Flight

"Well, that's a great question..."

And with that, the screen goes black and the credits roll. 

Flight ends in introspective, open-ended fashion.  The question posed prior to these words demands an answer from the viewer.  We will never know Whip's (Denzel Washington's character) full response.  But that's not important.  His life's literal and figurative plane crash play out before your very eyes on the screen.  By the movie's end we know enough about him.  What question was he asked? And why?  Well you'll have to pay the $10 to find out, or wait until it hits redbox.

But before you see Flight, I'd like to explain a few things about it.  First, it is Rated R, and for good reason.  Scores of scenes with bad language, alcohol, and drugs fill the screen - as well as some very naked women.  Incidentally, this is why you must always buy at least a medium sized bag of popcorn at the theater and have your wife close by.  That way you can block your face from seeing lewd images and she can tell you when the coast is clear, haha.  I normally avoid putting myself in situations like that, but this movie was worth it.  Why?  Because it succeeds in adequately portraying the plight of humanity living in a post-Fall (Genesis 3) world.  G movies can't do this.  They can't provide a dark enough backdrop for grace to sufficiently sparkle.  The entire movie we watch Whip retreat from the grace that could be his, by denying he has any need for it.

So, all that to say, I strongly suggest you see this movie.  You can read ahead if you'd like for a preview of what you're in store for.  I'll try and not give away too much.  Or you can just watch the movie and then check out the rest of this post to see if you agree or have anything else to add.  Right out of the shoot you'll need to stare at your big bag of popcorn for awhile, as Whip's slavery to drugs, alcohol, and sex takes center stage within seconds.

After staying up all night indulging in these formidable vices, Whip reports for duty as a pilot for a commercial airline.  He's clearly in no shape to fly, yet his condition health wise is trumped by both the condition of the plane and the weather.  The flight was doomed from the beginning.  After overcoming extreme turbulence in the early part of the flight due to weather, the plane's equipment malfunction proves insurmountable.  Somehow Whip manages to miraculously land the plane in an open field, but not without loss.  6 of the 102 "souls" (this word is used several times) on board perished in the crash landing. 

Whip becomes a hero overnight for saving everyone else.  What he did in maneuvering the plane prior to taking it down earns him pilot par excellence status in every one's eyes.  Except in those of the agency charged with investigating the crash.  They must discover the culprit and will leave no stone unturned.  While the plane's blame cannot be skirted, they soon discover that Whip was intoxicated as well.  The plane flight ends with a crash, and we soon watch Whip's efforts at sobering up follow the same course as he awaits his hearing with the agency. 

A few things the movie teaches us as we observe Whip's tailspin:

God is sovereign.  You can't walk away from this movie without acknowledging that its makers believe in God.  And they present a big God.  The kind that controls every aspect of creation and answers to no one.  The kind that can send wind and a fish or a plant and worm like in the book of Jonah.  God is actively engaged with His creation and nothing happens by accident.  Several characters affirm that the crash landing had to have been an "act of God."

Whip doesn't buy this right away however.  While hovering over the crash landing site and observing the plane's wreckage, he states, "Whose God would do this?"  That's certainly a fair question.  Which leads to the next point.

God is gracious.  We'll never know why certain events in our lives take place.  As the priest in the classic movie Rudy reminds us, "I've come to know two hard facts throughout my life...there is God, and I'm not Him."  But as time goes by we can come to understand at least part of the desired result God had in sending certain obstacles our way.  Yes God does send obstacles.  Again the book of Jonah helps us here.  When Jonah flees from His presence in disobedience, God graciously sends a storm and a fish to get him back on course.  It's gracious on God's part because He loved Jonah too much to let him remain in a state of defiance. 

God's engagement and confrontation of sinners is Him showing grace.  Whip certainly didn't deserve this grace...and he didn't ask for it.  Yet God gave it to him anyway.  If the plane had never gone down, Whip likely would've carelessly continued his descent deeper and deeper into the destructive pit of servitude to sin.  But because of the wreck, he's brought face to face with the reality of his harmful addictions.  He doesn't like what he sees and he's powerless to set himself free, but he's brought face to face with it nonetheless.  God's grace has begun to teach his heart to fear but has not yet been fully embraced so as to relieve his fear.  The next point then becomes critical.

