It is worth seeing. Prepare to be humbled. My heart was stirred. I walked away satisfied, not just by the work of art on screen, but by the deeper story I found myself a part of. "What kind of tale might this be?" (to echo someone else's question) "...and where might I fit in this story?" I say humbled because I was shocked by the aura of a young Jewish woman. She wasn't a mature, white, American. She wasn't a beautiful, white, angel either. She was a woman oppressed by her surroundings, but a woman strong in her faith, and worn by her hope. Joseph was a man of quiet passion. He was a middle eastern man, barely acceptable in our country as he appeared. Their culture was foreign, and far from rosey. There's so much I don't understand about them, so much we don't understand. Still, this portrayal screams of God's mysterious faithfulness in a way I can't describe by words, nor through a blog. You must see it for yourselves. He chose to send His Son to this woman, and honor her we must. She suffered. Was it she who chose this lot? No. It was Yahweh, the God who was silent for so long, yet drew near. It was the God who chooses.
The movie captures the intense struggle of a honorable man fighting for survival, and a quiet woman who had little, as they merely began an endless journey. What happens to a girl who turns up pregnant? The Law screamed, but God's quiet voice screamed louder. It was ironic, but vividly portrayed. The Pure arrived in scandal. The Holy in the filthy. If all the scripture that was quoted in this movie were truly prophetic of this Baby, then I am eternally awed by what he came to offer. Why us? Why would he give us proud Americans, gentiles, a chance to know and live. Why would he entrust His gift to people who outright deny the Jews their rightful place in their story--people who would deny Yahweh ever had a plan in the first place, but a riddle solved by the greatest of learned men. How pitiful we are with such little faith. Even still, He chose the most humble to be His mommy and daddy. How he chose the most humble to receive their gift.
What if it really were true though? What if he really were a King? And what if he really asked us to prepare the Way? Maybe then we wouldn't walk away from this movie critiquing the arrival of the wise men, but instead, marveling at its meaning.
(Re) The Nativity Story. 2006. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Produced by New Line Cinema
3 comments:
I saw the Nativity movie this past week, and a couple of ideas of been kicking around in my mind ever since.
When Mary went back to her village after seeing Elizabeth, she didn't know the rest of the story as we do today. She didn't know whether she would be stoned, she didn't know if her family was going to throw her out in the street, she didn't know anything but that she would follow the leading of God one very small step at a time. Her faith to return there astounds me; our rational thinking would have advised her to saty under wraps and out of harm's way with Elizabeth.
The second thought was how much we need each other. Until Elizabeth, Mary had been living with this seemingly impossible supernatural experience, but she was given by God a very human and tangible ratification, acceptance, and love. It was then that her "magnificat" was given, not immediately after the angelic visit. It's very easy to isolate in this fast paced world, but we're built to meet the needs of those around us. We really are to function as Christ on earth for this time.
The third thing I noticed was how many times, right from the beginning, Satan has tried to thwart God's plan - Cain's hatred, the sinfulness of the world of Noah, the attempted decimation of the Jewish nation or their prophecies on so many occasions, right up to the death of all of those babies in Bethlehem and beyond. I have to trust that God is big enough to see his whole plan through, no matter how frustrated I get with some of his very human representatives in the church or christianity today.
Amy,
First, you need a blog.
Second, Why don't you have one?
Third, wow, thanks for sharing. Your last comment stirred something in my blood. I saw that very thing in the movie. That snake scene was a great artistic portrayal of his presence and plan. I mean hey, Jesus was entering his territory. I wonder if he thought he would win. I mean, Mary said it herself didn't she, knowing she could be killed. I was amazed by that. I saw the same thing in Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The serpent scene in this movie had the same effect.
Anyway, but what stuck out about what you said was, "no matter how frustrated I get with some of his very human representatives in the church or christianity today."
Maybe this is why ephesians 6 is so important for the church (the people of God, not the institution). We really are in an intense battle. Maybe this baby really lived to be the Perfect Adam for us, and change our identities so we CAN stand against the evil one.
More than ever, I realize that the church God is building needs people who are willing to be little "Christs" as you said.
Where do you live?
It is so easy for me to focus on the people who wear His name and the conflicts that arise over petty issues and over gross distortions that break my heart instead of remaining focused on Christ. It's like Lewis' Screwtape Letters: fill us with apathy or pit us against one another and we are distracted from the great battle in which we are living (divide and conquer or at least render useless).
For me, the key is when I realize that I am not behaving in love. Not the self-righteous thing that can justify great cruely and judgement, but the kind of love that allows me to see people with all of their broken-ness and love them through Christ's eyes.
(I actually live in the house your Dr. King once lived as a child -you can ask him about it someday)
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