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Finding God on the big screen(This was my final draft of an article that appeared in Campus Life in a different form. Click here to read the published version.)
By Steve Lansingh | Have you ever noticed God in the movies? Maybe you've seen an aspect of him here and there, like unconnected puzzle pieces -- in one, he's a mysterious life force; in another, he's the vague object of someone's prayers; in another, he's blamed for taking away a life. Pretty hard to collect a full picture of God from them, isn't it?
Think how much more confusing your unbelieving friends must find God. You have the Bible to give you valuable puzzle pieces showing aspects of God's character: father, shepherd, judge, creator, king. But unbelievers don't frequent Sunday school, so they're left with what they can find out about God in the world, in unlikely places like movies. Their perception of God, then, is fragmented and incomplete. In the book Real Christians Dance, musician John Fischer says, "Unbelievers, too, can put pieces together; they just aren't sure what they are handling. It could be a section of hair, an edge of a fingernail, or the fringe of a garment. ... But an amazing thing happens when we accept Jesus Christ: we receive the box the puzzle came in."
The only person who can help unbelievers hold onto these pieces of truth is a Christian committed to helping them complete the puzzle, to see God for who he is. You have an opportunity to help your friends learn who God is by discussing films you've seen and letting them know how a world in the movies -- and the version of God it depicts -- is similar to or different from the world and Creator you believe in.
Prince of Egypt, last winter's fresh telling of the Exodus, is one of the few recent accurate depictions of God, and might help your friends expand their idea of him. The movie puts audiences in the sandals of the Israelites, enslaved for generations and praying for deliverance, when God finally reveals his tool of liberation: Moses, the cowardly murderer, the man born into fortune who'd never worked a day under the whip. To human wisdom the choice seems unfair and foolish -- why not a tribe elder, or an eloquent speaker? You can use this to explain to your friends that God transcends human judgment; suggest the verse, "'My thoughts are not your thoughts,' declares the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). God, who is able to see the outcome of human events, is worthy of trust even when we don't see his purpose.
It's rare for a film to be taken straight from the Bible, though, so you'll have to look to less obvious vehicles to find food for discussion. Consider The Truman Show, the story of a man (Jim Carrey) who discovers he's spent his life as the unwitting star of a TV show -- his parents and wife are actors, his house and city are sets, his favorite things are props. The creator of the show, Christof (Ed Harris), is clearly a representation of God; not only does he name Truman, design his world, cast his parents, and script the events of his life, but he controls the wind, rain, and sun. While Christof displays compassion toward Truman at times, he manipulates him every second, and when Truman steps out of line, Christof is easily angered and vindictive. The obvious interpretation is that the makers of the film view God as controlling but emotionally distant -- and ultimately escapable.
A different interpretation will prove more useful to Christians looking for truth, though: Christof doesn't represent God; he is a human being trying to be God. He is trying to whitewash the world the real God has made to create utopia. Christof gives Truman the American dream: the white picket fence, beautiful wife, solid income, and a friendly community. He gives Truman everything humans often wish God would give us. And yet Truman isn't happy. There is an emptiness in him that he isn't sure how to fill. So, like a "True Man," he sets out to look for an answer, even if it means facing his fears and going beyond the limits of his world.
All people have been in Truman's place. We have been tempted to accept our environment as it is and adopt its values, yet we have felt an emptiness that the things around us won't fill. Christians have looked beyond this world to find an answer, facing their fears of ridicule and persecution. As the apostle Peter writes, "Since everything will be destroyed ... you ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. ... We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth" (II Peter 3:11-13). You might want to talk to your friends about this incompleteness, which could lead to conversations about the sovereignty of God and his desire to give everyone abundant life.
Of course, you'll have more opportunity to discuss how films differ from your beliefs than reflect them, considering God is absent from the majority of movies -- even in movies you'd expect him to be mentioned. Last year both Deep Impact and Armageddon depicted the end of the world, and even though one of them took its title from the Bible and the other named a spaceship "The Messiah," neither featured a single Christian reaction to the catastrophe. Movies about the supernatural -- whether heaven and hell (What Dreams May Come), angels (City of Angels), or death (Meet Joe Black) -- barely acknowledged God's existence. Les Miserables and Simon Birch, both based on books in which God was the center of the plot, relegated him to a minor role. Church-going Elena in The Mask of Zorro and priest Aramis in The Man in the Iron Mask both take valiant stands against tyranny, but God isn't mentioned as a source of their courage. And for every prince of Egypt who clearly bows to the majesty of God, there's a Mulan who prays to her ancestors or a Holy Man who blends every major religion into a mishmash of false spirituality.
But just because God is absent from these films doesn't mean he has to be absent from your conversations about them. A simple question can open a door to discussion about Christian themes: What would you do if you knew the world was going to end? (Mark 13:14-20) Do you believe in angels? (Isaiah 6:1-3) What do you think happens after you die? (Revelation 20:11-21:8) Do you believe there is a plan for our lives? (Ephesians 1:4-14) Can a person's heart be turned from evil? (Luke 19:1-9) Any of these conversation-starters can be used to explain what you believe; over time, your friends will begin to develop a clearer picture of God and might become interested in learning more about his plan of salvation.
To get you started, here's an experiment: Since the new Star Wars prequel is a hot topic of conversation, ask your friends if they believe in an unseen power in the universe that can guide us and give us strength. Most people will say no -- "the force" being the product of George Lucas' imagination, after all -- but you can share how you rely on God's guidance ("I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths," Proverbs 4:11) and his power ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Philippians 4:13). It might be scary to speak about God so openly, but don't let a fear of saying the wrong thing keep you from saying anything at all. Just remember how powerfully God used the tongue-tied Moses to his purpose.