Son of God, the Movie

Several people have asked me my opinion of the new Jesus movie, Son of God.  I haven't seen it.

I heard several people speak glowingly of it.  I haven't seen it.

Many reviewers have given it poor marks for its quality of story telling.  I haven't seen it.

I've seen plenty of Jesus movies over the years, and to be honest, most have failed to excite me.  Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of Christ, was one I forced myself to watch simply because of all the buzz it fostered, but I could not recommend it to a soul.  Some of them were better than others, and others were worse, but for the most part I don't blame Hollywood.  They have had to operate within such tight parameters, knowing that the faithful are their primary audience.  While we imagine unbelievers will see and be convinced, Hollywood knows it cannot offend those who already believe.  In the first century AD the gospel was considered to be a scandal, but in the last century, Jesus is as radical as white enriched bread.  As a result Hollywood frequently portrays him as as something like an alien in our midst, missing the complexity of our humanity.  It seems to be almost purposely ironic as they present a film version of the gospel message in which God become less complex than our humanity.

So I have not been motivated to see Son of God.  I believe the better way to tell the story of the God who is with us is through the complexity of our lives.  Your story and my story are far more real and interesting to our friends.  When we can acknowledge with all humility, the hand of God at work in our lives, this becomes a far more effective means for communicating the gospel than any movie might offer.  In fact I wonder if movies like this one undermine our witness.   It seems to provide us an excuse not to tell our story of the God who is at work in our lives.  Our story seems so 'low budget' compared to what is up on the screen.  Yet, if the truth were to be known, when we share our story, it makes more sense than anything Hollywood can create.

So when people ask me if I've seen The Son of God, I could respond by saying I've already read the book, or I'm waiting for it to come out in DVD.  Or maybe, however, I might respond by asking them if they have ever been a part of the faith community.  Paul calls the church the Body of Christ, and when we take communion, Jesus invites us to eat of his flesh and drink from his cup.   In the midst of this diverse humanity gathered together Jesus promises us that he is revealed.  I believe this to be the more accurate portrayal of God at work in our world.  Or as the ELCA says, God's Work our Hands.

Peace,
PAL