Ash Wednesday and Son of God

Today is Ash Wednesday, a day that Christians around the world begin the anticipatory season leading up to Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent is a time of repentance and reflection. We repent of our sin and we reflect on the price Jesus paid forgiving that sin. Central UMC of Point Beach will offer worship service tonight at 7:30PM in the sanctuary at 729 Arnold Avenue which will include participation by many of the members of the church and the imposition of ashes. Please feel welcome to join us as we begin our Lenten journey seeking the Marks of Love.

I actually began my own Lenten journey a few days early when I got a phone call last Sunday afternoon. Several lay members of the Central church called and asked if I would like to join them in seeing the new movie “Son of God.” My lovely wife was gracious enough to take our little ones with her to teach confirmation class and afford me the opportunity to say yes.

So, Son of God – spoiler alert: you know this story. It’s been told before and parts of it are told every Sunday in churches everywhere. Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (Survivor, Touched by an Angel, The Bible) are not treading new ground or offering much in this film that hasn’t already been done by many film producers in the past. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the film; I did. As a pastor and a Christian, there were many scenes in this movie that brought me to tears because they demonstrated the love and the grace of God that I’ve experienced and that I preach about on a regular basis. The question is, would a non-Christian or a seeker be as moved? I’m not sure I can answer that with any certainty. I am a little disconcerted that once again we are offered a white European Jesus with straight almost blonde hair. I understand that this is the image that many western Christians have of our Savior, but it just doesn’t fit with what we know of the Jewish Middle-Eastern people to which Jesus was born. In fact, the actor portraying Peter in this particular movie is much more likely to actually resemble the real Jesus. There were also a few stories of Jesus’ ministry that were omitted and a couple of places where it seemed that the producers or director missed the theological or spiritual point of the story they were telling.

Overall, I’d say that this is the kind of religious film that will get a little buzz from the media, be mostly panned by critics and will find a home in the DVD/BluRay collection of many Christians and churches. I hope that it stirs some discussions that allow Christian people to speak about their faith and why they believe what they believe. That remains to be seen. So if you are a Christian – go see this film. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a Christian – consider it as a way to stir your thoughts about this Christian faith. If you see it, talk to a pastor or a church person and ask some questions. You never know what come of it.

And remember, God loves you and so do I.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Don