Friday, April 06, 2007

Easter - "Stranger than Fiction"?

Friday, Bridgette & I watched the movie "Stranger than Fiction" starring Will Farrell. Neither of us had seen it yet, despite the fact that we both enjoy movies - Bridgette even more than me. I realize we haven't been watching as many movies lately, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the movies that they're putting out recently... they're just not that good. But this one was different. We enjoyed it very much. And right at the end, there's this twist. I'm sure there's no way I could blow the movie for anyone, but as soon as I heard this line by one of the characters, I hit rewind, grabbed my laptop and had to copy it down. Here it is:

"Because it's a book about a man who doesn't know he's going to die - and then dies but if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway and dies willingly knowing he can stop it - well isn't that the kind of man you want to keep alive."

I was like - "Hallelujah!" Here we were, and still are, at Easter, the most important time in the Christian calendar - the most important time in the calendar of the world, and I'm hearing the truth about Jesus from Emma Thompson. But she was dead on. I mean, if you knew you were going to die, and went through with whatever anyway, knowing you had the power to stop it, to not die - that's the type of person who deserves to live. And Jesus did - DOES!

Jesus knew exactly what he was getting into. He knew the road he was travelling. Being God, I'm sure he also knew that he could've stepped away at any point. Wasn't one of the temptations in the desert to throw himself off the cliff or off the temple mount and have the angels catch him? I'm sure Jesus could have simply said the word and the cross would've turned to sawdust, the nails to rubber and his Roman torturers to scared rabbits. But he did not. He had a job to do, as painful as it was - and we're not simply talking about physical pain or exestential angst - but separation within the eternal Godhead... Anyeay, Jesus did it, Jesus submitted to death and because of that - His name will be exalted above every other name, that at that name, every knee shall bow & every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

It's pretty sweet when you see stuff like this in a simple movie...

3 comments:

The Rice's said...

Good thoughts!! Another ggod movie is One Night With the King about the book of Esther from the Bible. I thought it was a good movie.

Anonymous said...

Ah, but so interesting that the God the Father of this Trinitarian type arrangement is a woman (Emma: God the Father, Will Farell: Jesus, and Emma's voice: the Holy Spirit?)

Just wanted to ruffle some feathers on this blustery Friday afternoon ;-)

BTW, Troy and I really, really liked the movie as well!
-Jess HB

jlee said...

Will Farrell eh? I guess you are younger than you look. :)

In all seriousness, great quote from the movie. Movies communicate messages and we need to become more observant on what they communicate, whether on purpose or not. I continue to realize how much I miss when I fail to watch movies...