Redemptive Cinema

For my Redemptive Cinema class, I was encouraged to watch a movie called ‘I Am Legend,’ it crossed the genre of a sci-fi, horror, and even a thriller in various parts. What made it even more confusing, the main character Robert Neville, wore many hats, as the Time Magazine on his refrigerator read, “Soldier. Scientist. Savior.” The movie at first seems very normal, and we see humanity rejoicing the victory over cancer, an enemy that has haunted humanity for years. Wow, a cure for cancer!

3 years later

The movie shifts to a desolate scene of one of the busiest places in the world, Time Square. Something went wrong; the filmmakers continues to build the suspense. Then it becomes clear, that man, in his best efforts, subsequently creates the very virus that puts humanity in danger of extinction.

Not everything that glitters is gold, and for the rest of the movie we see the results of the catastrophic consequences of humanity’s actions. At that point, we see the zombie-like effects of the virus. Humanity has lost all ability of reason, and transformed into darkness.

The movie really illustrations a parallel of how Adam’s actions infected the whole race with sin. The wrath of sin spreads like a cancer, and like the movie, evil runs rampant. “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people…” (Romans 5:18a)

‘God still loves us,’ is the words of the Bible believing Christian that appears, Anna. She rescues officer Neville right as he is at his wits end. Anna says to him, “The world is quieter now. We just have to listen. If we listen, we can hear God’s plan.” His responds very negative toward God, in fact he mentions that there is no god

“…so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” (Romans 5:18b)

I realized that I rented the version that had the alternate ending. The effected alpha male attacks the house of Robert Neville only because he wanted the specimen that Neville was working on. Even in a crazed world, and what seems to be an unresponsive creature, was an act of love for his own. Neville returns the person, and everyone went his or her separate ways.

This movie was the epitome of organized in an insane situation. This ending was picture of redemption, hope in something greater than ourselves. It was a picture of grace, the grace that God provides for us in our darkest of moments. Chaplain Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and will be serving there as a Chaplain in the very near future. You can write to him at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 9-10

Think About This: Let us learn a lesson of humility from our Saviour; let us never court great titles nor proud degrees. —C.H. Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. Psalm 37:25