I am on an airplane from Cleveland to Phoenix, and I just watched a very powerful movie called “Man on Fire” with Denzel Washington. It’s a story of a former government operative who has pretty much given up on life. He reluctantly takes a job in Mexico City to protect a child whose parents are threatened by a wave of kidnappings. When she is abducted while under his watch, he unleashes a fiery rage on all those who are responsible.

For the first half of the movie he’s haunted by the evil that he committed in his past life. His heart is transformed by the faith and love of this child. He did whatever it took to get her back, even if it meant snuffing more lives. It was a sad story of a man wrestling with his decisions and the fate of his soul.

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I did a talk last night at Steubenville East in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Normally I fly in, give a talk, and fly back the next day. But Steubenville conferences span over three days, and I am expected to be there for the whole thing. There were 2800 teenagers there, so it was draining.

This morning I lead a session where the guys get together to talk about how to become Men of God. It’s a big responsibility to lead that session, because you have less than an hour to instill in them a sense of responsibility for the world around them.

To get the guys talking, I always ask them what their favorite movies are, and what they admire about characters in the movie. The favorites are Gladiator, Braveheart, The Last Samuri, The Godfather, and The Passion. Everytime a kid names a new movie, the 1500 guys roar and clap. One movie I’ve heard more and more is “The Boondock Saints.” Each time, the room went CRAZY. I hadn’t seen the movie, so I asked why. “Well they are Catholic and God gives them messages of things they have to do. They go out there and kick ass and do whatever the hell they want to. They aren’t afraid.” The tent roared again.

The theme for this years conferences is, “Rise Up, a Catholic Revolution.” When I think of revolution, I think of violence, fury, passion, and dedication. I see passionate messages scribbled on walls. A revolution is dangerous and can’t be tamed.

But everything I saw at this conference was tame. Manicured youth groups showed up wearing bright matching T-shirts. The theme song was soft and sing-songy like an overgrown nursery rhyme. It was so…mothered and protected.

I don’t know the formula for a revolution. I know it doesn’t have to be run by brutes or won with violence. Jesus was a revolutionary, and he wasn’t brutish or violent. I don’t know. I don’t have the answer.