Signs

So I get home from Bible Study tonight and Lorie hasn't been feeling well, so she's sound asleep in bed, leaving me to cook dinner (which isn't a bad thing, I like to cook) and then eat it by myself. Now, lately, I've found out that I really hate the sound of myself chewing. Don't ask me why, it's been annoying, so I go to watch TV so I'm not just sitting there listening to me eat, but of course, there's nothing on TV at 10 on Wednesday unless someone is being killed and the people trying to figure it out are being shot at (and you have to add lots of blood, gore, and bad dialogue), so I put in one of the best movies of all time. Signs.

Why do I like signs? It makes me think. There are two main things going through my mind as I watch this movie (and I'll do my best not to give the movie away). The first is God's security in Himself or our lack thereof. The main character was a priest, but lost his faith when his wife died and at certain points in the movie he expresses this be it by yelling at God or telling his children he will not waste any more of his time on prayer. "Not one more minute." And all through it the thought is occurring to me about how I've been taught all my life that God wants to smite you down, how He is waiting for you to mess up and if you dare question Him, bam! But that's not it at all. He's a loving Father. And He is not so insecure that if something happens that makes you question Him or His existence He huffs and puffs in heaven, stomping His feet and feeling bad about Himself. No, He's patient enough to wait for us to come back around and figure out our relationship with Him for ourselves, but that's the key. We have to figure it out for ourselves and come back to Him.

The second is the idea that, as they describe, there are two types of people. The first type see God in everything. There are no coincidences. It is all orchestrated by God. Nothing happens that He does not allow and/or plan for. The second group sees it all as coincidences. There is no one looking out for us and things just happen. But it's the first group that has hope (I'm thinking about showing the clip one day in NewSong before God At Work).

It's a great movie. It makes you think. It brings me faith. The only disturbing part to me is that one of the greatest cinematic examples of a loving God always at work in our hearts was written and made by someone who does not believe in God. Why can't Christians create something like that? Where are the Christian artists, writers, screenwriters, actors, producers, directors, sculptors, painters, etc.? Why is it someone who does not believe in God does a better job of convincing people there is a God than those who believe?

Deep thoughts...

T