The Sopranos: Bible Study in July
“Sometimes I go about in pity for myself and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky.” –Ojibwe saying
Conversion and crisis: those are two of the themes that attract me to the popular HBO series The Sopranos. I watched all six seasons of the show on DVD about two years ago. It was surprising to find myself hooked to a show with so much graphic violence and sex, explicit language, and themes of the mafia underworld. Why did I feel so invested in the show, I wondered? Was it just a voyeuristic need to get out of the safety of my suburban life? Was it just really entertaining to think about how easily a mob don could slip between the criminal underworld and his daughter’s prep-school soccer games?
No. The Sopranos is entertaining and voyeuristic, but it’s also a powerful exploration of one man’s mid-life crisis and his struggles toward conversion (though not necessarily religious conversion). Tony Soprano’s life begins to break open when he develops a disturbing pattern of anxiety attacks. His need to see a psychiatrist exposes him to a level of self-reflection that he’d much rather avoid, even as he knows he needs help to manage the stresses of his ‘business,’ his wife, his children, and his overbearing, ailing mother.
What makes the show compelling is how difficult it is for Tony to look clearly at his own life in order to make the changes that will save him. In that way, Tony is no different from the rest of us. It is HARD to let go of our old habits and fears.
Surely, when we are able to let go of those old patterns, it is the work of God.
Join us for the Sopranos Bible Study in July to dig deeper on this topic. Whether you've seen the show or not, you're welcome to join us. We'll start with the very first episode. Each week we'll watch one episode and then reflect on what we've seen.
We'll meet on Wednesday nights, July 8, 15, 22, and 29, at 6:30pm in the Parish Hall. Please be advised that this show is rated R for explicit language, sexuality, violence, and adult themes. Please contact Susan Daughtry with questions! Childcare offered upon request—please RSVP by emailing SDaughtry@stthomasrichmond.org.