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Marched Out in Freedom, Into the Promised Land - The Prince of Egypt (1998)

3/29/2021

Please note: The following text contains spoilers. Viewer discretion is also advised – The Prince of Egypt is rated ‘U’. For more details on the film’s content from a Christian perspective, read Focus on The Family’s review from Plugged In:

www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/princeofegypt/

Without meaning to complain, I often take issue with the use of exaggerated, ecstatic praise that is bestowed upon films or television, when critics offer their thoughts and opinions on them. Such critics have a tendency to overexaggerate just how good a piece of entertainment can be, which is often down to a film capturing the cultural zeitgeist but directing such unholy reverence toward a piece culture is something I just cannot understand. I can actually call to mind various examples of critically lauded films that were dubbed ‘life-changing’, or ‘deeply moving’, which only elicited for me that ‘meh’, shoulder-shrugging response. But in a way, that’s unsurprising – after all, our opinions of entertainment and culture are purely subjective. But if I was to ever consider bestowing such rapturous praise upon a film, calling it ‘awe-inspiring’ or truly ‘life-changing’ (that old chestnut!) it could only really be directed in earnest toward The Prince of Egypt. Yes, I’m contradicting myself, but I have no issue in directing such rapturous praise towards this contemporary, animated classic. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, the merits of this animated film all work to artfully depict the awesome, mighty power of a saving God – one who remains active, and intent upon saving all who turn to Him, today. Not only is this film (and the particular message it carries) completely relevant, but it’s also essential…

Whilst The Prince of Egypt was created in the darkness of Hollywood, this is an unexpected, largely faithful retelling of the Exodus story – due in large part to its respectful creative team who sought the advice of theologians and faith leaders from various communities, to ensure that the film was told as accurately as possible. The core elements of the story remain (although accompanied by and/or represented through musical numbers): Miraculously rescued at birth from the clutches of the murderous Egyptians, Moses grows up in the care of Pharoah’s household, completely unaware of his heritage and the plight of his people, the Israelites, who are being enslaved by the Egyptians. Upon being awakened to the truth and exposed to the cruelty inflicted upon his people, the Israelites, Moses kills an Egyptian slavedriver in a fit of rage and flees the region. There, in the wilderness, he encounters God personally, learns of His plans to liberate the Israelites, and discovers his calling. Naturally, Moses is frightened, confused, and doubtful of the mission’s potential for success – for who could possibly dream of waltzing into the mighty nation of Egypt, demanding “Let my people go!”? Although difficult, Moses (and by extension, us) soon learns that what is impossible with man, is entirely possible with God.

They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Well, the same can be said of Ancient Egypt - a civilization built upon the blood, sweat and tears of slaves. And of the many who were oppressed in Egypt, God’s enslaved people, the Hebrews, were oppressed to the point in which they “groaned because they were forced to work very hard” and “cried (out to God) for help” (Exodus 2:23, ICB). Within the film’s opening segment, we even hear them sing a song of lament, entitled: “Deliver us!”. Such pain, anguish and abuse are difficult to watch, especially because the filmmakers depict God’s people as having fallen into despair, and lost hope in their creator. But as we read in Exodus 2:24 (ICB), God “heard their cries”, “and he remembered the agreement he had made with” their forefathers. In The Prince of Egypt, God does indeed hear his people’s cry, and acts, preparing the way for their salvation through the purposeful sending of Moses into the path of Pharoah’s household. Here, we see that God is not dead, or inactive. He is completely alive and active, ready to liberate His people.

It is God’s desire to see His creation (for we were all formed by Him in our mother’s wombs) freed from the grip of sin on their lives, and like His movement of power in Egypt so long ago, He has moved in power since, and continues to do so today, through Jesus Christ – His one and only Son. His movement of power, though different, is just as incredible: Each and every one of us have “sinned and is far away from God's saving presence” (Romans 3:23, GNT). So far, in fact, that we cannot liberate ourselves from its grasp. We are all slaves to sin – the darkness that we choose to surround ourselves within, in our daily lives: “Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34, GNT). And there is an eternal consequence to our actions (as well as sometimes, a present one): “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20, ESV).

