Now that I have a little more free time on my hands, I have had a chance to catch up on some movies. I recently finished watching There Will be Blood. If you have objections to watching R rated movies or struggle with violence I would not recommend the movie. We do need to watch what media diet we are on. I read the cover of the DVD and reviews on line and thought that it would not be a stumbling block for me - and I watched it alone.
The story moves slowly and is very thoughtfully done. I was surprised to see the depth of humankind's darkness displayed in this movie. A greedy oil man vs. a charismatic preacher - good stuff! People have been raving about this movie and I can see why. It is well made and spins the noggin' a bit. Although people really like it, I found it interesting that in a culture that seems to deny the doctrine of total depravity this movie was a hit. Even the very end of the movie the audience sees humankind's depravity.I don't want to ruin the end of a movie for anyone, but I will say this movie shows that humankind does indeed need blood.
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6 comments:
Good thoughts Bill. There will be blood is a terribly morose movie.
I know its easy for us to see it as the depravity of man, but I wonder if outsiders see it the same way. For those outside of christianity, and critical to it, I think its a film about ultirer motives.
If there are two groups that get loads of bad pres its the church and the oil industry. Big oil cares about nothing but money. And Christians act so holy but all they really care about themselves and money. So seeing the two clash is a battle of the titans; like Godzilla vs King Kong. It doesn't matter who wins, they just like seeing the two fight it out.
It is a bit of a wake up call because from the inside of Christianty I see our falleness but also all of the good. But those outside may have a different view. How can we minister to a culture that sees us as corrupt as the oil industry? In our parents Generation the church had a good name and opperated a certain way. But can we continue to opperate under those same assumptions? What do we need to do differently to clense our reputation? What do we need to do to establish trust again?
"I drink your milkshake!"
But seriously Adam raises a good point. What can we do to "cleanse our reputation" and "establish trust again" in our culture?
As ministers we can stop cheating on our wives, stop chatting up underage girls online, and stop stealing money from old people. It sounds easy enough, but some leaders in our field have not gotten it yet.
I am right there with you guys. Establishing trust with the lost is a difficult challenge for the church. It is as if "The Church" and Jesus Christ are two separate ideas. The church has, in some sense,perverted what it really means to be a Christian in the eyes of the world.
In Dan Kimball's "They like Jesus but not the Church" this question is explored in depth and he provides some interesting
insights. It is worth a read through in my opinion.
One thing that Kimball stresses is the value of authentic relationships. Christians entering into meaningful, thoughtful, humble
conversations with non-believers helps to bridge the gap. He takes the bridge illustration used in evangelism (man on one side and God on the other) and says that there is a gap before man can even get to hear the gospel from a believer. This gap is not sin, but is the world's negative perception of the church and Christianity. Interesting idea...
I really liked the movie, and I have reflected on the deep theological implications for a while. The question I want to pose is who you guys thought was the protagonist of the story and who was the antagonist. Also, what was the underlying mission/theme of the good guy? What was the director trying to get across in this story? Just some thoughts.
@Jarrod I don't know if there was a protagonist/antagonist in the story. Both of the main characters were likable and repulsive at different times. I, like Adam, think it had to do with the negative image of the oil companies and the church.
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