Bought With Blood

I don’t know why but I find myself going to the movies twice a month. I was somewhat interested in the movie Blood Diamond, but I am not a Leonardo Dicaprio fan, so I considered not seeing the movie. Last night I just wanted to go see a movie, so I went. Several people were offended by the senseless killing that is predominant in the first half of the movie. One of my friends left halfway through, because he was offended by the bloodshed. Eight to ten other left before my friend, but I found myself compelled to stay. A guy that I am starting to get to know from church was with me, and I did not want to leave him.

The people that left early missed the best parts that I have never seen captured the same way as this movie did. At the beginning of the movie Solomon, a father of two daughters and a son, is separated from his wife and children when the rebellious R.U.F. attack their town. Solomon is forced to work in the R.U.F. diamond mines. He stumbles on the biggest diamond that most people will ever see, an estimated 100 krt. Solomon chooses to risk his life and hide the diamond. So he fakes the need to go to the restroom and attempts to bury the diamond while he is away from the mine. The leader of the R.U.F. forces sneaks up on Solomon and demands that he give the diamond to him. Just when Solomon is about to die for trying to steal a diamond the mine is attacked by the government. Solomon finds a spot alone and buries the diamond just before he is captured.

Leonardo’s character, Danny Archer, meets Solomon in prison and hears that Solomon supposedly knows where a big diamond is buried. Danny Archer manages a deal to get him and later Solomon out of jail. Solomon agrees to give the diamond to Danny as long as he leads him back to his family. Danny agrees and along their journey they come upon a school, and most of the children there have been injured as a result of the civil war. Danny has a conversation with the school teacher about the hostility that is happening. Danny makes a statement suggesting that man is inherently bad, and will choose the path of destruction instinctively. The teacher sways Danny’s opinion to that of, we are all people, we choose to do good or evil. Those that choose to do good will inherit heaven when they die, and the opposite to those who do evil.

Meanwhile Solomon’s son, Dia, is captured by the R.U.F. and converted to a soldier. After traveling through one mess after another Solomon finds is son in a village captured by the R.U.F.. Solomon seeks in and tries to get his son to leave with him, but his son’s mind has been changes. Dia refuses to go with his father shouting at him to take his hands off. Dia’s comrades quickly come to his aid pointing guns at Solomon. The leader of the R.U.F. recognizes Solomon and spares his life only to show them to the diamond.

The camp is attacked by a Colonel and his army, which Danny calls in and promises to split the money from the sell of the diamond to him. While attempting to unbury the diamond Danny and Solomon realize that these men are not being honest, and by surprise kill them. Leaving only Solomon, Dia, and Danny at the spot where the diamond was buried. Solomon finds the diamond only to look up and see his son, Dia, pointing a gun at him and Danny. Once Danny notices what his son is doing he begins to weep, and cry out to his son to put the gun down. Solomon with tears in his eyes says, “I know they made you do horrible things, but that does not matter. You are my son and I love you, no matter what you have done. Now please put down the gun.” I’ll get back to this but what about what that teacher said.

“We are all people; we choose to do good or evil. Those that choose to do good will inherit heaven when they die, and the opposite to those who do evil.” His is not the only person I have heard say this. Many people that I meet say this and they like to believe that it is true, but the statement lie on the fact that there is a law advocate that made a heaven and hell, and allows us to make up the rules as far as what is good and what is bad. Well my God is not only a law advocate, but the law giver, and only He decides what is good and bad. He does tell us how to inherit heaven, and we cannot inherit heaven by good works. Romans 5:12-21; 6:18 Says that all men are sinful, unless they turn to Christ for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit enters them. Later Paul writes that the only way to heaven is through faith in Christ, and nothing else that we may do no matter how “good” we think we are, Romans 7:1-6.

We like to think there are many ways to God, but is that really true. Every time I hear someone talk as if God is Pluralistic, that God is skitzo and cannot make up His mind how to get His people to heaven. The Pluralistic view of God makes Him look like he wants there to be many ways to heaven because a focused narrow path would make Him unloving and unable to comprehend on such a narrow path. So God must meet us where we are, because He messed up when He created us?

Well God does meet us where we are. Romans 5:6 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ died for us sinners.” (NLT) Good meets us as sinners, another translation says, “…Christ dies for the ungodly.” (ESV) Christ was not a part of our predicament, sinners. We all will admit it, when we are honest, that we all do bad things, we all sin. How could the Buddha provide a way when he himself was no different then we are. What about Muhammad the supposed messenger that is considered by some better then Jesus? Muhammad sinned, and asked his wife who she thought these visions came from, God or Satan. At the center of all these religions we find a person who is no different from you and me, but they have the right path to heaven? Christ was the only sinless savior you will find. Christ was the only savior to fulfill numerous prophecies in His lifetime, not to mention that some of these prophecies were made some thousand years before He came. So you mean to tell me that all religions are “basically” the same? It seems to me that Christianity is different then the rest.

