Faith Films

TITLE: FAITH FILMS
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: Feb 27th, 2016

The Oscars will be held this weekend. With glittering stars and dazzling movies, it is that one time each year that awards be given to film directors, notable actors and actresses, special effects, and all kinds of recognition of great movie work. Even faith films are in town.

If you check out Faith Films, you would see some movies due to be launched this year in Canada. The movie "Risen" has already been launched. As the title has suggested, it is about the eyewitnesses take on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Dramatized from the eyes of a non-believer, a member of the powerful Roman military establishment, the story revolves around the tensions after Jesus was crucified.

Another film that will be coming out on March 11th is a film called, "Miracles from Heaven." The story is about an incredible series of miracles that started with the discovery of an incurable disease in a 10-year-old girl named Anna. It sparks off a mad search for a cure, a doomed diagnosis, an accident, and a turn to faith. In real life, the making of the movie has impacted the lead actress, Jennifer Garner, so much that she has now made a point to take her own real life daughters to Church regularly. This is a dramatized version of a young girl who in 2011 was amazingly healed after a near death experience.  It is a powerful movie about family, based on a book written by Anna's mother, Christy Beam. Poised to be a hit with family and Christians, this movie is a tear-jerker that forces viewers to come face to faith with the supernatural, faith, and how it impacts our day to day living. I am looking forward to this film release.

This week, I watched a preview of "Young Messiah," a movie that focuses on the life of young 7-year-old Jesus and his intimate relationship with his parents. Based on a novel written by Anne Rice, the storyline revolves around the dangerous journey taken by Joseph and Mary during the tumultuous time of King Herod, the Jewish rebellion, and the dangers faced by Jews in the midst of harsh Roman rule. Filmed on location, the film is set in beautiful scenery. Since the Bible has very little description on the life of young Jesus, there is a lot of imagination and dependence on Rice's "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" to fill in the gaps.

What about consumers? What can we make of faith films? Are they real enough to be believed? Are they too fiction for comfort? Are they simply another Hollywood movie under the guise of a Christian label? Let me offer three thoughts this week about faith films.

First, every movie is a director's perspective. Like many of the movies, they are all dramatized versions and fictional retelling of a basic historical aspect of Jesus' life and the Christian faith. There is no need to go on a witch-hunt to determine how true is one film over the other, and how accurate it is in depicting the truth of the Bible. The key thing is that all the films are interpretations of a part of the Bible story from the lens of the movie makers. They are all made with the modern viewers in mind. The flurry of faith films that is coming out of Hollywood tells us that more and more directors are aware of the huge market in religion and spirituality. The spending power of Christians in churches around the world cannot be underestimated. Any business with a megachurch in town will surely do well to target this segment of spenders. The movie, "Heaven is For Real" may have been based on the story of the boy, Colton, but the story was told from the perspective of the father, Todd Burpo. Like any retelling, there is always a personal perspective infused into the storyline. While we may not be able to distinguish exactly what parts of the movie are on whose perspective, it is good to keep at the back of our heads that this is just one particular perspective.

Second, criticism of movies and the storylines is legitimate but do not let criticisms overwhelm the intent of the movie makers. The movie website "Rotten Tomatoes" is a popular place where people dish out their two cents worth of reviews about each movie released into the marketplace. Like real life situations where people throw tomatoes at horrible performances on stage, reviewers often throw all kinds of criticisms on movies that fail to meet certain expectations. Sometimes, the measurements can be quite ambiguous. Is the number of tomatoes thrown equal to the quality of the movie? Not really. Sometimes, a controversial movie may trigger a barrage of emotions that do not necessarily reflect on the true performance of a movie.

Third, enjoy the story. Whether it is a feel-good movie like "Miracles From Heaven" or a shocking rendition like the gory scenes of "The Passion of the Christ," going to the movies is essentially about the experience. Appreciate the movie for what it is, but let the questions drive us on our own personal research or discovery of the truth. Just like what I call a good Bible Study session. A good Bible study for me is not about the number of answers that one can derive after the study but the lingering questions that keep one's curiosity going. Getting one answer may be good after one session. However, leaving with questions can lead us onto more than one answers that enrich our learning experience.

