So we thought, what combines the engineering side and the artistic side and came up with the metaphor of an architect. Then, we obviously described 'in the culture' to say really what we're trying to do is create a better world. We're trying to create a world that is compassionate, more loving, and more humane. We want to create a world where there's optimism and hope, a world of meaning and intentionality for every person.
Diana: Church Report Magazine, a traditional, conservative publication named you one of the 50 most influential Christians in America and Mosaic one of the 50 most influential churches in America in 2006 and 2007. How is it that your message appeals to those who are traditional Christians and to those more spiritually minded?
Erwin: That's a great observation. A lot of people look to Church Report and assume it's a pretty broadly-based assessment and it's not. It's a very conservative group and that's why it's even more surprising for us that we're on that list.
I think there's a number of reasons for that. It is unusual to us that in the kind of community we are, the world thinks we communicate our message the way that we engage the world; we're far more inclusive than exclusive. So there are a lot of things that are counter-intuitive. I just look at it from my end and say I'm grateful to have influence anywhere. If Church Report allows us to speak to their lives and to their culture and help them consider, maybe, a new way of understanding who Jesus is and what he taught and how the church should engage the world, we're happy to have the influence.
Diana: You have a successful and expanding ministry based in Southern California with several venues and expanding to Northern California; you have podcasts and an extensive speaking tour schedule. What do you hope to achieve with the films that the other mediums would not convey?
Erwin: Sure. Well, the 'Crave' films are just born out of a passion to tell stories that awaken the heroic imagination in every person. And, I think that maybe the medium in some ways reflects in our own heart and our own passion. If we were trying to have a meaningful message [just] with people of faith who are already Christians and in churches, we probably would not have gone for the 'Crave' films, but that isn't where we feel like the important conversations are. We want to [also] have conversations with people who've been hurt by religion or are on a spiritual journey and yet they don't really trust an institutional expression of faith, and for people who are agnostic or atheist, and yet want to have some kind of connection with spirituality.
We feel like 'Crave' is a contemporary medium which allows us to have deeply meaningful conversations. The fact is that they're not inaccessible to anyone who isn't of faith. We really want to have a conversation with everyone about what it looks like to be a true and beautiful human being.
Diana: Wonderful. What I really identify with is the idea of storytelling. 'Crave' offers very realistic experiences and to me there's nothing more important than our stories.
Erwin: Absolutely. If you go back to tribal times, people sat around an open fire and the cultural shaman or wise man would tell stories that would help the whole culture understand who they were and how they were to live together. We've lost a lot of that. We've lost that sense of the common story that we share together. We feel like 'Crave,' in some sense, is a postmodern fire where we sit as a tribe.
Diana: 'Soul Cravings,' has been called by some an apologetic. Is Crave also an apologetic, and if so what do you mean by that?
Erwin: If you call the book 'Soul Cravings' an apologetic, it would probably be in the farthest stretch of the word "apologetic." It's not an argument; it's an invitation. 'Soul Cravings' basically says that there is intrinsic evidence of God. Proof of God within you. If you were created by God, you don't have to look objectively for that. If God created you, then you can look inside yourself and begin to see that the soul craves an intimate relationship with the creator of the Universe.
And, all of us, all 6.7 billion of us have more in common than we have apart. All of us have a common craving for intimacy, for love, for relationship, for community. All of us have a common intrinsic craving for a sense of destiny, of purpose, of progress, of future. And, we all have a longing for hope. Every one of us has a craving for meaning and intentionality, to do something significant with our lives. And really, the proposed intention of 'Soul Cravings' is that these intrinsic cravings, if you'll listen to your soul, will actually guide you to a place where you and God can come to know each other.
Soul Cravings' is not an apologetic [in the sense of] trying to argue with you. It´s an apologetic that's actually trying to journey with you and ask you the questions that take you to a place where no one but you can say, 'Well, yes, that's what's going on inside of me.'
