A while back my wife and I went to see The Davinci Code, right before it left the $2.50 last run theater. We read the book a long time ago and saw the movie mostly out of curiosity (the bad reviews almost kept us away). While I am fully aware of the book’s historical flaws, I admit that there were many intriguing aspects to the plotline. I even chuckled a bit at the local reaction to the movie release. Dan Brown’s novel about the “well kept secret” of the Holy Grail’s “true nature” really ruffled a lot of feathers here in the Bible Belt.
However, after having seen The Davinci Code I was instantly reminded of the power of the movie medium. It is one thing to read something in print and dismiss it as heresy; it is another thing entirely to watch to Ian McKellen portray it on the big screen. Only you can decide if seeing the film is right for you, but either way I think it is your duty to be discerning no matter what movies you choose to consume. If The Davinci Code interests you, then I would recommend that you do some research on the true historical facts of the film. Even if it does not, then it is quite possible that the movie you see as a threat may be an opportunity to share the gospel.
As we drove downtown for some after-movie drinks and hors d’oeuvres, Pam and I had our normal debriefing session about what we had just watched. One thing that stuck out in our minds was the closing dialogue between Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou). Sophie has just found out that she is directly descended from Jesus and is conflicted about whether or not to reveal this truth to the world–something that Leigh Teabing, played by McKellen, was so obsessed over that it led to murder. Robert attempts to console Sophie as she wrestles with a decision that could destroy or maintain the faith of millions.
In this melodramatic moment–the only brightly lit scene in the movie–Langdon asks, “Why does it have to be human or divine?” In other words, what does it matter if Jesus really was God? Then he suggests, “Maybe human is divine.” This must be very soothing to the post-modern ear, but for us it only begged more questions: What does it mean to be human? Divine? There is little time to dwell on these questions before Langdon concludes with, “What really matters is what you believe.”
That all sounds well and good, and is actually not too far from the truth, but what is more important than “what you believe” is what (or who) you put your trust in. For Langdon it is simply important to believe in something, even if it is a lie, so long as that lie makes you happy. Do we Christians believe in the truth or a lie? What if Jesus was just a good person? What does it really matter anyway? What does it really matter if we are blissfully ignorant?
If we spend our whole lives in faithful obedience to God and His Word, only to find out in the end that Christianity is not true, then we Christians are to be pitied above all men. If Jesus is not really who he says he was; if the Christ did not die on the cross; if, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:32, “the dead are not raised,” then we might as well be tripping billies with Dave Matthews. And so it happened that the Sunday after seeing the film we found ourselves in worship; corporately confessing our faith using The Apostles’ Creed. I was especially tuned to the words and what we were confidently proclaiming, because I knew that what you believe and trust in matters everything.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.