But God, like in His interaction with the Hebrews, does not wish for us to remain enslaved. Rather, he would always want to see us freed and enter into close friendship and relationship with Him today, through His Son Jesus Christ: “He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” (2 Peter 3:9, GNT). He achieved this through sending His one and only Jesus, “who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT). When Jesus died upon the Cross, having taken upon himself your sin and mine, and rose from the grave three days later, He made a way for us all to walk out of our spiritual tombs, brought upon by our slavery to sin. And just like the Israelites, who could march out in freedom if they wanted to, we could choose to do that today. However, we have to make a choice: Remain in our own Egypt’s – places of spiritual slavery, but comfortability – or step out into new life, in the knowledge that we are free. One way or another, we must choose – for the eternal “payment for sin is death” (Romans 6:23, ICB). But God, in His great love and mercy, offers us “the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ICB), today. Will you allow Him to lead you out of Egypt today?

Challenge:

Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch The Prince of Egypt for themselves? Use the film’s themes to ask them what they thought of the film, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.

If you feel able to, ask them what they think about the film’s representation of Moses as a reluctant hero – what would they do if placed in that same position?
At one point, Moses is accused of never having cared for the Hebrew slaves, despite them being his own people. He says, “I did not see because I did not *wish* to see”. Ask your friend if they too have ever chosen to look away in the face of people’s suffering – why is that?

As noted by David Pawson in his book Unlocking The Bible (pg. 99), “Exodus is the story of the biggest escape in history”. Why? It tells of how God’s chosen people, the Israelites, effectively walked out of one of the most heavily guarded, fortified and sophisticated civilizations of their day, and stepped into freedom from captivity, in relationship with God. It is a truly awesome tale. Although one might class it as one of the biggest escapes on biblical record, there is one even greater than this: Salvation from the grip of sin and death upon our lives.

Take the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them, encouraging them in the knowledge that even though humanity is enslaved by their sin, God is offering to lead us into new life with Him today, through His son Jesus Christ, who offers salvation to all who call upon Him. So, why not invite them to turn from their sin, and receive Him for themselves, today?
Prior to watching the film for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the show. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film-watching experiences:

Dear Lord, as I watch this film, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.

The Prince of Egypt is currently available to rent through Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies and AppleTV.

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All Is Lost… Or is it? – All Is Lost (2013)

3/15/2021

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Please note: The following text contains spoilers. Viewer discretion is also advised – All Is Lost is rated ‘12’. For more details on the film’s content from a Christian perspective, read Focus on The Family’s review from Plugged In:

https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/all-is-lost/

Our Man (Robert Redford): “…I'm sorry. I know that means little at this point, but I am. I tried; I think you would all agree that I tried. To be true, to be strong, to be kind, to love, to be right. But I wasn't. And I know you knew this. In each of your ways. And I am sorry. All is lost here, except for soul and body, that is, what's left of them, and a half day's ration.”

All Is Lost, whilst functioning as an enthralling nautical adventure, is in essence a stripped-down tale of a man in crisis. From the moment the film begins, we’re given little-to-no details in regard to who he actually is – he is nameless, and the purpose for his voyage upon the Indian Ocean is virtually unknown – but we do know that he is “sorry” from a letter he presumably writes to some loved ones, towards the end of the film. Perhaps he left his life behind, as he can’t forgive himself for who he has become to those closest to him? The opening narration certainly suggests that. Maybe it’s unwise though, to try and guess who he is, especially since the screenwriter specifically named him “Our Man” and might therefore be a character who is representational of others. But regardless of his identity or reasoning for wanting to seek solitude on the high seas, Our Man is in trouble: the film opens with him awakening to find water flooding his cabin, following a collision with a wayward shipping container. With supplies dwindling, Our Man must gather his wits and find the strength needed to survive a battle with fearsome, and ever-threatening adversaries: the unpredictability of nature and death itself.

