I don't watch too many movies--could count the number of movies I've seen in the last six months on one hand, and this includes rentals. However, I've discovered the wonder that is redbox, and have used it twice now to fill long Saturday evenings at home. I got online to check out what they had today, and made my selection before heading to get it. I chose "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage, mostly because I enjoy his movies and partly because the story line sounded interesting. I'm going to try to not ruin the ending as I share my thoughts on this movie.
The basic storyline is that Cage's character discovers a sheet of paper covered with numbers, written in 1959. Cage deciphers the writing and attempts to prevent some disasters along the way. However, I think the underlying theme is more important, and thought-provoking, than the main plot. Thorughout the movie, Cage wrestles with whether everything happens by chance or plan. Mysterious men appear, a boy hears voices and sees visions. A little too eerie for my taste, at times. However, the end was worth it. I'm going to have to pose a spoiler alert. If you want, but haven't, seen this movie, you may want to stop reading, then come back to finish this post when you have.
The movie ends with Cage's son and a friend being escorted onto a spaceship by these mysterious men. The men tell the boy that his dad cannot come, only the ones who have been called may join them. The men then shed their human form and take on forms that only resemble humans in shape--no features save for an ethereal glow and lightwaves resembling wings. The boy tells his father that the men were only going to protect them, that the men were always protecting them. Earth is consumed in a super solarflare, and boy and girl are safely deposited on another planet, running toward a massive tree.
So, as I watch this movie through the worldview of Christianity (thank you, Drs. Kurka, Knopp, and Castelein), it didn't take much for me to make the connections. 1. The mysterious men represented angels 2. The space ship represented the taking up of believers (not necessarily as we Christians would define believers, however) 3. The numbers represent prophecy, specifically of the endtimes 4. The new planet represents a "new heaven and new earth" (again, not necessarily as Christians would define it) 5. The tree represents the tree of knowledge of good and evil 6. The idea of a father parting with his son to save humanity is not new--it's woven the pages of the world's most enduring Book, and offers true salvation for ALL who believe.
My final thought is this: whether or not the final days of mankind will be scientifically explained, whether or not angels appear as they did in the movie, are we ready for that great and glorious day? Are we spreading the word, so that many may join us?
