Faith like potatoes – part 2 December 1, 2006
Posted by Cobus in South Africa, theology.trackback
Now, the reason for my discomfort. I experienced the movie as surreal.
With which I’m not saying untrue. But I see a story, supposedly
happening only a few hundred kilometers from where I grew up, revolving
around a number of miracles. A person raised from the dead, rain to
save Angus from bankruptcy because of a runaway fire started on his farm that
would have burned his neighbours plantation down (for those not aware
of it, if a fire is started on your farm, and you cannot contain it,
and it runs over to another farm, you are held responsible). And people
come to faith when they see and hear about these miracles. I kind of
got the idea that the miracles are there to give legitimacy to the
message of the film. But I have to make sense of my faith that God
became man without these experiences.
It is mentioned that they started an orphanage. Mentioned, then once
shown while Angus say that God gives to us so that we can give to
others. And it looks like they’re at the orphanage right at the end,
showing how it has grown. I would have liked to know some more about
the orphanage.
Maybe it’s just a reality check that’s needed. Farmer has a lot of
trouble, he give his life to Christ, and suddenly his mealies pick
themselves up after the hail. The rain stops his forest fire. He
harvests potatoes in Elnino. And the prayer meeting he organizes results
in thousands of people coming together. Most of us has a somewhat
different experience. We sometimes seek to believe in God while things
are really bad.
And I’m not sure that the message of God’s calling resulting in less
time with our family is quite what we need at the moment. Yes, we
should give priority to following Christ, but part of that commitment
should be caring for our loved ones, and spending time with our kids.
But I guess the road God walks with each of us is unique.
OK, but one thing made me think twice about this movie. After we
watched it I told Maryke that if it wasn’t for the boy dying I
wouldn’t even have given it another thought, bad as it is that the boy
died, really died, to flim it showed some credibility. Here is a man who
witnesses that things are also bad, there is a very sad side to life,
even after becoming a follower of Christ. Although even there, I need
to mention, it’s not all of us who get visions of our dead children,
and we seek God in spite of the lack of visions.
If this still sounds overly negative to you, I’ll try and focus on the
other part of the mixed feelings in the last post.
emerging South Africa 
Hey Cobus,
Glad you went to see the movie and given the fact that it looks as if there are just a lot of miracles happening with one tragic death of a family member, I also saw that there are some places in the movie that it seems like nothing is happening. Kind of like a everyday – getting up in the moring, having a few meals in between and going to bed – life, one like you and me have. You told me once that it bothers you that the “miracle” part of Christianity could be accentuated by some folks – by which I agreed with what you said. But I feel that I need to say that I do find my days, spending with God, where He slips in between the cracks of life – if by having a good conversation with a friend or just having an overall happy and thankfull feeling (sorry for getting mushy on you man!). But there were parts of the story that I were able to relate, where I wondered “What happened to that person that I once was before?” If Bultmann got hold of the movie I’m not sure that there would be anything left to show the people 😉 ! But I like the challenging nature of the movie, and will keep praying that a lot of people’s lives will be touched by watching it or reading the book.
Another thought that I had on what you said about people leaving their families to preach or whatever, is the contradiction with what Paul said (or is it pseudo-Paul) concerning elders and the example that their families need to be for congregations. Compared to the broken family that Jesus Himself came from – with His brothers and sisters labeling Him as a madman – I wonder what it leaves us as future reverends and members of our own households with? Your thoughts on this?
Hope you have a pleasant recess!
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