One of the things I want to do on this blog is not just
review “Christian” “art” for theology, but also to point out when secular art
really hits on something important. In a
lot of cases, unfortunately, I’m finding that the world expresses better
theology, at least in part, than a lot of the Christian products we review here
do.
The reason for this is simple. The Bible teaches us that we all have an
inherent understanding that there is a God and something of His nature. In Romans, we find this statement: “For what
can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For
his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have
been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things
that have been made. So they are without excuse” (1:19-20). Again, “They show that the work of the law is
written on their hearts” (2:15).
We are made in God’s image, and we reflect something of
Him. That is why we have concepts like
justice, mercy, and love in even the most secular of places. Evolution cannot explain things like
morality, good, and evil, and yet we know that these things exist and that they
are universal.
So it should come as no surprise to us when the world
advocates Christian values without acknowledging that they are necessarily
Christian. When I wrote a book about Christianity and the show Firefly, some people
criticized me because the creator of the show, Joss Whedon, is an atheist, so
clearly didn’t mean to reflect Christian values in it. But Christianity is true. It is the only worldview that actually works. So we should not be surprised when an atheist
writer denies his atheism by writing about good and evil, love and
justice. We should actually expect him
to do so. Their understand of God’s
revelation is incomplete, and damningly so, but there is an understanding
there.
Which brings me to The
Big Boss with Bruce Lee. I’m a huge
martial arts movie fan, so I really look forward to anything with Lee in it. Even when the budget is very low and the plot
is cheesy, it’s a pleasure to watch that guy do his thing.
This is certainly not a Christian film. It is rated R, and for good reason. There is nudity and plenty of violence. Not something for the family to watch after
morning worship on Lord’s Day. But it
was the plot that intrigued me more than it would have in a common Kung Fu film. Normally, we will have the super-powerful
villain force Lee to fight, and then Lee would beat everyone up. Martial arts movies, especially from this
time period, are usually light on plot.
But in this one, the villain reveals himself quite early in the film,
but he keeps sidetracking the heroes of the movie not by fighting them, but by
tempting them.
So in one point Lee beats up all the bad guy’s men, but
instead of continuing to fight him, the boss offers Lee a much better job with
more money. This promotion derails Lee’s
investigation for a day, at which time they give him alcohol and girls to
further get him off track. The money,
power, and sex really turn him away from what he is supposed to do.
Almost the entire movie is filmed at one of three locations
– Lee’s family’s house (where Lee is constantly reminded of what he should be
doing, so it is a place of virtue), the big boss’s compound (which is nothing
but vice), and the work place (which is a mixture of the two). Lee is several times turned away from his
mission at the workplace, only to be corrected at home. It’s interesting to note that the love
interest in the movie, Chiao Mei, will correct Lee and guide him, but never
rejects him, even though she has the most reason to (she is not only the sister
of the victims of the bad guy’s antics, but also the scorned lover when Lee
ends up drunk and in bed with a prostitute).
Now lest we get too preachy here about the dangers of wine,
women, and song, there’s more subtly to this too, because the good guys (not
just Lee, but others as well) are often distracted by their job. When they come to the boss or his manager
with requests that things be made right, the bad guys are constantly telling
them, “Well, let’s look into this tomorrow.
In the meantime, let’s get back to work.” This seems reasonable, and so they do, and
they are distracted for days.
The result is a really interesting martial arts movie, since
the most effective weapon employed is not fists, but greed and lust. It strikes me that the writer of this film
would not be at all shocked at John’s admonition to us, “Do not love the world
or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For all that is in the
world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —
is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its
desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John
2:15-17). Yes, that is what this movie
is about – the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of
life.
It should also cause us to reflect on how these temptations
approach us as well. It is notable that
the bad guys even use “good” things as distractions. Work here is a good example. We see the sin right away in the greed and
lust, but we are, in fact, instructed to work.
Work is a very good thing. My
family is provided for because of work.
But even good things becomes sinful when elevated above their
place. How many people do we know who
put work before their families and their God?
They neglect their first duties because of an unrighteous attachment to
another duty.
The solution in the film is to ignore these distractions and
to beat up the bad guys. And it is quite
a final battle! But as fun as it is on
film, it’s certainly not a Christian ending.
We shouldn’t expect it to be.
God’s “eternal power and divine nature” are evident to us all, but to
understand the Gospel, you need direct revelation in the Word. We expect Bruce Lee to get the problem right,
but his solution is going to be off. In
the end, he has done the right thing finally, but is weighed down with numerous
sins that cannot just be dismissed away.
I’m trying not to give anything away here, but suffice it to say, this
movie can have a satisfying ending, but it cannot have a happy one. Lee has gone down this road too far for that.
The true solution, of course, is repentance and faith in the
risen Savior, Jesus Christ. To have our
heart of stone removed and to be given a heart of flesh. He is the one who is victor in this battle,
and without Him, we do not have a hope.
That doesn’t mean we are immune from the desires of the
flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. By the Spirit’s help, we are able to resist
where before we were unable not to sin, but we will sin. But we will be forgiven, and we will one day
find release from this constant battle against unrighteousness and find final
peace in Him for eternity.
That doesn’t always have an immediate effect when we are
dealing with criminals in powerful positions in this life. Even if those people are not criminals, we
will still find unjust situations and difficult situations, and we will come
across people who really just need to be beat up. God’s answer is, “Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord.” Let us speak
where we can, defend the weak and helpless, but trust God to make all things
right.