God is relentless.  You cannot out sin the grace of God, nor can you out run it, if indeed you are a true child of God.  The Puritans used to speak of this by depicting God's relentless love for His own by referring to "the hounds of heaven."  Even more so than a skilled hunting dog following a scent, God in His relentless love pursues sinners in their sinfulness.  He loves us too much to give up on our trail, and will stop at nothing to find us.  Even if that means crashing planes.  The only hope we have as humans in a fallen state in a fallen world is the truth that our God is more relentless in His love for us than we are in our disobedience to Him.  Apart from His pursuit of us we are destined for an eternity apart from Him.  And there will be no one to blame but ourselves if we end up there, and no one to thank but God if we are rescued and redeemed. 

God relentlessly pursues Whip in spite of Whip.  So will he spend his whole life in flight rather than surrendering His life to a sovereign, gracious, and relentlessly loving God?  I'm not telling.  Just know that we too have the same choice. To fight or flight.  Fight the good fight, or flee from God's presence into coping mechanisms to numb us to the pain of living in a fallen world without a Savior.  We are all sinners in need of a Savior. 


In closing, the only thing different about Christians (or should be different about us) is that we have already given up denying our need for Him.  We've embraced His grace and acknowledged our helplessness without Him.  And He's blessed our surrender with victory.  I pray that all who haven't yet experienced this would confess their sinfulness and then trust in Christ, who paid our ransom with His blood at the cross. 

There is true freedom in surrender.  Brokenness is something we never like in the moment, but the hope of the gospel is worth our temporary discomfort and vulnerability.  In fact we'll never be fully whole until we see Him face to face in heaven.  If saved, then brokenness, surrender, and repentance should characterize your life all the more.  Because only in rededicating our lives to Him daily can we experience His sweet provision. 

Whip's story is your story and it's my story.  Christians and non-Christians alike experience the same pull toward to self-sufficiency and idol worship.  May we all receive His grace, which meets us right where we are, and calls us to something greater.  May our flight be to His divine oasis, rather than to a demonic mirage. 

And may our answer to the question asked at the end of the movie be rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Praying for and Honoring U.S. Leaders

I was convicted last week while reading through the book of Jeremiah.  With God's judgment coming quickly and no hope of Him relenting, Jeremiah was told three times not to pray for the people of Judah (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11).  It wouldn't do them any good.  Their exile to Babylon was sure.  In 15:1 God says that even if Moses and Samuel (some of the most powerful intercessors in the Bible) were to pray to Him, His heart still would not turn toward His people.

But Jeremiah prayed anyway.  Isn't that amazing!  He had such a heart for his nation and how his people stood in relation to God.  This got me thinking.  Would God have to tell me even once not to pray for America, if in fact it would do no good?  And if He did tell me that, would I pray anyway? 

I don't think it's too late for Christians to pray, and I was convicted because I rarely if ever pray for my country and its leaders.  May I repent of this immediately!  May we as a church rise up to pray for those God has placed in authority over us.  May we not simply pray about them or talk about them in a spirit of slander.  While there is certainly a time for confession and acknowledging sinfulness individually and nationally, why not also honor our leaders by praying for them?  Surely this will do more good to aid our cause than anger and bitterness. 

Whether or not you voted Democrat or Republican, the twin issues of the sanctity of life and marriage should be near and dear to your heart if you believe in God and His Word.  There are other issues out there certainly, and neither party is perfect, but these two issues should not be dismissed flippantly.  Having said this, I truly believe that within the church we should pray for God to stir and awaken us to the reality of what it looks like to not only favor the sanctity of life and marriage at the ballot box, but also in our everyday relationships.

I've been greatly aided by hearing other Christians like Dr. Russell Moore and Governor Mike Huckabee pray for our country and its leadership, so I'd like to offer this prayer in hopes of catalyzing my own prayer life and yours as well. 

