Eternals with Paul McDonald and Duke Lamastra
We recorded this episode of the Men at the Movies podcast a couple weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. I believe the timing is perfect for the world we are living in today. Eternals, starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Ma Dong-seok, and Harish Patel, wrestles with a lot of questions without coming up with an answer, and sometimes faith looks like living with a lack of answers. We question where God is when terrible things happen in the world. It’s important to remember that, even though the story isn’t so great, it’s leading to something greater. Take a break from the news, and lets discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
This movie brought up questions, but did not provide answers.
We can’t define God by the things that didn’t happen.
If we know that God is good, then His goodness can define our circumstances for us whether we see them as good or bad. We can’t define God by our circumstance.
Living with a lack of answers is faith.
We make a god in our image—a god that looks how we want god to look.
We blame God for things that are actually in our hands, in our care.
Almost everything God does is in partnership with His people.
If Jesus tells us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth, that must mean there are times when it is not being done.
The story wasn’t so great, but it’s leading to something greater.
Things are worth what you’re willing to pay for it. Value is what we assign it.
Themes
When you bring in all-powerful Celestial beings, it reflects our views on God. Arishem was faceless, cold, compassionless, calculating, and distant. Like Dane asks Sersi, “Where were you with Thanos?,” we ask God where He is when we experience traumatic and devastating events. We think if God doesn’t intervene in our situation in the way we want, and He is all powerful, then he allowed this to happen and we doubt his love for us or question his goodness and power.
We have to interpret our circumstance through who God is, but we often define God by our circumstances. When we define God through our circumstances and what we want, we are making a god in our image.
Our mission to advance the Kingdom happens through the care we show the people around us.
The value and purpose of humanity. Science and modern culture says we have no greater meaning or purpose, a result of millions of chemical reactions. God assigns our value through the price paid for our redemption.
The movie wrestles with questions, but doesn’t provide the answers we usually expect from an MCU movie.
Resources
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 2 Peter 3:8-10 (ESV)
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. - C.S. Lewis
“Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.” - Mark 5:21-43 (NLT)
One day I was having lunch with Dallas Willard and he asked me, “If you had one word to describe Jesus what would it be?” How would you answer that question? If you could only use one word to describe Jesus what would it be?
Words for Jesus started running through my mind and out my mouth: Love… Compassion… Holy… Lord… Teacher… Risen… Healer… (These are all good words to describe Jesus.)
As he so often did in my conversations with him, Dallas waited quietly for me to keep thinking. He was unhurried. I was drawn into his silent prayer.
Finally, I asked, “Dallas, what’s your word for Jesus?” He smiled, “Relaxed.” (from Bill Gaultiere)
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” - Numbers 24:17 (ESV)
Questions
What do you think of Lex Luthor’s statement, “If God is all powerful, he cannot be all good?”
When have you felt disappointed by God’s response?
Where do you want answers for events in your life?
What would it look like to let go of the need for answers?