Tonight, Mom and I watched God's Not Dead for the second night in a row. Yes, I know I'm a little late on all of the excitement, but I'm hoping I can portray how inspired I am by this film without sounding like one of the many Facebook statuses posted the week of its opening.
To share all of the parts that stood out to me would make for a post too long for anyone to want to read, but there were three scenes that distinctly spoke to me.
First, in the final lecture Josh gave to defend God, he spoke of Darwinism and evolution, and transitioned into morality. I am not by any means a scientist, or even remotely good at science (i.e. why I am a writer and not a chemist), but Josh's take on Darwin's theory struck me as more sensible than anything I ever learned in biology. And I was even more amazed when he finally connected all of science to point to God and say, as one conclusion, "If God didn't exist, then everything is permissible." If there was no God, if the universe created itself because, as the brilliant Hawking apparently said, it needed to create itself, then we have no basis whatsoever for right and wrong. As Christians, we have the conscience in the back of our mind telling us not to murder, steal, lie, etc., and those laws have adapted into the rules of society as well. And so we must ask ourselves as humans, Who do we follow these rules for, if not to ensure a heavenly eternity?
Second, as the rich business man speaks to his ill-fallen mother, he asks her why his life is perfect while he is the meanest person he knows? And why she has ended up with dementia as the most kindhearted woman he knows? Her answer: "Sometimes the devil allows us to live a life without trouble because he doesn't want us turning to God." I suppose this statement left me a bit speechless simply because a reasoning like that reassures so many of the doubts I once had as a young believer. In my early years of high school, as I worked to become closer to God, I had so many questions that I thought were unanswerable for a human. Why does evil exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? But when one takes into account the beauty of free will and an eternity free of evil, we come face to face with none other than a merciful and graceful God who gives us the greatest joy in a life on earth: choice.
Finally, I reminisce on the pastor first speaking to Josh in the chapel about his decision to defend God. The pastor tells him that these eighty-or-so kids in his class likely have never walked into a church, nor do they have an intention to, don't know the love of Jesus, and are now being told, Don't worry about it, faith is all a lie anyways.
Let us keep this in mind each day as we go through life. When we come to a point where God has given us a chance to stand up for Him, take the chance. Whether it be costing you a cool kid reputation, a friendship, or even a grade in a class, I assure you God will stand tall for you as you stand tall for Him. Let us think of Josh and the difference he made in nearly one hundred kids' lives by defending his Savior from a Christian-turned-Athiest professor who was only hating out of hurt.
Whosoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But Whoever disowns me before others, I will also disown before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33
No comments:
Post a Comment