The YouTube community is always an ‘interesting’ place to find oneself, but in watching and then scrolling through the various comments of praise and detraction aimed towards a scene from All Is Lost, I noticed that some viewers had offered numerous, thoughtful interpretations regarding the film’s ending, whilst others simply criticised the film, due to various decisions made by the character that were deemed unwise. Perhaps such decisions were misguided, but if you were to be placed within that self-same situation, would you not make some of ‘mistakes’ yourself? Personally, I didn’t consider Our Man’s actions to be especially foolish overall – he utilises every supply at his disposal, from reading literature on celestial navigation to creatively managing to patch up the hull, thereby ensuring his survival. But time and time again, he comes to find that the hope he places in his own strength & intelligence, or various objects around him, is in fact misguided. Whilst Our Man initially salvages his radio transmitter upon which he places so much hope, it eventually crackles and ceases to transmit. When water fills the cabin, he fashions a makeshift handle for the vessel’s broken bilge pump, but soon finds that there is far too much water for him to remove manually and must accept defeat. Time and time again, Our Man discovers the hard truth that what he believes will promise him security, actually leads him to only experience further insecurity.

So much of the contents and structure of his vessel are finite (food, water) or unstable (the structural integrity of the hull), offering him little to no security which actually dwindles as time goes by. It’s a disheartening experience for the man, and painful for the audience to watch. But such developments of the plot enforce the biblical view that our security and our hope is misplaced, when it isn’t found in God our Father. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV), we read that the rich (and all people by extension) who mistakenly put their hope and trust in the things of this world, are encouraged to “put their hope in God” alone, who is a “firm foundation”, that we might “take hold of the life that is truly life” found in relationship with God. To do anything else, the Bible teaches, is to find ourselves bitterly disappointed and, much like our protagonist, completely lost – for the things of this life often fail or disappoint us, whereas God promises that He will never do so.

Time and time again, however, Our Man attempts to prolong and save his life, only to discover that all of his great efforts are made forfeit. He uses fishing wire to catch a fish, but only witnesses it becoming a tasty meal for a passing shark. Even the use of signalling flares to gain the attention of two passing container ships, fails him in the end. For our man, all is truly lost. And in a moment of desperation towards the end of the film, he even tears pages from his journal to create a signal fire, but soon finds that the fire grows out of control and consumes his life raft, leading him to abandon it. Up until this point, we’ve only ever seen Our Man desperately trying to save his life with whatever means are available to him. And such efforts reminded me of the words of Jesus: “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.” (Luke 17:33, NLT). It’s here, in Luke’s gospel, that Jesus is sharing the hope of the Gospel message once again – noting that if we simply relinquish control over our lives (living life our own way, in our own strength), thereby acknowledging that we are in need of assistance that comes from God alone, we will receive the gift of eternal life with God and be saved from eternal separation from God.

Now, Our Man doesn’t do exactly that – this is, after all, a Hollywood film. But Our Man is seen to relinquish control over his situation and also his life, when he appears to realise that there is nothing he can do in his own strength, to preserve or save it. Instead of frantically trying to grab hold of whatever’s left of his life raft, he just bobs along in the water, and looks intently, up at the sky. It’s as if he’s praying to God and asking him for help, thereby relinquishing his grip upon his life and acknowledging that he is in need of a saviour. And the Bible teaches that we, like Our Man, are all in need of a saviour – that our life is much like his sinking vessel, but has instead been pierced by sin, and is rapidly filling with darkness which will claim our very souls. Writing in Romans, the Apostle Paul reflected upon this when he wrote that “No one is righteous – not even one”, for “no one is seeking God” and “all have turned away” (Romans 3:10-13, NLT). Therefore, according to God, “everyone has sinned” and “…we all fall short of (His) glorious standard” (Romans 3:23, NLT), which cannot be reversed in our own strength – no matter what we do. No, we need a saviour because of the grave effect sin has on our lives: “The payment for sin is death” in eternity, for the wrongdoing we have committed against God (Romans 6:23, ICB).

