All Men Are Created Equal

"God's ways are not just and fair." I have heard this statement batted around many times, and each time I hear it, I hurt.

This statement comes from our own misunderstanding of God's ways. We assume that God operates on a worldly system rather than a heavenly principle. We assume that God will judge us by our actions, and just as an employer will reward the diligent employee and fire the incompetent employee, we believe that God will also reward and fire based on the same criteria. This perception is a lie perpetuated by the ruler of the world, Satan.

God did not give us a free will so we could love him; he gave us a free will because he loved us. We were never created to live in the world - we were created to live in the Garden; Paradise.

It was by the free will of Adam and Eve that Paradise was lost, and it will be by our free will that Paradise can be reclaimed.

Jesus made the only acceptable payment for sin, and that is death. Once he paid the bill, he was resurrected. Now, our only payment for Paradise is utilizing the thing that brought us into sin - Our Free Will.

If God were truly unjust, we would gain Paradise by our actions. Under this plan Bill Gates would receive a higher place by giving millions to charity, while my twenty dollars would buy me little. People who chose to become a minister would not only receive their annual salary, but would also obtain a higher place in Paradise than a truck driver. A shy, retiring personality would find more of God's favor than an ambitious and assertive person. This was never what God intended.

By accepting the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross - making a choice - we gain Paradise for eternity once again.

Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10, Romans 10:13

Lady in the Water

Humans are fickle about their heroes. Favored heroes are applauded for their single-mindedness and self-involvement. Unfavorable heroes are criticized for those same traits.

If you watched Lady in the Water and believed that its author is self confident, you would be wrong. If, however, after watching Lady in the Water, you believe that the author is arrogant, you would be correct, for this work of M. Night's is truly autobiographical.

A bedtime story or not - this movie is a cry of fear from an author who has been both celebrated and vilified. Criticism, or even worse, apathy, are the constant fear of each writer, and Lady in the Water portrays the frightened soul of it's creator.

The author portrays himself in the movie as a writer incapacitated by rejection. Yet, a hovering movie critic delivers a tirade of criticism while lacking the courage to face the person of his disdain.

So why am I commenting on this movie here? When we watch this movie we see what was intended; a tent of arrogance covering a desperate fear. When we can discern the fear beneath the arrogance, then we can love the hero.