God what a blessing it is to be a citizen of Heaven.  I thank you for sending Jesus Christ into the world to live the perfect life that I could never live, and for Him dying the death I deserved to die on the cross.  Your raising Him from the dead demonstrated His Worth and Your Power, and I pray that I would not doubt either while I am temporarily an ambassador in a foreign land.  May I first be loyal to you and your kingdom, and may I have the grace and discernment necessary to live my life in line with the principles and practices Jesus demonstrated while He was on temporary assignment here.  May I anxiously and expectantly await the day when He returns not as an ambassador but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

God what a blessing also to be a citizen of the United States of America.  I'm so thankful for the sacrifices countless soldiers made to allow my freedom in an earthly sense to become a reality.  God may I exhibit a zeal and passion for this country on par with the price that was paid to establish it, all the while keeping in mind that there is no comparison to the price that was paid on my behalf by Christ.  May I honor such men that follow His supreme example of sacrificial service, but recognize that Christ is in a category all by Himself.  May I myself strive to live a life of sacrificial service, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And may I strive to be selfless even at the expense of my own self-preservation.

God I pray for this country and for its leadership.  You say in your Word that the king's heart is a stream of water in your hand; and that you turn it wherever you will.  God please turn our leaders' hearts toward all that is good and righteous and just.  You also say that no one is in authority that was not placed there by you, so we pray that your appointed leaders would be completely successful in achieving all that is good.  And may they be hindered in areas that are not.  God may these men and women who ascend to these positions of leadership have a servant's heart and truly comprehend the truth that power is something to be stewarded and not lorded.  May they understand that to whom much is given much will be required.  Give them the grace they'll need to one day hear, "well done good and faithful servant."

Please bless our President, the First Lady, and their family.  God what a tremendous burden they have to bear as leaders of our nation and the free world.  I pray that stress would not lead President Obama to neglect his family, and I pray that there could be many treasured memories from their time in Washington.  God I know the President is made in your image, and you love him so so much.  May my heart for him become more like yours.  And through consistently praying for him and honoring him may you mold my heart as well as his.  God bless our leaders, and teach us your church to honor them.

God also teach us your church to value life and marriage.  May we allow your work to be done in us before we ever expect secular leaders to do work in impacting the culture outside us.  May we not just vote for sanctity of life and marriage, but may our actions reflect a truly redeemed heart as a result of the gospel.  May we become defenders of the least of these in our world and may this point outsiders to you.  May our marriages line up with our belief that we are to be imitators of Christ in His relationship with the us, His church.  May husbands model grace and wives model trust.  May we realize that avoiding divorce is not the same as striving for unity and loving each other sacrificially at any cost.  God forgive us because we have failed and the world has noticed.  Give us the grace to return to you, and to live our lives in a manner worthy of the high calling we've been given as sons and daughters of you.  As we prepare and apprentice in this world now, may we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, and the mission we'll have with Him in ruling and reigning for forever and ever. 

We ask all these things in the name that is above every name, Jesus. Amen.

Where was God?

The words prayer, hope, blessing, gift, and tragedy all occured numerous times last night in a 20/20 Nightline documentary.  In what is being dubbed "The Movie Massacre," breaking news in this leading story was reported to a vast viewing audience hungry for answers.  While sparse information and insider accounts sought to satisfy this appetite, many I'm sure still longed for more; their soul's uneasiness not the least bit satisfied.  It's hard enough for a Christian to watch something like that and struggle through the why's and what for's.  How much more confusing and unsettling must it be for those without a Biblical perspective on sin, suffering, and the sovereignty of God? 

When planes get flown into buildings, when drunk drivers cross the double yellow line, or when one man ends the lives of dozens in Aurora, CO, and forever alters the lives of many more...what is the answer?  Why and whose to blame?  And if there is a God up there out there somewhere, how can that jive?

I'd venture to say that anyone you talked to on the street today would agree that what that killer did was wrong.  Who could possibly answer, "Well, it might seem wrong to you, but that's just your opinion.  It all depends on your personal stance and standard."  Now that might work for the philosophy room or a campfire discussion, but if Diane Sawyer had mentioned anything to the tune of that proposed response, there would've be a gargantuan outlash.  Everyone of sane mind and sober spirit must concede that this was a tragedy, evil and wicked.  Must you concede then that evil has a source?

