Last night I watched Evan Almighty, Steven Carrell's modern day Noah story.
Some of the story is changed, but it makes some rather great points.
It makes you wonder what the response would be from people who claim to believe in God, yet, when you tell them, "God told me to build an ark," think you are crazy because a) it's a giant ark, and b) God spoke. There seems to be an implied idea that you talk to God, and God only listens, he doesn't respond, and if he does, then you must be crazy. It's strange that people don't expect or wait or listen for an answer from God, yet believe and pray to him.
It also pointed out that if you ask for something, you are suddenly given what it is, but given the opportunity. If you want your family to be closer, you are given an opportunity to make your family closer, not suddenly and magically changed. In the film, as in the story of Noah, the family had to stick together and support each other, although everyone thought they were crazy. It brought the family closer together.
This is said, by God, to be what the true story of Noah was about - bringing Noah's family together. The bible says that God regretted making people, and basically decided to wipe everyone off the face of the Earth, except for Noah's family.
The movie, however, in suggesting that it was about bring the family closer together, and especially in the situation of Evan, then shows God as loving, as caring, as gentle. He is highly persuasive. He's funny.
What he is not is angry, destructive, violent, or vengeful.
It was a very refreshing way to look at God.
So often, there is a portrayal of God as God the Destroyer.
Then, the believer puts this out there: "God is coming to put the SmackDown on you. He is coming to destroy the evil. Jesus love you. Accept him now, before God throws you into the lake of fire and you are tortured for infinity."
That's one of the reasons why people look at believers with open mouths. Why would someone want to serve an angry, violent, abusive God that requires that his own son be put to death to forgive you? One who looks to man, who is imperfect, and then demands perfection? A angry, violent God that would smote you for a false move, and then supposedly love you?
Some will even say that God hates sinners, and somehow loves you if you repent, that you aren't his child if you are not Christian, but then, his child once you are. They will suggest that God loves Christians more than the sinners, then tell you that Jesus came to save the sinners, whom God loves less, if he doesn't outright hate them.
It contradicts.
The movie suggests that God's love is far more like that of Jesus, than of the Zeus throwing lighting bolts of the OT. However, when one can only suggest the Smoting God, God the Killer, how can one ever believe that such an ogre of a God actually loves you? Even saying that God gave his Son, suggests that something or someone had to die, and to a nonbeliever, they ask, "Why?"
When my neighbor sins against me, I don't ask them to kill their cat, and we will be even. I simply forgive. Couldn't God do the same?
So, the contradiction, the "God's coming for the big SmackDown" doesn't show a God of love, but something to fear, something to dread, something to resent. It shows an unforgiving God, a petty God, a angry God, but it doesn't show love. When I see a Christian gleeful about the destruction of mankind, I have to wonder what is in their heart to pray for and anticipate such a thing, that is the antithesis of why Christ even came into the world.
So when someone says, "Jesus loves you," it rings hollow.
Some of the story is changed, but it makes some rather great points.
It makes you wonder what the response would be from people who claim to believe in God, yet, when you tell them, "God told me to build an ark," think you are crazy because a) it's a giant ark, and b) God spoke. There seems to be an implied idea that you talk to God, and God only listens, he doesn't respond, and if he does, then you must be crazy. It's strange that people don't expect or wait or listen for an answer from God, yet believe and pray to him.
It also pointed out that if you ask for something, you are suddenly given what it is, but given the opportunity. If you want your family to be closer, you are given an opportunity to make your family closer, not suddenly and magically changed. In the film, as in the story of Noah, the family had to stick together and support each other, although everyone thought they were crazy. It brought the family closer together.
This is said, by God, to be what the true story of Noah was about - bringing Noah's family together. The bible says that God regretted making people, and basically decided to wipe everyone off the face of the Earth, except for Noah's family.
The movie, however, in suggesting that it was about bring the family closer together, and especially in the situation of Evan, then shows God as loving, as caring, as gentle. He is highly persuasive. He's funny.
What he is not is angry, destructive, violent, or vengeful.
It was a very refreshing way to look at God.
So often, there is a portrayal of God as God the Destroyer.
Then, the believer puts this out there: "God is coming to put the SmackDown on you. He is coming to destroy the evil. Jesus love you. Accept him now, before God throws you into the lake of fire and you are tortured for infinity."
That's one of the reasons why people look at believers with open mouths. Why would someone want to serve an angry, violent, abusive God that requires that his own son be put to death to forgive you? One who looks to man, who is imperfect, and then demands perfection? A angry, violent God that would smote you for a false move, and then supposedly love you?
Some will even say that God hates sinners, and somehow loves you if you repent, that you aren't his child if you are not Christian, but then, his child once you are. They will suggest that God loves Christians more than the sinners, then tell you that Jesus came to save the sinners, whom God loves less, if he doesn't outright hate them.
It contradicts.
The movie suggests that God's love is far more like that of Jesus, than of the Zeus throwing lighting bolts of the OT. However, when one can only suggest the Smoting God, God the Killer, how can one ever believe that such an ogre of a God actually loves you? Even saying that God gave his Son, suggests that something or someone had to die, and to a nonbeliever, they ask, "Why?"
When my neighbor sins against me, I don't ask them to kill their cat, and we will be even. I simply forgive. Couldn't God do the same?
So, the contradiction, the "God's coming for the big SmackDown" doesn't show a God of love, but something to fear, something to dread, something to resent. It shows an unforgiving God, a petty God, a angry God, but it doesn't show love. When I see a Christian gleeful about the destruction of mankind, I have to wonder what is in their heart to pray for and anticipate such a thing, that is the antithesis of why Christ even came into the world.
So when someone says, "Jesus loves you," it rings hollow.