In the end, Our Man begins to sink to the depths below, believing that there is nothing more he can do or cling to, in order to save his life. And that is true. But then along comes the rescue – a boat with a search light approaches his burning raft, which prompts him to swim towards the surface and grasp an outstretched hand, which then pulls him out of the depths, and into the light. It’s a perfect picture of what God has done for a world that is in desperate need of a saviour to pull them from the depths of their sin. For over 2000 years ago, He sent His One and only Son Jesus to take the weight of our mistakes upon Himself and destroy their power forever, through His death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:21). In that moment, he made a way for us to be united in relationship with our Father in Heaven both now, and in eternity, by reaching out His hand of salvation to us. Like Our Man, however, we must grasp that outstretched hand, turning away from our old, sinful lives and toward God – for without Him, we simply exist “in this world without hope” (Ephesians 2:12, GNT) and all – eternally speaking – is truly lost. Yet, if we accept the offer of “His grace”, we will be “put right with God”, pulled out from our depths of sin, and receive “possession of the eternal life we hope for” (Titus 3:7, GNT). With Jesus then, all is never lost.

Challenge:

Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch All Is Lost for themselves? Use the film’s themes to ask them what they thought of the film, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.

If you feel able to, ask them what they think about the film’s view of Our Man, and his efforts to save himself. Was he right to do everything in his own power to save himself, or should he have done something else to ensure his survival? What would they have done if they were in Our Man’s position – pray, fall into despair or something else? Ask them to think about Our Man’s desperation to save himself from death, as well – do they think about preserving their life, and if so, how would they seek to do that? Go on to point out that it’s not Our Man’s efforts that save him, but the efforts of someone else entirely. But how do they interpret that scene – was Our Man saved from death by someone human, or perhaps by God himself? Then discuss with them the need for humanity to be saved from their own sinful depths, asking if they see their own need to be saved. Whether yes or no, ask why.

Take the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them, encouraging them in the knowledge that even though we are all sinking because of the weight of sin in our lives, we can be saved by an outstretched hand from above – the hand of Jesus, who offers salvation to all who call upon Him. So, why not invite them to receive Him for themselves, today?

Prior to watching the film for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the show. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film-watching experiences:

Dear Lord, as I watch this film, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.

All Is Lost is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video (U.K.)

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Elephants, Whos and Cultivating Faith - Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

3/8/2021

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Please note: The following text contains spoilers. Viewer discretion is also advised – Horton Hears a Who! is rated ‘U’. For more details on the film’s content from a Christian perspective, read Focus on The Family’s review from Plugged In:

https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/drseusshortonhearsawho/

I’m so glad that the story of Horton Hears a Who! exists – both in the form of literature yes, but particularly in regard to its cinematic & television adaptations. Not only is the tale wildly imaginative, but it carries messages worthy to be instilled within all of us. Without contest, however, my favourite of the book’s adaptations is 2008’s Horton Hears a Who! – it’s playfully zany, epic in scope, and thankfully retains the allegorical messages which are commonplace, in the Dr. Seuss oeuvre. Most notable is that of a message conveyed by Horton himself: "A person's a person, no matter how small”. And whilst the film’s strikingly simple messages have been interpreted by various people, in numerous ways, the fact remains that they have key links to Gospel Message which cannot be ignored…

Apparently eager to return to the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss, Jim Carrey energetically voices the eponymous, care-free pachyderm, whose misadventures lead him to experience what he describes as “an amazing cosmic convergence”: Someone from a tiny planet, situated on a speck of dust, lets out a tiny yelp. In attempting to contact its microscopic inhabitant, Horton makes the (audible) acquaintance of Mayor Ned McDodd (Steve Carell), who informs him that Horton is in fact carrying the entire city of Whoville and its inhabitants. Realising that the Whos are in grave danger, due to threat of the jungle landscape and some unsavoury characters, Horton is filled with compassion and pledges to make a home for their ‘speck’, atop Mt. Nool - the safest place in the jungle.

