Did anyone else get this feeling while watching the movie?
The spiritual positions of many of the characters in Tombstone were made clear. One guy didn't know what he wanted out of life, but ended up choosing to have fun with someone special. Others don't know if God exists. One made a conscious life-decision to be "naughty," not nice. Many spoke of Hell existing, and that they were fairly sure that was their final destination. A quote from Revelations was spoken in Spanish about the Pale Horse and Hell that followed. Watching the movie, I got the strong sense that the dead were killing the dead to benefit the dead and the living. Read that line again. The dead were killing the dead to benefit the dead and the living. The dead are the four brothers, who showed zero fruits of a regenerated heart. The dead are the red-sashed Cowboys, hearts as black as sin. The dead are the civilians in the town of Tombstone, engaged in debauchery and gambling, of which the world at large is composed of. The living are the regenerated Christ-followers, of which we saw only one in the movie: the Padre that was shot in the forehead by a Cowboy. There may be other living in Tombstone, “The dead were killing the dead to benefit the dead and the living.” as there are in the world at large, but we didn't see any. The dead benefited the dead by removing some of the evil in the town, allowing them to live in relative (and temporary) peace, but ultimately, are still dead and destined for torment. I'm reminded of how God can use the dead for good. At the end of the movie, everybody is dead. The net result: Tombstone was a depressing tragedy. What makes this movie particularly surreal for the Christian is that the director has us follow the brothers and invest in them emotionally. Through the power of storytelling, we enter into the minds of the dead and experience life as they experience it. It is a life without God, without hope, without deep joy, where man makes the rules, has to figure out the rules, is his own salvation, and is an autonomous end unto himself. While in the minds of the dead, I can cheer each minor victory (such as the destruction of the vile Cowboys), but at the same time I am repulsed at having to wear the dirty flesh of the dead, even if only in story. Such is the surreal aspect. Did anyone else get this feeling while watching the movie? For a brief night, I got to revisit what it was like to live as a non-Christian. Sorry, I don't mean to insult those who enjoyed this movie. I think it is important to not insulate yourself from the world and watch only Veggie Tales. Getting together to goof off and have fun is also a really good thing, too. But I think it is important to remember that any contact with the real world is going to leave smudges on your fingers and clothes, and we best not ignore those smudges or what objects the smudges came from. Just as it's weird to live your life in a sterile environment, it's equally weird to not partake in the non-Christian world. For that, I thank my friend who organized the movie night. If he hadn't, I would have. |