Quick Review: "Son of God"

Before I get into discussing "Son of God", let me start by saying that I don't really like most Christian movies.   Whenever they come to town,  every church-goer around begins moralizing about how we should support any movie with "Christian values". Too often they're poorly written, poorly acted, with terrible special effects, and often bad theology.   (Don't get me started on the prosperity theology of "Facing the Giants".) So I was skeptical when "The Bible" came to History Channel and even more so when they made their Jesus footage into a full length movie. But as I drove by our local theater this week and saw that the movie shows at 7pm on Wednesdays, I thought this might be a good thing to do for our youth group time.  After all,  we can discuss the movie, whether good or bad at our next group time.

I'm not movie critic but here's what I thought of "Son of God" after watching tonight.

To sum it up. Not bad. Overall, "Son of God" did a good job of telling the story of Jesus' life allowing the watcher to connect with the characters and the drama within it. I found myself with goosebumps as Jesus performed miracles, stood up to the religious leaders, and certainly when He appeared to Mary at the empty tomb. There were even moments when I couldn't help but think,  "Dang, Jesus was BA." I think the movie is good enough to tell an important story without taking too much away from it.

But, yes, there were some issues.   First, the English accent Jesus has annoys me. Is there a reason that a first century Jew that spoke Aramaic should be British in a movie? Is American English not as "Jesus-y"?  (I won't go into the issues with a super white Jesus.) And there were moments where Jesus descends into very cliche lines almost straight out of the KJV, many of which were poorly placed. For instance, as Peter gets into an altercation, Jesus says, "Peter, turn the other cheek." Peter hadn't been slapped and Jesus hadn't taught that lesson. It happened again when Peter cuts off a soldier's ear at Jesus' arrest. Jesus spits out a very cliche, "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword." And it's enough to make Peter drop his sword on the ground.  Ugh. (Yes, it's part of what Jesus says to Peter in some gospels, but was not said alone and in such a cliche way.)

I also had a bit a hard time with the effects.  The Temple looked like a toy model and so did the city of Jerusalem. Most miracles look decent, but the beating and crucifixion were a little less than realistic. Maybe the violence and realism of "The Passion of the Christ" make anything else look lame, but after almost 40 lashes, Jesus' back was in too good of shape. (Though, honestly, it was probably the right choice to reach a wider audience, so I'll give them a pass.)

When it comes down to it, there were moments that I recognized issues, but it's a worthwhile movie. I can't recall any major eye-rolling, and I felt very satisfied with the movie. My youth loved it; many were moved to tears. There is no perfect Jesus movie. Every one of them will fall short of the reality of God's Son coming to earth, but this one is worth seeing, talking about, and using as a slightly out-of-focus picture of the Gospel story.

Oh, and there was one great moment! SPOILER ALERT! Jesus goes to the tomb of His friend Lazarus who died 4 days earlier to raise him from the dead.  Jesus walks around behind Lazarus who's lying on a slab on his back. Jesus bends down and kisses his friend on the top of the head, suddenly opens His eyes, and then so does Lazarus. It was a powerful moment and a great way for them to show an amazing encounter.

My 2 cents...

Too much Walking Dead?

I used to be scared of my bedroom.  There, I said it.  When my family moved to this new town and new house, for the first time I got my own room.  At 10 years old, I was excited to have my own space where my brother couldn't lay his wet towels on my bed any longer.  But there was a problem.  In this particular house, the way to the attic was in my closet.

Let me paint a picture for you.  You open the door to my nice walk-in closet and see space for clothes as any other closet would have, until you turn to the right.  To the right in the closet are large steps leading up to a square hole in the ceiling that would take you into the attic.  But that area wasn't covered with a door.  Instead a styrofoam piece about 3 inches thick fit into the ceiling doorway to the attic.  And on a windy day, I could open my closet door to see that styrofoam lifting up as if some axe murderer was getting ready to make his way down to me.  It. Was. Terrifying.  So most nights I piddled around until my brother's bedtime so I could go and sleep in his room.

Needless to say, I was not a fan of scary movies either.  We weren't allowed to watch the classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th; and that was fine by me.  I'd get nightmares from watching the trailers for those movies on television.

So when The Walking Dead came to AMC I had no interest.  Even as an adult I have little interest in gory horror movies, and still don't understand people's obsession with being scared.  But more and more, people told me how great this show is.  And I began to feel a bit tempted to try it out.  So through the magic of Netflix, Katie and I sat down to begin the first season of TWD.  Long story short: we watched 2 episodes and were done.  Too gory, too terrifying.  (I mean, this is a worst nightmare scenario.  Disgusting looking zombies eating you alive.  No thanks.)  

A few months passed and the lure to try TWD again was strong; more of my friends and family were hooked and I was missing out.  So I decided to try again, but with a catch.  I only watch during daylight.  Otherwise my sleep is too affected.  

I watched three and a half seasons in about three weeks.  (I would have gone faster but the sun kept setting every day.)  And something crazy happened; I stopped being grossed out or afraid of zombies.  My friends and family were right that the show is phenomenal.  It is fascinating to watch what happens to people when the structures of civilization fall apart.  The zombies are an important part, but they are more the cause that allow you see the effects on human characters.  And no matter how gory and tense the episodes, I find them affecting me less and less.  

I've gotten used to zombies!!  

Is this what happens with sin in our lives?

Those things that we used to think were abhorrent become the norm when we let them little by little into our daily lives.

I've read that in support groups for broken marriages they call this "the fog".  This term refers to the way that living in the midst of sin begins to fog up a person's ability to see right and wrong.  When sin makes its way into our lives and goes unchecked, it begins to change us.

Have you ever experienced "the fog"? Have you been desensitized by sin?  Don't worry, there's a way out.  Encountering Jesus has a way to cut through the fog so you can see reality.

It worked for Zacchaeus.  A tax collector, traitor to his own people, cheat, and sinner; one encounter with Jesus and the fog was lifted.  (Luke 19)

I love that story.  This "wee little man" must have known that something was different about Jesus because he was determined enough to scurry up a tree to see Jesus walking by.  The Bible never says if Jesus even mentioned Zacchaeus' sin, but almost immediately the man was changed.

It may not be that sudden, but reconnecting to Jesus will always get through the muck so you can see clearly again.