Whilst the story is fondly remembered for an overarching message that closely resembles the pro-life viewpoint, I’ve come to find that the relationship between Horton and Mayor Ned, functions as a worthy allegory for having faith in that which is unseen. From the very beginning, when Horton is first alerted to the idea that someone on the speck actually let out a sound, he struggles with the idea that such an anomaly could actually exist. This is fuelled by Sour Kangaroo, an uppity animal who refuses to believe that the Whos exist, because she “can’t see, hear or feel” them. But Horton reasons that there is indeed a small civilisation living upon the speck, because he says (and knows), “I heard you”. Without ever being able to see a single Who, Horton wholeheartedly believes they exist and that he has a duty of care to them and their world. Of course, our human minds would consider such behaviour as irrational, just as the fellow animals of the jungle do. But Horton knows in his heart what is true, and because he draws close to the voice, actually comes to learn of the Whos existence and the entire world inhabited upon the speck.

Unbeknownst to him, Horton is living out the biblical definition of faith as written in Hebrews 11:1 (GNT): “…faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see”. Whilst he cannot see the Whos themselves, Horton remains open and willing to actively believe that there is life existing upon the speck, beyond what he can see. And this is the same kind of faith that God calls for humanity to have in Him, because His desire is for all “people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”, which can only be found in relationship with God (1 Timothy 2:3-4, NIV) when we put our faith and hope in Him. But there are many whom we encounter in our day-to-day lives who live just as the Sour Kangaroo does, believing that the message of Jesus is foolishness: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV). However, the Bible teaches that those who earnestly call upon the name of Jesus, regardless of what the world says, will be sustained by Him as they journey through this life, drawing ever closer to eternity spent with Him. It is them whom the Bible teaches will “rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy” in the present, because they know and are known by God, but will later receive the “salvation of (their) souls” as a reward for “trusting Him” (1 Peter 1:8-9, NLT). Yes, Horton encounters a great many difficulties in his dedication to saving the Whos, but there is also great rejoicing for Him at the film’s end. For we know he has ‘kept the faith’ in spite of everything and not compromised his beliefs to appease others or save himself, which ultimately saves Whoville.

There is also a duality to the allegory of faith, featured within Horton Hears A Who! Not only does Horton himself go on a journey and exploration of faith, but so too does Mr. Mayor. Whilst he believes wholeheartedly in Horton’s existence (he hears his voice, witnesses his control over the weather when he puts the ‘speck’ in the shade…), He too struggles with voices around him who don’t believe in the existence of Horton, whom he communicates with through a modified pipe which has been fitted with a gramophone horn, for amplification. Try as he might, the town simply won’t listen to Mayor Ned – even when he informs them of their impending doom, due to Whoville being the size of a speck and situated on a clover which certain characters in Horton’s world, are seeking to destroy. No, they are a happy to go on with their lives as usual, because they “can’t see, hear or feel” the dangers which surround them, or Horton himself. They are satisfied in continuing to live their life as if they weren’t at risk of destruction at all. Even when these are visible signs which clearly point to the dangers Mayor Ned refers to, they seek to rationalise such things and cast them aside. Humanity, by and large however, are just the same. We have all lived from a place of ignorance, choosing to reject God, thereby remaining blissfully unaware of the eternal consequences for our sin: “…what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19–21, ESV). Like the Whos, humanity has been so wrapped up in its own sinful desires that we reject the only One who can save us (God alone), those who point us to Him by labelling them “crazy” or “deluded”, and then fall prey to Satan: “They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4, GNT). But we are in need of a saviour, and His name is Jesus Christ – the One who took the weight of our mistakes upon Himself and destroyed their power forever through His death and resurrection, making a way for us to be united with our Father in Heaven both now, and in eternity.

