Do you want a revolution?

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
-Lennon/McCartney

Last night, Darren and I went to see the new film, Across the Universe, Sony's new "Beatles Musical". Think Moulin Rouge, (the new one) with only music by the Beatles, (I have been a huge fan of the Beatles my entire life, and I think owned their entire catalog by the time I was 13).

The film is set in the late 60's, and deals a bit with student demonstrations against U.S. policy in Vietnam. My favorite scene in the movie is the scene where the protagonist bursts into a protester's headquarters singing "Revolution," the emotion and gestures are super fun. This scene got me thinking about what is the best way to bring about change. We currently live in a time with similar unrest as the sixties (however with Blackwater in place of the draft, public outcry and personal connections are less), and I think that many people want change. Many Christians long for change, desiring to see the Kingdom break in around us, and I wonder what we can do to be most effective.
I have never attended a student protest, (although I did participate in an International Peace Day rally once where someone through a carton of eggs at us) but I generaly dismiss the impact that a student protest or rally can have, (I would have to say that Kent State did have an impact, but that may be due more to martyrs than to simply gathering and demonstrating). So, if not a public demonstration, then what will bring about change?
As Darren and I talked on the way home from the movie, I think that our conversations in Community have been spot on. We have seen Jesus teach about removing the power of the Romans, not by force, but by disarming their source of power, turning the other cheek, willingly serving others, bartering, etc.

With this in mind, I am really excited about our new series. After considering both Acts and Colossians, I have decided to take a break from narrative to take a peak at an epistle. In preparing our study from Sunday, I came across the following quote, (I think that you will see why I'm excited):

The epistle to the Colossians, we are arguing, was an explosive and subversive tract in the context of the Roman empire, and it can be and ought to function in an analogous way in the imperial realities of our time. This letter proclaimed an alternative reality, animating a way of life that was subversive to the ethos of the Roman empire.
(excerpt from Colossians Remixed)

If you do want a revolution, if you desire change as much as I do, then I imagine that words like "explosive," "subversive," and "alternative reality" are making you as eager as me for our study to begin.

Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright