[Editor’s note: The author is a Penn State undergraduate majoring in Media Studies.  He is a self-described nerd who loves film, books and politics.  He has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, which he regards as a spiritual gift. Please don’t compare him to the Rain Man!  More of his writings can be found at his blog, Tuttle’s Journal, which he updates weekly.]

As part of my major, I have taken two classes on film.  Film is a modern form of narrative.  A much older form of narrative is mythology.  I’ve studied mythology and seen how it influences fantasy film.  All forms of narrative seem to point to certain fundamental desires, and these desires are closely related to our desire for God.  I would like to mention three particular desires that are often seen in films.  

The desire for a savior.  A savior is a person who sacrifices something to take a person or group of people out of a bad situation into a better one.  Superhero films are stories about saviors. For example,  the savior of The Dark Knight is Batman who fights to make the people of Gotham City safer.  To keep the city safe, he must sacrifice his relationship with a girl named Rachel Dawes.

The desire for a relationship with one’s father.  In many films, the main character reconnects with his father and repairs the relationship. One obvious example of this is Finding Nemo.  In some movies, the main character has no chance to reconnect with his father, and this creates a struggle.  He may find a mentor to be the father figure.  One example of this is how Obi-Wan Kenobi mentored Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

The desire to be part of a greater cause.  Although American films tend to be individualistic, they also present heroes who perform good deeds for society. A prime example is The Matrix. In that film, a man named Neo discovers that his world is a virtual reality, and he begins to fight for those who are trapped in this virtual reality.

I have mentioned three desires which are commonly found in film narrative. Each of these is related to our desire for God.  And each one finds fulfillment in the basic teachings of the Christian faith.

Consider our desire for a savior.  Jesus is our Savior.  He was God incarnate, one of the three persons who make up the Trinity.  (Don’t ask me to explain that; it’s too difficult.)  According to the Bible, we are doomed to die because we have sinned (Romans 3:23, 6:23).  This death is eternity apart from God.  Jesus died as the punishment that we were supposed to receive.  Jesus’ sacrifice of his life allows us to live for all eternity in a relationship with God.

Jesus’ sacrifice also reconnects us to our Father.  In the book of Genesis (chapter 3), man sins and becomes separated from God.   The rest of the Bible is the story of how God makes it possible to reconnect with Him.  When a person comes to Christ, his relationship with God is restored.  God even works through his Spirit to influence people to reconnect with him.  As long as a Christian remains on earth, his relationship with God has problems.  But once the Christian enters eternity, his relationship with God is perfected.

What about our desire to be part of a greater cause?  Christians have a mission is to help other people reconnect with God.  There are many good causes to which we can belong, but bringing people to God is certainly the greatest.  This is the cause to which God has devoted himself since the beginning of history.  God wants us to join him in this cause.  If we do, he will give us the power to do any work he asks of us.

These are just three desires which I have found in film narrative.  I’m sure that you can think of more. Feel free to point them out by leaving a comment below. You may even want to discuss some of your favorite films.