Think about this Solomon is watching his son point a gun at him and the man that lead him back to his son and family. The whole movie Solomon only wants his family back. Earlier Solomon found his wife and two daughters in a refugee camp, without his son, Dia. Solomon clings to the fence between him and the women he loves and shouts, “Where is my son!! Where is my boy!!?” Solomon goes out to find his son, and when he does his son is pointing a gun at him.

We are not so different from Solomon’s son. We too have found ourselves cut off from our family, our Father. We find ourselves trapped in evil and sinful desires. We find ourselves pointing the gun at God and screaming, “I don’t love you! I want you dead! You speak lies!” I myself found the words, “If this is all you are, I want nothing of You!” screaming from my prayers and thoughts towards God. Christ, similar to Danny Archer, lead the father to us, and throughout all our screaming and hostility towards God we find Him weeping, waiting for us to put down the gun, the haters, and let him in.

Dia wrestles with either listen to his father or believe what the R.U.F. told him. Solomon keeps on saying, “You are my son, and I don’t care about what you did. Please put done the gun.” Dia slowly lowers the gun, and as soon as he does Solomon embraces him and we see both father and son weeping on each others shoulders. We must make a choice, believe the crap that tainted minds tell us or listen to our heavenly Father and put down the gun.

Used Potential

Most people are familiar with the former NBA player Michael Jordan. What an amazing talent he had. Michael not only had the skill to play the game well, but entertain the crowd too. Jordan was even on a cartoon show with Bo Jackson and Wayne Gretzky; I used to watch it on Saturday mornings.

People had mixed emotions when Jordan tried to do baseball and basketball. Jordan’s major talent was basketball and baseball was not. People only watched the games he played in because they were already White Sox fans or because of Jordan’s popularity as a basketball player. Many enjoyed seeing Jordan play basketball at his full ability.

Would we enjoy seeing a person wasting their abilities, skills, and not living up to their potential? What if Jordan never went back to basketball back then and only played baseball? What if George Washington did not want to lead? What if Joe Montana liked basketball more then football? What if a mother does not care for her child?

On 7-14-2006 I talked about gifts my Grandma had made for me, and left the statement that the only thing I would value more then the quilt and needle point is a quilt or something like it from my mom. My mom is a very talented seamstress, she made shorts for me when I was little, ran a craft business, hemmed dresses, made bridesmaid dresses, sewed flags for drill teams, taught my third grade class how to hand sew a basic quilt, made Cabbage Patch Dolls for many kids including my brothers and myself, a king size quilt for her and my dads bed, and much more.

All that talent and skill that she has makes for an amazing potential to make something that would be a work of art. How would I feel if my mom did not use those abilities and skill, and when making a quilt for her son that lives eight hours away, only put together a quick and easy quilt, for a person of her talent? What if she only used a few basic fabrics that required minimal effort to cut and place together? Any quilt would be appreciated, but one would be a quilt my mom made and the other would be a work of art to be enjoyed and shared with others.

Not only did my mom make a quilt using her abilities, but did some quilt work she had never tried before, had my dad help her with part of it, and another lady she knows to put the final touches on it. She put so many different fabrics in the quilt I cannot count them all, and they all go together very well. At least five different patch designs including; the bear paw and log cabin, and she did a new kind of quilting so she could use fabric to create a patch that was to scale, thanks to dad, of the house I lived in from 1988-2003, and my parents still live there today.

This is such an example of how she has lived her life, so far. Sure we have our days that frustrate us, but everyday she loves people. She spent most of my childhood working on something that affected either my brothers’ lives or mine, in a good manor. She does the same for people that let her, but some people are so self centered they do not want to let anyone help them. But what if my mom did not care for others and only for herself? I don’t want to even think of how that would affect my life and especially childhood.

Are you that kind of person that would let someone like my mom helps you out? Are you the kind of person that would verbally attack a person, like my mom, who just wants to help out? Are we humble enough to realize that there is no way we can do everything on our own?

Would this Proverb be true for your perspective of God, “When they cry for help, I will not answer? Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.”(Proverbs 1:28-30)? Would this Proverb be more true, “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.”(Proverbs 2”3-4)? Also Proverbs 3, 4, 5, 6… the wise listen to correction, rely on others when they need help, the wise are humble.

Like mom’s quilt she made me, God made something to show His love for us. God created the stars, sun, sky, water, land, light, darkness, seasons, rain, animals, and much more with such creativity and beauty. Also God created us, His last touch in His creation; He was not finished creating until man and woman were created. Just as my mom loves me, I would never notice it until I take the time to get my focus off myself and focus on how she shows that to me.

God showed His love for us from the beginning. God was with Adam & Eve in the garden, told Noah how to build an ark, told Moses how to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, separated the waters for the Israelites to cross a river/sea not once but twice, fought with the Israelites in their battles, provided a avenue for Ester to be in a position to save the Jews, most importantly the cross. God did not have to send Christ to the cross but He did as an example of His love. Just like the quilt, creation is just another “neat” thing if you don’t take the time to appreciate and see what God did.