And Mr. Mayor, in his desire to save the town, knew that they too were in need of a saviour. So, he continues to tell everyone of Horton’s existence, encouraging them to simply believe in and call out to him with a loud cry, so that they might be saved. And, by some miracle, they do – which enables Horton to point certain villains to tangible evidence, which proves their existence. Of course, humanity is not at all in need of trying to prove their existence to an almighty God. However, we are in equally desperate need of Him, within whom we can place our hope. Thankfully, we need not petition Him, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13, NLT).

Challenge:

Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch Horton Hears A Who! for themselves? Use the film’s themes to ask them what they thought of the film, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.

If you feel able to, ask them what they think about the film’s understanding of faith, and the characters themselves – do they develop some semblance of faith in something or someone, throughout the course of the film? If so, what does that look like? Might they have faith in something or someone, in a similar way to these characters? Ask them how such a faith influences their life.

Take the opportunity to also discuss with them the unbelief of various characters throughout the film, such as the Kangaroo. Ask them to imagine that they were in Horton or the Mayor’s shoes - if they didn’t believe you, what would you do? Have they been in that position before? If so, what did it feel like? Or have they ever been in the position of having unbelief towards something? If you feel prompted to, ask them at this moment what it is that might hold them back from believing in Jesus and why. Take the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them, encouraging them in the knowledge that Jesus wants to be in close, tangible friendship with them today because of what Jesus has done for us, by dying on the cross and rising again three days later, which defeated the power of death and darkness. Finish by letting them know that we need only put our hope and trust in Jesus today (even if the world berates us for it), so that we can be forgiven and receive the blessed assurance of salvation, that comes from a relationship with Jesus. Why not invite them to receive Him for themselves, today?

Prior to watching the film for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the show. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film-watching experiences:

Dear Lord, as I watch this film, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.

Horton Hears A Who! is currently available to stream on Disney+ (U.K.)

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“Heaven, I’m In Heaven(?)” - The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

3/1/2021

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Please note: The following text contains spoilers. Viewer discretion is also advised – this episode of TV series The Twilight Zone (“A Nice Place to Visit”, Season 1 – Episode 28) is rated ‘12’. (No Christian content advisory is currently available for this episode.)

In mid-January, I wrote a piece in which I admitted to you, my dear readers, that I had “broken the sacred rules” of the Faith & Film blog. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly but did so for your benefit, in writing about an episode of spiritually significant, compelling television, over a film. But I must confess, I remain unrepentant – especially since I’ve recently discovered the strikingly prescient morality tales of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone…

In its original five season run (1959–1964), Serling’s ground-breaking show explored pressing issues of the day such as the fight for social justice, atomic war and government control – to name a few. One might even argue that Jewish-born Serling (who later converted to Unitarianism), also utilised the format of the anthology drama as a platform for sharing his love and passion for morality, with the world. Regardless of whatever issue Serling might have been addressing at any given moment, the through-line of his extraordinary series is that he continuously sought to leave the viewer with a challenging lesson to ruminate upon, in their day-to-day life – from learning that there are mysteries to the universe that even our greatest minds cannot solve (S2, Ep. 12), to the plea that humanity must do well to fight against its fallen nature (S1, Ep. 22). And yet, of all the episodes that my family and I have devoured so far (we’re currently working our way through Vulture’s 50 Best Episodes of The Twilight Zone), only one has lingered with me in a manner which has made me – as a Christian - both fearful, and simultaneously hopeful: “A Nice Place to Visit”.

