Over the last decade or more Hollywood has produced a multiplicity of futuristic films and what I have noticed about these motion-pictures is that while they speak about a distant future they underscore that mankind will not escape the consequences of original sin without a rebirth in Jesus Christ.
Preservation of Life
In 2009 A-lister Bruce Willis starred in a film called Surrogates. His character Agent Greer was a part of a society where persons lived vicariously through robots. While their surrogates enjoyed nature and progressed in the world of work, they spent months attached to super-computers, programming their double's every move.
During this time they never inhaled fresh breeze, touched another human being, or recognized that there was a plot to eradicate all human life. The intent was to preserve and prolong life; but, contrarily, they were increasingly deteriorating because of inertia and so weakened that they could not protect themselves against their opponents.
An Inevitable Death
When the first couple Adam and Eve disobeyed God's direct command not to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge and evil, they did so knowing that they would die; but, they did not come to terms with the full extent of this death until God issued His curses. He stated "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis chapter 3 verse 19).
God's Word does not return to Him void and so each passing day men and women hustle from home to work and work to home, a never-ending cycle, which for some includes dropping children off to school, grocery shopping, bill payments, traffic jams, and extracurricular meetings. Consequently, there are many victims of emotional, physical, social, and mental wear and tear.
Still, even if one eats healthily, exercises, takes sabbaticals, and avoids accidents, there is the inevitable: everyone is appointed to die unless Jesus returns today.
The Point of Life
Some ask, "What is point of life?" While they are "dying to live" ultimately they are "living to die." Still, some people's view of death is limited to the grave; they do not take into consideration that at the return of Jesus Christ there will be a judgment whereby those who refuse to live for Him will enter into eternal death –separation from God.
Here one can appreciate the Apostle Paul's sentiment "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians chapter 1 verse 21). Those who accept Jesus Christ have no fear of death; through Jesus they have eternal life; moreover, believers have the consolation that even in this difficult world they are more than over-comers.
They understand that the cycle of their life has purpose: their education, relationships, and family life can shine the light of Christ on this dark world.
Avoiding Evil
The Giver (2014) is another film which depicts mankind's efforts to preserve life but what is interesting about this presentation is that the Elders of an exilic community deemed that the suppression of knowledge could prevent the vices of hatred, war, and destruction. But as they hid the memories of their past they also concealed the good – mankind's ability to feel, to love, and to choose. In the absence of these memories, the leaders resorted to arranged marriages, in vitro fertilization, child adoption, and career appointments. One can glean that intimacy, the very reason that mankind was created, was outlawed.
I have observed that in this broken world many persons in an effort to protect their heart and possessions avoid commitment. Some persons refrain from marriage to maintain their freedom – freedom from accountability and submission, sharing expenses, and raising children, to mention. Others long to have children and because there are no potential or "worthy" suitors consider surrogacy and in vitro fertilization; forsaking that, single parenthood has challenges not only for the parent financially and emotionally but for the child who has questions about their absentee mother or father.
The Giver is a type of a reverse reenactment of the Fall of Man. The main character Jonas the second other person permitted to indulge his human nature: he learned human history, saw the world in color, discovered love, and distinguished good from evil. This evil was that the Elders had withheld the truth about human nature from the community. So he sought to share this knowledge and therefore encouraged his love-interest Fiona to open her eyes.
He entreated her to abstain from taking daily dosages of suppressants and more and more she too became attuned to what the elder had done. Together they walked the fine line of disobedience, deception, lies, and theft; the very qualities that led to the vices the Elders tried to circumvent.
Good Knowledge
One lesson that can be grasped from this movie is that avoidance is not a cure but a stimulant. It underscores that sin cannot be eradicated through moral codes but rather through the will of God imparted to men. Scripture delineates that there is no one who is good, no one is righteous; thus, the appearance that all is well and perfect is just an illusion. While we might try to forget or ignore our greatest problem, God sees our hearts and knows our past – He is all-knowing.
Adam and Eve fell because they made the decision to disobey God and in so doing exposed themselves and their offspring to a life of degradation. Yet, God presents an opportunity for mankind to walk in righteousness through Jesus Christ. God does not conceal truth but reveals truth through His Son. Therefore, those who know Him are not only enlightened about sin but empowered to live above it.
The only world without consequence is the world that God first created. This world will be restored when Christ returns. Until then, believers are charged to preach about sin, repentance, and salvation, and are encouraged to trust God in the midst of their toil and pain.
Janine Williams is a fulltime theology student, passionate about the word of God which is powerful to transform the lives of individuals and nations.
Janine Williams'previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/janine-williams.html