One of the points repeteadly made throughout the night was this idea that life was a gift not intended for squandering, but for enjoying to the fullest.  We don't know how long we have here on this earth, each day is a blessing.  Our time should consist of reveling in the midst of our loved ones while taking nothing for granted.  Sad days such as these should serve as a reminder and a wake up call to us all.  A reminder to be thankful to and for the gift though, or the giver as well?  Should we rip open the package without first reading the note from the sender, the source whose goodness made it a reality?

It also seems strange that this goodness is especially highlighted in the midst of a season when it's seemingly not present.  When evil and suffering rule the dark night, what dawn is there to eagely anticipate?  What comforting words can a neutral and secular TV anchor give a crying mother whose daughter was taken all too suddenly in the prime of her life?  We naturally know it's right to condole, but does Diane Sawyer have the right club in her proverbial golf bag to hit an accurate shot in that situation?  What about Christians...do we?  Does anybody?

I think the answer for us as Christians is yes and no.  We should always be prepared, as 1 Peter 3:15 says, "to give an account for the hope that is in us, yet with gentleness and reverence."  Our hope in trying situations is what a lost world longs to glean.  Though we know not why shootings take place, that's not our job to communicate anyway.  We must share what we know to be true about the sources of good and evil, and the "already" and "not yet" variety of Christ's victory over sin and Satan at the cross.  That victory is final, yet unfinished.  It's already won, and irreversibly so, and the day is hastily approaching when Christ will return and put an end to the enemy's activity forever.  Yet Satan still is allowed by God to prowl around the earth in search of prey.  Why does God allow him to wreak such havoc?

The most helpful thing for me to turn to is the cross itself.  Later explaining the situation that surrounded the crucifixion, Peter prayed to God in Acts 4:27-28 that "truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."

My Spiritual Formation book at seminary summarizes well what this implies:

In one and the same action, Herod, Pilate, and the Romans, and the Jews committed the greatest miscarriage of justice in the history of the world.  Yet, this atrocious act fit in accordance with God's plan.  D.A. Carson writes that:

"A moment's reflection discloses that any other account of what happened would destroy biblical Christianity.  If we picture the crucifixion of Jesus Christ solely in terms of the conspiracy of the local political authorities at the time, and not in terms of God's plan (save perhaps that he came in at the last moment and decided to use the death in a way he himself had not foreseen), then the entailment is that the cross was an accident in history.... On the other hand, if someone were to stress God's sovereignty in Jesus' death, exulting that all the participants "did what God's power and will had decided beforehand should happen" (Acts 4:28), while forgetting that it was a wicked conspiracy, then Herod, Pilate, Judas Iscariot, and the rest are exonerated from evil.  If God's sovereignty means that all under it are immune from charges of transgression, then all are immune.  In that case, there is no sin for which atonement was necessary.  Either way, the Cross is destroyed."

The only conclusion then is that somehow, in some mysterious way that is beyond our full comprehension, God's sovereignty (His absoulute control and rule over the universe) and our human responsibility fit together.  So somehow, someway beyond our ability to comprehend, what happened in that movie theater shooting was a part of God's plan, and the shooter is guilty as charged!

In one of his books, Tommy Nelson tells the true story of a man whose son was killed in a motorcyle accident.  Someone came up to the grieving father and said, "Where was God when your son was killed?"  The father looked his friend in the eye and said, "He was in the same place He was when His Son was killed.  He was with my son, and He will use his death for His own purposes."

We worship a wonderful, awe-inspiring God.  He's a good God, a loving God, a merciful God; but He's also mysterious.  His ways are not our ways.  Like Job said in Job 26, all the wonders of God's workings in creation are "but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder and fullness of His power who can understand?"  We worship a God we aren't able to fully grasp, because He's that amazing and magnificent!  Would you prefer that your God could be fully comprehended?  Our greatest gift from Him will be getting to unlock the treasures of His rich beauty and majesty for all of eternity in heaven.  It'll take that long (forever) to plumb the depths!

These words and this post may not be so profitable for comforting the afflicted.  Who would dare venture or attempt to explain away pain of such magnitude.  But just maybe this could aid someone in seeking to better grasp why evil sometimes seems to be winning. 

So where was God when sons and daughters were being brutally massacred in Colorado?  Answer this question by making a beeline to the gospel and to Calvary. 

"On a hill far away, as the old hymn reads, "stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross..."