Following the signature introduction informing us that we are now entering an entirely different dimension to our own, the episode opens with dramatic urgency: small-time crook Rocky Valentine (Larry Blyden) is seen hastily robbing a pawnshop, and then attempting to evade capture from the police on foot, when the heist suddenly goes south. Under a hail of gunfire, Rocky dives into a nearby street, but finds himself cornered and is subsequently gunned down by the authorities (cue ‘fade to black’). Miraculously, however, he soon awakes in the same location we last saw him and in perfect condition. Except now, he finds himself in the company of Mr. Pip – a large, bearded gentleman dressed all in white. He politely introduces himself to Rocky as his “guide”, informing him that he is required to give him everything he could ever want. Naturally, Rocky is suspicious of Pip, but soon finds that the jolly fellow is in fact telling the truth, when he gifts him a beautiful apartment to call his own. Rocky still can't quite believe his luck (literally, too, when he begins winning every casino game imaginable), but eagerly requests that Pip bestow upon him money, women, fast cars and so much more – essentially, everything that his heart ever desired. And whilst Rocky soon embraces this life in the fast lane, something still doesn’t seem quite right:

Rocky: “What's going on here? Where am I?”

Mr. Pip: “Mr. Valentine, do you remember when we met earlier today? I told you I was in a sense, your guide and you said you needed a guide like a hole in the head.”

Rocky: “Yeah.”

Mr. Pip: “Well, as a matter of strict fact, you had a hole in the head only a short time before: a bullet hole.”

Rocky: “Yeah, that's right. The cops, they... Then I must... I must be dead!”

Mr. Pip: “Mmm-hmm.”

Rocky: “If I'm dead, then all of this, the joint, the clothes and the booze… I must be in heaven. Yeah! That's it! That's it! I'm in heaven, right? And you're my guardian angel, something like that?”

Mr. Pip: “Oh, something like that. Yes, Mr. Valentine.”

Rocky is elated to learn that he ‘made the cut’ to enter Heaven, but is still a tad perplexed – how could a less than gentlemanly thief have everything he ever wanted, and make it into Heaven? Even he can’t seem to remember doing many or any good deeds at all throughout his time on earth, that could warrant such eternal bliss. In seeking reassurance from Pip that there hasn’t been some sort of mix-up with the almighty, Rocky is informed that there is a file kept on him in the Hall of Records, that would detail every action taken within his lifetime. At Rocky’s request, Pip leads him to the aforementioned hall, and then to a filing cabinet, from which he removes the file. Reading it aloud, Rocky soon realizes that his life was completely devoid of any good at all, for his file is simply a record of all that he has ever done wrong – and nothing more. Noticeably worried and confused, Rocky begins to panic. But Pip assures him that nobody could have made a mistake and that he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be. Whilst his fears initially subside, Rocky soon tires of being waited on, hand and foot, yelling: “If I gotta stay here another day, I’m gonna go nuts! I don’t belong in heaven, see? I want to go to the other place.” Pip, taken aback, flashes a wry smile, saying: “Whatever gave you the idea that you were in heaven, Mr. Valentine? This IS the other place!”. You didn’t see that coming, now did you?

At the top of this article, I mentioned that A Nice Place To Visit made the Christian in me both fearful, and simultaneously hopeful. Why might that be, you ask? Well, I was initially fearful because the episode prompted me to consider if God keeps a record of our mistakes, and in particular, my own. It’s a scary, heavy thought for anyone to consider, but consider it we must. For if God is all-knowing, then He is more than able to call to mind the wrongdoing we have committed against Him, and others. And in the Book of Revelation, that is revealed to be true, as it is written that our sins (the wrong we do in the eyes of a holy God) are recorded in a heavenly book and used to pass judgement upon us: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Revelation 20:12, NIV). One could easily feel dejected at such news – knowing that God is completely aware of all our wrongdoing, both in the public and private sphere, but also of the sins we committed and can no longer remember. After all, nobody would like to admit their own wrongdoing and would much rather hope that their good deeds outweighed the bad. But the biblical truth remains that “everyone has sinned” against God (Romans 3:23, GNT), and in His eyes, “our righteous deeds…are nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, NLT). But perhaps more serious is that the Bible teaches our “payment for sin is (eternal) death” (Romans 6:23, ICB), meaning that those who are sinful will be separated from such a holy God. Therefore, if we are judged by God’s complete record of our many sins (just as in the case of Rocky Valentine) then perhaps you and I are also due to receive eternal punishment?

