There
is a film that is currently playing in theatres that I wanted bring up today. It’s called “Ben-Hur”. I was able to see it recently, and I figured
I would briefly give my thoughts on this film.
First of all, it has a marvelous message. The message is that there is a very high cost
for harboring bitterness, and conversely, there is great power in
forgiveness. It reminded me of
Spider-Man 3 a film that has a very similar message. Unlike that film, “Ben-Hur” actually has
Jesus Christ in it; fascinatingly, when Judah Ben-Hur, the main character, sees
Christ being crucified it completely transforms him from a man who seeks
revenge to a man who chooses to let it all go and forgive.
However,
be aware that this film is violent. It
could have been given an “R” rating.
There is bloodshed, people are whipped, ran over by chariots, and we see
even see characters without limbs, and disfigured, as a result of the
violence. In short, it might be
difficult for some to wade through all the violence, blood, and the overall intense mood
of the film that rests on the viewer like a blanket, to get to the wonderful
ending.
I
have been thinking about forgiveness for several reasons lately. One reason is because I saw “Ben-Hur”, but
also because I have experienced the power of forgiveness in my life. When I state this, I mean that this has
occurred recently. I have had the
opportunity to extend forgiveness in several episodes in my life, but the Lord
seems to always give me the opportunity to practice forgiveness again before I speak
about it in this blog! Rest assured, I
have learned afresh about the power of forgiveness.
Did
you know that the Bible, in the book of Hebrews, speaks of avoiding a “root of
bitterness” (NKJV)? I’ve learned a lot
about roots since I have had to take on the responsibility of caring for the
lawn that my dad took care of so faithfully.
I know firsthand how weeds can pop up and if you don’t uproot them, they
get bigger, and they eventually take over your entire lawn. That’s a great picture of what bitterness and
unforgiveness can do in a life. It will
get bigger and take over every facet of life.
In fact, that text in Hebrews goes on to say that the bitter root “grows
up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15).
In
a chapter of their book “The Soul of Spider-Man” Jeff Dunn and Adam Palmer are
talking about Peter Parker’s decision to harbor unforgiveness and bitterness in
the film Spider-Man 3. They are apt when
they write, “If bitterness is the root, what will fruit of the tree be
like? An apple tree has apple tree
roots. It produces juicy apples, good to
eat. But if the roots are bitter, the
fruit of that tree will be bitter. In
other words, if you allow anger to take root, all areas of your life will
eventually taste bitter.” So what, then,
is the antidote? The only way that you
will ever truly be set free is to extend forgiveness. As I said earlier, this isn’t just something
that I’m saying because it looks good in a blog; I’m saying it because it’s
something I have experienced on numerous occasions in my life. Forgiveness is the only way to experience
liberation.
Kevin
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