As an avid movie-goer, I appreciate faith films although many of them still do not match the standards of a modern Hollywood offering. Fortunately, things are changing. More movies are now been made, thanks in part to successful launches by initiatives by Sherwood Pictures (Fireproof, Courageous, War Room). In fact, while I support faith films, I think it is more important to go to the movies with a Christian worldview to interpret the film and not become vulnerable to the shaping tendencies of movies. Like a measuring tape that has absolute boundaries in metric or imperial units, our worldview enables us to discern what is good and what is not. Personally, I find movies with vulgar language and excessive violence very off-putting. Generally, I would switch off and avoid such movies. This is one reason why I find faith films more acceptable. I understand modern movies try to be as "realistic" as possible about contemporary culture. Yet, I feel that we should not be "educated" by vulgarity or violent behaviours. We should stand up for what is right, what is beautiful, and what is holy. The perspective we bring into films is equally important.

Be aware. Be critical where needed. At all times, learn to enjoy the movie and not be stuck on criticisms. After all, going to the movies is more about an experience, not a school research project.

THOUGHT: "What's hard for Christian films is we're presenting to them [people], 'here's what a Godly, good, happy, loving marriage can look like, or here's what forgiveness looks like, or here's how God does answer prayer.' So to the world that may feel inauthentic to them because they've never experienced that before. They may say 'well that's cheesy' but we say 'No! That's real life, we're introducing you to something you've never experienced in your own personal life.'"(Alex Kendrick)

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or inquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any person(s) or organization(s).

In Pursuit of Money

TITLE: IN PURSUIT OF MONEY
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 6:9-10
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: Jan 27th, 2016.

"Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (2 Timothy 6:9-10)

Last week, I wrote about the enticement of power, how power corrupts the flesh and how good Christian people in avoiding power like a plague miss the opportunity of seeing power as a gift to be stewarded rather than a poison to be shunned.  This week, I continue with some thoughts about a second temptation: Money.

I watched IP MAN 3 last night, a movie about a Chinese legendary hero, Ip Man. He was the said teacher of the famous Bruce Lee. A top martial arts pugilist, he pioneered a special kung fu called the Wing Chun martial art. This third installment, while not as good as the first one that launched Donnie Yen to fame, has enough bells and whistles to make it a worthy watch. There are many wonderful values in the film. There is the value of friendship, where leaders from the top pugilist schools regularly show respect to one another in admiration of their respective skill-sets and legends. There is the value of integrity, where people meant what they say, did what they promise, and kept their word. There is the value of marital love, where the protagonist lays everything aside, his reputation and fame, just to care for his cancer-stricken wife. Yet, a movie plot is not very exciting without villains and some level of bad behaviour. Here is where my reflections on money begin: Money corrupts the soul of the person from the inside out. Let me share three examples from the movie Ip Man 3.

Is Superman a "Type" of Jesus?

TITLE: IS SUPERMAN A "TYPE" OF JESUS?
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: 20 June 2013

It's officially Summer Holidays for my kids. As a mini-celebration, our whole family went to watch the latest blockbuster movie, "Man of Steel," (aka, Superman). It was a full house. My daughter met a friend who did not manage to get any tickets over the counter. Thankfully, we purchased our tickets online a couple of hours ago. Even then, despite being almost half an hour early, we had to split up our seating inside the packed cinema. Many people had reserved seats for their friends. Reluctantly, I sat at the third row from the front. We all enjoyed the movie despite the different seating arrangements. At least I got to see Clark Kent and Lois Lane up close and personal.

The special effects are stunning. The acting is professional. The storyline incorporates some of the best from the previous Superman films and is re-written to give viewers a bigger picture of how Superman was born, sent to earth, saved the world, and lived among human beings. It is somewhat like the first two Superman hits (starring the late Christopher Reeve) being reconstituted into one long almost two and a half hour movie. Of course, "Man of Steel" benefits from the latest in computer and digital media technologies. With highly advanced computer animation, computer graphics are rendered on-screen, so polished that viewers can hardly tell the difference between virtual reality and the real world. I admit. There are moments when I compare compare the comic strip superhero with the real Jesus of Nazareth. It seems like there is an intent right from the start to insert some kind of a Jesus-like Saviour image in this movie.

I was right. Almost.

