as a film geek, and a christian, i love seeing the imprint of the divine story on so many movies we know and love. sometimes it's intended and sometimes it probably isn't, but there are countless stories we've seen since we were children that illustrate for us what it is to walk in faith. here are some of my favorites, clips included.
the first clip is also the most recent. it's from the latest harry potter movie, so any spiritual message must have been unintended because those books were written for witchcraft practicing heathens, right? right. all sarcasm aside, check it out. i know it's super dark but i'm sure it was illegally recorded so just appreciate what we got.
i haven't generally cared much for these movies but this one was solid and this scene in particular stuck with me long after i left the movie theatre. during this scene i was so overwhelmed because it sums up exactly how the enemy preys on us. he takes our pre-existing conditions of fear and insecurity and exploits them, telling us we aren't good enough, aren't brave enough, are too sinful and shameful to be of any use. how could the Almighty God do anything meaningful with our broken selves? ron already felt inferior next to his friends, felt like he had nothing to offer to them or their quest and so the forces of evil took those feelings and manifested them in his mind's eye. and yet when we cut through the lies, we see them for what they are. smoke and mirrors. no matter what mess we make of our lives, the perfection of God's plan is so powerful that it can overcome the biggest mistakes. the Bible calls Satan the accuser of man. he wants to point the finger at us, to feed our shame and use it to keep us distant from Christ's mercy because that is when sin rules in our lives, and not God. we have to remember that forgiveness is never more than a prayer away, and that repentance is the blade that will destroy the enemy's lies.
this one is from lord of the rings: the return of the king. sorry it won't embed, but the link is below.
i haven't generally cared much for these movies but this one was solid and this scene in particular stuck with me long after i left the movie theatre. during this scene i was so overwhelmed because it sums up exactly how the enemy preys on us. he takes our pre-existing conditions of fear and insecurity and exploits them, telling us we aren't good enough, aren't brave enough, are too sinful and shameful to be of any use. how could the Almighty God do anything meaningful with our broken selves? ron already felt inferior next to his friends, felt like he had nothing to offer to them or their quest and so the forces of evil took those feelings and manifested them in his mind's eye. and yet when we cut through the lies, we see them for what they are. smoke and mirrors. no matter what mess we make of our lives, the perfection of God's plan is so powerful that it can overcome the biggest mistakes. the Bible calls Satan the accuser of man. he wants to point the finger at us, to feed our shame and use it to keep us distant from Christ's mercy because that is when sin rules in our lives, and not God. we have to remember that forgiveness is never more than a prayer away, and that repentance is the blade that will destroy the enemy's lies.
this one is from lord of the rings: the return of the king. sorry it won't embed, but the link is below.
this is my perhaps favorite scene in the whole trilogy because of how perfectly it encapsulates aragorn's journey from ranger to king. at the beginning of the story, he was a man who wanted to be ordinary, to get as far away as he could from his family's shameful past, his great grandfather who failed to destroy the one ring when he had the chance. but he couldn't escape what he was called to become. finally, there comes a time when he can no longer simply be a man. he must choose to either risk defeat and the destruction of all that he believes in, or take the dimholt road and face his fears, his weaknesses, his darkest dreams. but he doesn't have to go alone. he is given a weapon, reforged from his ancestor's broken legacy, more powerful than any that came before it. it's past weaknesses have become strengths. it both empowers him and forces him to take the path that will lead him to his destiny. finally, he has his two friends. members of a splintered fellowship, uncertain of anything but what is directly ahead, they know only that they cannot abandon each other.
how many of us spend years in the wilderness, not because it was God's plan, but because it was ours? we try to hide from our calling, fearing that it is too great for us, that we are not enough, too broken and sinful to ever live up to what God wants from us. what we are forgetting is that God has equipped us with everything we need, and that He will continue to do so when we walk out in faith.
speaking of walking out in faith...
"only in the leap from the lion's head, shall he prove his worth." as christians, i believe that this is what we must strive to do every moment of every day. take the step that terrifies us, that seems to our eyes to lead only to sorrow and nothingness. but once again, God is faithful. He will not test us beyond what we can bear and knowing that we will not fall, He asks us to take the first step. to walk out in faith, seeing nothing but trusting that He will not abandon us when we need Him most.
i'm sure in that moment, Indy wondered why he didn't just stay home. why he needed to take this journey and why he was now being asked to walk into the abyss. but instead of turning around, he quieted his heart, mustered what little faith he could, and stepped out. and because God is good, every step after the first one grows easier as we grow more and more confident that He is there for us. but until we have the courage to leap from the lion's head, our faith remains insubstantial because we refuse to put it out on the line, to allow it to be tested.
go to about the 3:45 mark on this one and watch luke make the decision that cements his place as the last true jedi knight.
the emperor wants him to kill his own father and take his place, a place of power and authority where he will no longer be the scrappy, forgotten underdog. but the cost is steep. he must give in to his hate, to his pain, to his bitterness towards the father who not only abandoned him, but has pursued him and tried to kill him. luke is tempted. the years he spent in a boring life, craving something bigger weigh heavy on his mind. the wounds, both physical and emotional from his father are deeply felt and rise to the surface.
and then...
peace.
he knows he is called to greater things than what the emperor can offer him. he remembers the words of his mentors, telling him to let go of everything he fears to lose, to forego anger and hate, to choose peace and self-sacrifice. so he tosses his weapon aside, and says,
NEVER.
i'll never turn to the dark side. you've failed, your highness. i am a jedi, like my father before me.
the consequences are painful. it is a choice that very nearly costs him his life. yet in that moment, luke turns away from the easy answer, the primrose path, and walks out his calling.
bob feller, the great cleveland indians pitcher who died recently, said that what you need to succeed in this world is a father who believes in you. i believe he was right, but i don't think he was talking about the kind of father i am. some of us are blessed with an earthly father who believes in us. i don't, and i'm sure many of you don't either. for those of us who are not, we can never forget that we ALWAYS have our Heavenly Father who believes in us even at our weakest, most fearful, and most broken.
there is one last clip, and it's where the title of this post came from. it's a little bit silly and the quality is terrible, but bear with me. head to the :55 second mark.
yesterday i asked my mom what she wanted for christmas. she sighed, and paused for a moment. some answers are too big for the questions that elicit them. justice, good fortune, a breakthrough blessing. all valid wishes but they are tough to wrap up and stick under the tree. she replied, "i am waiting for vizzini." she went on to explain who she meant but i knew. that's what happens when you come from a family of movie geeks. i'll bet that at this time of year, a lot of us are waiting for vizzini. it probably means something different for each of us, but the essence is the same.
we are waiting for Heaven to reach down and touch . we are waiting for His mighty right hand to brush aside our difficult circumstances, our heartbreak, and our despair. we aren't waiting for vizzini, we are waiting for the Living God.
but in the midst of all these things, we miss it. it's already happened. God gave us what we so dearly needed, a bridge from us to Him. and He gave it to us in the most precious wrapping paper there is: His only begotten son. so this Christmas, i will strive to look beyond what i can see in the physical, visible realm and keep my eyes fixed on the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
and so i close with a tired old greeting card cliche (a nauseating rhyme, no less) and remind myself, and all of us, that THAT is the reason for the season. now go watch some movies.
