A Movie With A Message

Both of you know that if a movie, song or TV show was made after 1989...then there's a 99.45% chance that I'm not the least bit interested in it.

But there is the occasional exception.

I enjoyed the first "Narnia" movie...but never made it to the theatre to watch the second episode, "Prince Caspian." But I happened to be scanning the movie listings a couple of weeks ago and saw that "Prince Caspian" was on at the dollar theatre (technically, it's $1.25...but saying the 'dollar-twenty-five-cent theatre' sounds a bit silly). So I loaded Noah and Elijah up in the car (two hours, twenty minutes is WAY too long for Jacob to sit still!) and went to the show.

And all I can say is WOW!

The movie is a classic good versus evil struggle with the beautiful Spiritual overtones that C.S. Lewis intended. There are great, epic battle scenes, intense confrontations with former friends, and Godly messages that make one stop and think. And that's what I liked best about the movie - the Christ-centered message. Specifically, one moment in the movie gave me something to ponder.

Early in the movie, as Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are trying to find away to cross a deep ravine. Lucy is convinced that she sees Aslan on the other side of the ravine...but the rest of her family doesn't believe her.

It's not 'til the end of the movie when Aslan finally makes his appearance in a meeting with Lucy. Lucy tells Aslan about her experience at the ravine.

"I saw you there. But when I told the others I saw you they didn't believe me."
Aslan replies, "So why would that stop you from coming to me."
Lucy's response echoes the same response I have had to God several times in the past. "Uh...I don't know."

How many times have I been convinced that I've witnessed the power of the Almighty, but let someone talk me into chalking it up to 'fate?' How often do I feel God's presence in an opportunity to witness to someone...but I let the opportunity go by because I let logic and reasoning factor into my thinking? How often am I convinced that I see God, but I let others talk me out of it?

Mercifully, Aslan's words to Lucy weren't words of disappointment. Instead, they were the words an ultra-patient father uses while putting his arms around his daughter. The words of a patient teacher, a counselor, a loving, caring dad.

But I'm thankful that God is that patient...but my human mind still finds it impossible to imagine that he could be that patient with me.