The people in Hollywood know that since the recent successes of faith-based movies such as Fireproof, Courageous, Soul Surfer, and several others, there is a sizeable Christian audience that cannot be easily ignored. At the same time, they cannot do it too overtly lest it offends atheists and people of other faiths. The easiest way then is to incorporate it quietly in as secularized fashion as possible the themes. At the same time, they go loud when it comes to publicizing the movie to pastors and clergymen, so that they in turn can encourage their congregations to go see the movie and discuss the parallels between Superman and Jesus. A ministry resource has also been set up here for that purpose. It is a brilliant move. In fact, the producers of the superhero movie has reported box-office success, thanks in part to the megachurches in the US.

I am a little ambivalent with regards to comparing the role of Superman with Jesus. What I will try to do is to highlight in what way Superman is like Jesus, and in what way the movie is not.

Beware. There are spoilers from this point on.

The Dark Knight Rises - Three Thoughts

TITLE: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - THREE THOUGHTS
SCRIPTURE: Romans 4:18
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: 29 August 2012

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Romans 4:18)

MAIN POINT: Watching movies like the Dark Knight Rises can be downright depressing. Yet, for all the realities of life that they try to portray, there is none more striking than the presence of hope. [Beware, spoilers below.]

Yesterday, we celebrated our son's birthday in a way a teenager enjoys. We watched the latest Batman flick, famous for its superhero cult status, but infamous for the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado, last month at a movie premiere. It took a while for me to get over the link between the shootings there and the immense violence in the movie. For all the negative connotations and the bad news, there are some good themes to take away from the movie. The storyline is the usual initial happiness, followed by a downward despair toward the middle of the film. Following that, just as it seems that the worst is becoming worse, where the villains seem to be winning all the wars, there flickers a glimmer of hope amid the climate of despair.

I told my kids that there are at least five themes to learn from the movie. They said I reminded them of their English teacher who seems to see meaning in every kind of movie. I smiled. Maybe, that is the nature of my training, to be reflective and always trying to perceive some truth out of everyday life. For this week, I will try to piece together three major themes in the movie that I feel resonate strongly with my Christian faith.

A) Reality of Evil

The movie begins with widespread celebrations of heroes of Gotham City, who has played a large part in eradicating organized crime from the city. With media blaring away, and the accolades flowing down throughout for Harvey Dent, all things appear well on the surface. Unfortunately, Dent is not saintly at all, for his crimes have all been covered up, with the full knowledge of the Police Commissioner, James Gordon. Instead, Batman takes the fall, and retreats to his own private world. Like many instances in the world, beneath the layer of smiles and happy faces, belies pain and some kind of wrongdoing.

I remember a Police commercial that says: "Low crime does not mean no crime."

If there is one major theme the movie has, it is this. Evil is real.

The movie is dark, not just for the title but also for the general lighting throughout the movie. Batman's costume is dark. Catwoman's mask is black. Virtually the entire police force are trapped in a dark underground. The lighting is not that great, perhaps, to generate a sense of gloom and doom for the fictional Gotham City. As the evil Bane pounces on all the innocent people, and tries to instill a misguided sense of justice, the entire city is held at ransom. Even outside help like the military from the rest of the country has to play by the rules of Bane and his violent criminals.

Abraham has also encountered evil firsthand. Most notable is how he pleads with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, on the basis of a few good men. Unfortunately, the evil of the two cities have turned out so bad, that God had no choice but to destroy the city. Remember how in Genesis 19, that evil threatens to invade the household of Abraham? For all the theory that Abraham argues with God, about justice and righteousness, Abraham has no clue about the reality of great evil. God has to intervene.

Theme: Seeing no evil does not mean there is no evil. 


B) Resurgence of Despair

I asked my kids about how they feel about the movie. One of them even gave a 2.5 stars out of 5! While they tell me that there is too much shooting, I feel that the dark theme in the movie is actually more depressing than their expectations of a superhero movie. In baseball, once we have three strikes, the batter is automatically called out. The downward spiral of defeat and despair does appear very depressing for most parts of the movie. We see how helpless Bruce Wayne has become, to see his billions disappear with just a theft of his fingerprints. We see how the precious technological gizmos Wayne Enterprises have developed, fall into the very hands of the enemies. We see how time and again, the catwoman betrays the trust of Bruce Wayne, the ridiculous pursuit of Batman at the expense of the obvious villains, and the non-stop victories of the invincible but despicable Bane. Even the name of the villain personifies pain. The women in the movie show more reasons not to trust people. See how time and again the catwoman steals, humiliates, and misleads the mighty batman. The proverbial stab in the back comes from none other than the woman Batman trusts most: Miranda Tate. Just when Batman has the upper hand on his archrival, Bane, along comes Tate hurting Batman not only with her dagger, but piercing his deepest emotions. The truth be told, that Miranda has been conspiring all along with Bane, to trick Wayne Enterprises into developing a thermonuclear device to blow up Gotham City.

