Issue 10 Preaching through AdversityBlog | God in the movies: Courage under Fire
God in the movies: Courage under Fire
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 18.03.17
Who are we when the rubber hits the road? Trials and adversity are what strip back our illusions and pretensions, and reveal what’s really in our hearts. All of us aspire to be people who would hold on to our faith and hope even in the darkest circumstances.
A ll storytelling needs adversity. Conflict drives drama, which is why cinemas are full of stories about characters whose convictions are put to the test. Our cinematic heroes are people who struggle under the weight of what the world throws at them, but ultimately triumph.
One classic example of this kind of story is The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a film cited by many people as their favourite of all time. There’s a reason for this enduring popularity. The story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), the innocent man who is shut in Shawshank Prison for nineteen years before making his ingenious escape, strikes a chord in all of us. It echoes the biblical narrative of suffering and redemption, positioning Andy as a Christ-like figure who ‘comes out clean’ in his very own resurrection outside Shawshank’s walls.
