Discovering True Humanity

Written By Paul McDonald

Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we discuss Terminator 2: Judgement Day. When we look at Sarah at the beginning of the movie, she is just as cold and calculating as the terminators. Both Sarah and the T-800 must learn from John what it means to be human, that life has value, and to choose risk and love over fear. Come with me if you want to live and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

The Quotes

  • Satan attacked the woman first because she was the linchpin of the plan.

  • Even God will not go against your conscience.

  • The primary objective of the Terminator was to rescue John. But what’s the point of rescuing him if he loses his humanity in the process.

  • The experience that many women had with men (often traumatic and/or abusive) have contributed to shaping them into who they have become today.

  • The enemy sends one person out to hurt us, and then tells us everyone is like that.

  • Fear will lead us to try to control the situation.

  • The fall resulted in a curse of division-who has the power over who? Redemption is about unity.

  • If we’re going to have the whole hearted life we desire, we’re going to have to take risks.

  • Criticism comes out of control.

 Themes

  • What does it mean to be human?

    • Both Sarah and the T-800 are robots at the beginning of the movie

      • Sarah is hopeless and given in to fear. Her desire to survive has made her become like her enemy. She used and manipulated the men in her life because of how she was treated. She has become transactional in her relationships, even with her son. She sees the T-800 as a better father than a real man because of the hurt she has endured. Wants to control others as a result of fear.

      • The T-800 wants to rescue John at any cost. Life of others has no value.

      • It takes both of them, fighting in unity, to rescue John.

      • The cycle of control and power

    • True masculinity

      • Knows it has the power to hurt people

      • Chooses to protect life

    • True femininity

      • Has dignity and strength

      • Chooses to trust instead of fear

    • John is the teacher

      • Life has value

      • Our choices define who we are and reveal what’s most important.

      • Has hope for the future.

      • Wanted a mother who loved him, not one who killed for him

  • We are perfectly designed for this moment, and this moment is perfectly designed to take you out.

    • God has designed work for us to do

    • We have a relentless enemy intent on taking us out.

Resources

  • "You are perfectly designed for this moment. And this moment is perfectly designed to take you out." - John Eldredge

  • "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." - Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

  • "Then he said to the woman, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you." - Genesis 3:16 (NLT)

  • Become Good Soil podcast: The Metanarrative of Feminine Love, pt 1

  • "Truth is looking stranger than the lies." - from Watchman by Josh Garrels

Questions

  • What does it mean to be human? To be powerful?

  • What strength have you been given? How have you used it to protect others? How have you used it to hurt others?

  • What has been your wife/sister/mothers’ experience with masculinity?

  • What is the impact of living with you as a husband?

More info

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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster

Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston

Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).

Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.

Links:

Paul McDonald
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