My wife and I were watching the movie again. I love the picture of a young man standing strong in the face of great opposition, defending God, believing no matter what.
I don’t find myself liking the movie very much.
Yep, I’m still a Christian.
The scene that kills it for me is the final argument between the mean, atheistic professor and the noble protagonist. He asks the villain, “why do you hate God?” And when he finally gets his answer, he finishes off his foe with one fell swoop.
We see him as standing against an intellectual Goliath. I see him as winning an argument against a twelve year old boy who lost his mother to cancer. And, I think Jesus would have handled it differently.
I also am bothered by the fact that the end is summed up by our hero receiving the praise he is due, being lauded from the stage by both a big name band and a video from Willie Robertson. Now my appreciation of the Robertsons and the News Boys should not be diminished by the fact that this is simply not how it normally happens.
When we stand for Jesus, we stand alone. The movie producers caught that part. What they didn’t catch is that we fail our classes too. We are mocked and shamed and no one stands with us in the end. We die in the arena. We are beaten, burned, broken.
It is the blood of Jesus that flows through our veins and pours out on the ground that stands as our witness to a dying world. It is our life given up that gives life to those around us.
And we shouldn’t expect anything else.
Please don’t miss the blessing of what God would do because you’re waiting for man to tell you, “well done.”
God’s not dead. But we are crucified.
The Healing Worshipper 