Thinking of Abraham, many years have passed since the promise of God to make him a father of all nations. After barely surviving the horrible encounter with deranged men of Sodom and Gomorrah, he sees his wife nearly taken by kings of the foreign lands they enter into. He foolishly risks Sarah's life by pretending she is his sister (Genesis 20:2). Due to inner feud between Sarah and her maidservant, he is forced to send away Hagar and his descendent Ishmael. Moreover, he has to sacrifice Isaac, his only son! Instead of seeing God giving Abraham one son after the other, God is asking Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son. Hello? Did Abraham mishear anything?

Key Theme: Despair can be tormenting. For some, the saying "it will get worse before it gets better" will appear long and unending.

C) Resurrection of Hope

This is perhaps the biggest feeling I have, seeing the rising of Batman again, and the image of the Resurrection of Christ. When all seems lost, when everything appears headed for doom, suddenly there is help. Catwoman has a change of heart, and becomes a key ally. The inspector John Blake appears unscathed, and continues to be a force to be reckoned with despite him being ordinary and outnumbered. Of course, the bad guys do not get all the best stuff. Batman still has a few other special weapons hidden away from the sights of the enemies. What is most crucial is the renewed spirit to want to save the city rather than taking revenge. In many Rambo-style movies, we see the desire for revenge outweighs all other emotions. As anger turns to wrath, and fear into hatred, many of these heroes seem to develop a fighting evil with evil mentality. They attempt to respond with heavier artillery or more powerful weaponry.

As moviegoers watch Batman crawl and climb out of the pit, it is symbolic of hope resurrected. With the new-found spirit, and the overwhelming resolve not to let evil has its last say, Batman rises from the ashes of defeat, to save Gotham City. In response to Catwoman's plea for him to save his own skin, after all the nasty treatment inflicted on him, Batman refuses to give in to the temptation to flee. Instead, he is fixed on doing the right thing. He wants to rise again, for the sake of the city.

Abraham could have given up on waiting for God. Yet, he believes God. He offers his son Isaac up willingly at Mount Moriah. For that he has been credited for righteousness. Despite his wife's age, he continues to trust God to provide him offspring. The Apostle Paul calls Abraham as one who believes "against all hope." For Christians, the biggest hope is none other than the Resurrection of Christ. See how not just one, but all the disciples flee at the arrest of Jesus. See how everyone returns back to their normal lifestyles after the death of Jesus. See how surprised people become when they hear about the Resurrection of Jesus.

If only they had believed.

D) Hope Resurrected

I wonder how many of us actually believed that Batman can rise from the dead. Toward the middle of the movie, I must admit that the darkness seems most invincible. Even the mighty Batman has been badly beaten up by Bane, who defeats Batman with his bare hands. See how thousands of law enforcers are trapped, releasing lawlessness into the streets. I like the way Paul renders Abraham's faith.

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:20-21) 

We know that in the movies, the superhero will always win. What about life? Will we believe in our hearts that God will always win? Or are we more tempted to disbelieve in the light of hopelessness? In the aftermath of the terrible shooting in Aurora, the theatre management gives out a one-statement survey for their community.

"As Aurora moves forward after the tragedy of July 20, it is our hope that the entire community will participate and benefit from the citywide healing process. Many people have asked about the future of Aurora's Century 16 theater. We want to know your thoughts. Please take a few minutes to tell us your thoughts. These comments will be shared with Cinemark for consideration in their decision making process."

The way that they put the words, "it is our hope" seems rather ambivalent. It appears distant and uncertain. For us as Christians, hope is not just wishful desires, but a reality that is anchored on the resurrection of Christ. As Jesus appears to the disciples, he does not simply ask us to hope. He calls us to declare the good news. He calls us to make disciples of all nations. He calls us to receive power from above, and to begin witnessing to the ends of the earth. Jesus is the personification of True Hope. He is not the dark knight but the Bright Shining Morning Star.


THOUGHT: "God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope." (Catherine Marshall)

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.