Well thankfully, there is Good News (hence my reasoning for being hopeful). Although our sins are both numerable and exceptionally evil in the eyes of a holy God, there is grace and mercy available to all. For to everyone who genuinely puts their faith, hope and trust in Jesus, the Son of God - asking Him to forgive them of their mistakes and turning away from them - will find that their ‘sinful record’ is wiped completely clean. But this was only made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was sent to earth to die for us on the cross, taking the penalty that we deserved for our many sins we had committed against God, so that we might be set free from death itself: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT). Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus, “if we confess our sins” to Him, “He is faithful and just and will forgive us (of) our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV).

Unlike the concept of God in this episode of The Twilight Zone, God in His great love for humanity chooses not to keep an uncleanable, glaring record of our sin, but has made a way for it to be wiped completely clean for those who seek His forgiveness: “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18, NLT). Whilst yes, God has a clear knowledge of the sins we have committed against Him, He does not seek for us to be eternally condemned by the record of them. For “If you (God) kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned?” (Psalm 130:3, GNT), the Psalmist writes. Instead, God “forgives us…so that we should stand in awe of” Him (Psalm 130:4, GNT), turning from our wicked ways which only bring death, to then draw upon His love, forgiveness and mercy, which bring life everlasting. Heaven then becomes a destination that isn’t simply A Nice Place To Visit (something the Rocky Valentine character would very much like to do) or a place to dream of visiting, but it becomes a wonderful place that you and I can call home, with certainty, today.

Challenge:

Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch this episode of The Twilight Zone for themselves? Use the TV show’s themes to ask them what they thought of the episode, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.

If you feel able to, ask them what they think about the episode’s understanding of what it means ‘make the cut’ and be accepted into Heaven. Do they think that God keeps a record of their mistakes on file somewhere? If so, how does that make them feel – anxious or afraid, perhaps? Do they feel that God might also keep a record of their good deeds too? If so, do they think that such good deeds might balance out the negative aspects of their lives, thereby providing them with access to Heaven? Be honest, if you can, in asking them if they think they’ve been ‘good enough’ to be accepted into Heaven. Regardless of their answer, be sure to then explain that nobody (humanly speaking) has ever been good enough to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, as our sins prevent us from getting there. But take the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them, by encouraging them in the knowledge that we can enter into Heaven because of what Jesus has done for us, by dying on the cross and rising again three days later, which defeated the power of death and darkness. Finish by letting them know that God has made a way for our ‘record’ to be wiped clean through the cleansing power of Jesus, and invite them to receive Him for themselves, today.

Prior to watching the episode for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the show. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film & TV-watching experiences:

Dear Lord, as I watch this TV show, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.

The Twilight Zone – Season One, including the episode “A Nice Place To Visit”, is currently available to purchase through Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV and Google Play.

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Marched Out in Freedom, Into the Promised Land - The Prince of Egypt (1998)

All Is Lost… Or is it? – All Is Lost (2013)

Elephants, Whos and Cultivating Faith - Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

“Heaven, I’m In Heaven(?)” - The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Articles written by
Scott Gentry
[email protected]

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Marched Out in Freedom, Into the Promised Land - The Prince of Egypt (1998)

All Is Lost… Or is it? – All Is Lost (2013)

Elephants, Whos and Cultivating Faith - Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

“Heaven, I’m In Heaven(?)” - The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Articles written byScott Gentry​[email protected]

Archives

Categories

Articles written by
Scott Gentry
[email protected]