The Golden Compass

(spoiler alert)
It wasn't until I was an adult that I read the Lord of the Rings, mostly because the movies were coming out and it was my last chance to truly experience Tolkien's world as he created it. Like many Christians there were moments in the story when Christian themes seems to flow benieth all that was happening on the page. I can still remember the moment when I relized that Frodo's struggle to possess yet not be influenced by the ring was ultimatly everyman's battle with sin. I can still rememeber the moment when I understood that Gollum was not to be hated, but pittied because he was what we all could be were sin to overcome. My faith surged in those moments.

Perhaps you have read the Narnia books. Can you remember the moment when you first understood that Aslan was a type of Christ. That his love for and sacrifice of himself on behalf of Edmund was exactely what Christ did for all humanity on a cross. We are all Edmunds. That us why later in the books when Edmund becomes a true hero that I wanted to cry, because I felt once again that there was great hope for me, because there had also been a great and eternal love for me.

Literature is powerful stuff. Only fools (as I once was and often still am)will rest all their hope in science and progress. Tolkien didn't make sin true. Lewis didn't make grace occur. Rather they both created a place in which grace and sin could be observed clearly. Grace needs no ally, only to be seen clearly. These stories helped me to do that.

There has been much hullaboloo about The Golden Compass, how it is the spawn an athiest out to steal our kids from God.

I wasn't aware God lost those kind of battles.

More to the point. I think its absolutely fair that concerted athiests make their case and that observant Christians listen closely as they do. If we are right, then there is nothing to fear from a powerful story illustraiting a world in which reason triumphs. (I can only guess what actually happens in the movie.) I happen to think reason is pretty powerful stuff because it is grounded in the being of God. In my book its stands right next to faith and grace as pillars of strength and godliness offered to all people. Strait to the point, I think Christians should go see The Golden Compass. We should see it because if Jesus was who he said he was then the questions it asks will only lead one back to God. We should see it because hiding from these kinds of questions has simply left Evangleical Christianity unable to answer honest questions any seeker would ask and in doing so we have portrayed Jesus Christ and his followers as fools. Our refusal to see this movie or to excitedly dialogue about it justifies its very point. That faith is for silly people. That Christians are backwards and spend their lives with their heads in the sand.

There will always be times when we are called to be fools for Christ, I don't think we need to invent new opportunities. Go see The Golden Compass and then talk about it with other Christians and hopefully a few athiests. It think its the most Christian thing you could do.

Unless of course its a just bad movie. In that case forget all that stuff I just said.

What do you think?

-Aaron