The 'Crave' films are very similar. They're not intrusive. Hopefully, they're not belligerent or arrogant. They're saying these are the struggles and questions all of us have. Let's talk about these and see if in them we might find God.
Diana: One of the reviews I read of 'Soul Cravings' is by Gary Gilley. Are you familiar with his writing about your book?
Erwin: I am not.
Diana: Ok. He's basically coming from a very traditional, conservative place and he says that the fatal flaw of the McManus system is that you don't quote the Scriptures enough, and that you don't speak to Jesus died for our sins and we are terrible sinners who need to seek redemption. Pardon my bias (evident in my tone of voice). I'm paraphrasing what he said.
Erwin: Sure.
Diana: What would you say to that?
Erwin: I guess what I would say is that, ironically, I'm a person who does believe that Jesus died for me. And, I found forgiveness and grace and acceptance and compassion in Jesus Christ. And so, I don't know Gary, but what I would say is I would rather offend every Gary on earth and have a meaningful conversation with all the people who are searching and struggling and hurting and needing someone to care about them.
Diana: Oh, that's beautiful.
I also found there's going to be something else released in June called 'Wide Awake: start dreaming with your eyes open.'
Erwin: Yeah, we just changed the subtitle yesterday. The book is called 'Wide Awake: the future is within you.'
Diana: That's lovely. Are you going to follow with other films?
Erwin: We are. We're working diligently here, right now, to have a series of films coming out with the book. This will probably be 4 or 5 different shorts. One of them, it looks like, will be animated and some of them will be a little edgier. I think it's going to be beautiful.
Frankly, I am so passionate about the whole genre of filmmaking I hope I would be involved with making films the rest of my life.
Diana: Ok. That answers all of my questions. I appreciate all your fabulous answers. [Actually, I have more questions, but we agreed to a 15 minute interview and we've gone 20, and I need to limit my column to a readable length for busy readers.]
Erwin: Oh, thank you so much. I hope you have a wonderful holy week and I hope you have a good experience in this research.
Diana: Thank you. I'm having a great time, and I'm very interested in Mosaic.
Erwin: Great, let's continue the conversation.
Diana: Ok!
LIONSGATE®, in connection with Awaken films released the DVD "Crave" in February, 2008: The short film collection mirrors the dramatic themes found in "Soul Cravings."
In "Nameless Moment," Gavin, an intelligent but pessimistic physics student who´s convinced that life is a series of random, meaningless events, played by Dusty Sorg ("The Company Man, The Television, Rings"), lives in his car, showers on campus, and dreams about Kaleen, a woman he´s never had the courage to speak to, played by Kylee Cochran ("Summerland, House, ER,"). One night, Gavin´s preconception is shattered after he unexpectedly becomes Kaleen´s confidante and changes her life forever.
"Pop Star" features a spoiled British pop star, played by Adam Campbell ("You Are Here, Date Movie"), who ends up in a hospital emergency room after his hair is set on fire right before his first American concert. During his stay, he forms an unexpected bond with his roommate, a precocious eight-year-old girl named Shana, played by Adair Tishler ("Heroes, Saving Grace"). When Andy discovers why Shana is in the hospital, he learns a hard life lesson.
In "Midnight Clear," the home of an unsuspecting family becomes the refuge for an escaped convict seeking shelter from a storm. However, his break-in is no accident. As time ticks down, the convict forges an unlikely connection with the family. When the police arrive, the true nature of their relationship is revealed. This story features Victoria Rowell ("The Young and the Restless, Dumb & Dumber") and Guy Torry ("Slow Burn, Runaway Jury").
Diana deRegnier writes the syndicated column SpiritLinks for UPI ReligionAndSpirituality.com, AmericanChronicle.com and SpiritLinksNewsletter.com from the San Francisco Bay Area. Diana's articles appear in numerous Internet and print publications around the world. Diana is also managing editor for the non-profit program SpiritLinksNewsletter.org for spiritual explorers of any or no religious affiliation. ©Copyright 2008 by Diana deRegnier.