Pensees: End of the Spear

Perhaps someone can help me. I have not seen the trailer (and don’t have broadband to see it online). My sister saw the trailer on TV and said she saw a clip of one of the missionaries throwing a spear at an Auca.

This would be a significant deviation from what I assumed and have a vague recollection of…that the five stood and took it like men with no resistance. I thought that was the testimony of the Aucas watching from the brush. I don’t know where my documentation for that is though.

If they didn’t resist, and the movie shows them resisting, that certainly is something about which we should bark our displeasure.

Ryan,

At the end of the movie, grown up Steve Saint is taken by the warrior who killed his father to the exact spot where the slaughter happened. The warrior expected Steve to take revenge for his father’s death and was giving Steve the opportunity. So he put a spear to his chest and put the other end in Steve’s hands. Of course, Steve didn’t go through with the killing, but that may be what she saw in the preview.

Jason’s article is very good and fair. Although I believe the film has value to Christians, the association problem is real and does not bode well for Mart Green and the production company.

Pastor McRorie, can you explain or elaborate on the value that you think this movie has for Christians? Do you see any dangers in it, also?

Lyn

Oops. Sorry I misspelled your name! I see I cannot edit my post here. Anyway, I appreciate any information you can give.

Hi Lyn,

All I can relate is my personal experience watching the Denver pastors screening. I wept pretty much all the way through the movie. The power of sacrificial love overwhelmed me emotionally, captivated me intellectually, and raptured me spiritually. At the time of the screening, I did not know Chad Allen or his lifestyle; his portrayal of Nate Saint is phenomenal. I think the movie has value in repeating a story that many have not yet heard, particularly children. I would not depend on it as an evangelistic tool because the film is not complete, in my opinion, in its presentation of the Gospel. There is not an emphasis on repentance of sin, only repentance of violence. God’s sacrifice of His Son is mentioned specifically, but the viewer is not told what to do or believe about that fact. I think the value lies in the quality of the storytelling and the resulting spiritual stimulation in the areas of commitment to Christ and passion for the lost. I am not sure that the movie would have the same impact on me now that I know what has been revealed about the casting. I think Jason is right in his expose. I also think, however, that the film has value. The argument is largely associational. Some will take that argument further than others in application.

Pastor McCrorie,

Thanks for your comments—I appreciate your perspective. In no way do I intend my questions to demean your response to “End of the Spear.”

I am left wondering, though, if much of the impact the film had on you was because of your prior knowledge of the incredible story of the martyrdom of the missionaries in their effort to reach the Aucas with the Gospel. If that is the case, how effective do you think the film (alone) would be in reaching children or others who have no previous knowledge of the complete story? Would they leave the film challenged by the testimony of someone who was willing to give his life to reach people who had never heard the message of salvation?

I love to challenge my children with stories of missionary heroes. However, in my limited experience, that wonderful, challenging message shines brightest through accounts that are factual, not embellished (lest we think that the missionary hero was somehow not possessed of human frailties), and that relay the burning passion of the missionary hero to take the Gospel to those who have never heard. When the facts of the story are treated loosely or the passion of the missionary is altered in its telling, I may still be left with a good human interest story, but it will lack the power of truth to convict me and compel me to repentance. What would the story of Hudson Taylor be if reduced to a humanitarian vision of freeing the Chinese from their opium addiction and providing medical care to the needy? What would the story of George Mueller be if reduced to a humanitarian passion for caring for orphaned children? In my opinion, they would be quite similar to reducing the story of the five missionary martyrs in Ecuador to a humanitarian message of non violence. The story of Nate Saint isn’t the story of Nate Saint without a central focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lyn

Lyn,

I agree completely. The film is not the complete story. I’m sure that the reason it had such a profound affect on me was indeed my prior knowledge mixed with really good cinematography. However, I intend to “fill in the blanks” for my children as I do in any other aspect of life. I want them to know this story, and this film is a terrific way to introduce them to it, in my opinion. At the same time, the production team at Every Tribe should think about the mixed message they are sending to those who will equate Chad Allen with Nate Saint. There is no reason I know of why the complete and full Gospel presentation could not have been made in this film other than as the marketing guy said at the screening “We don’t want to be preachy; we just want to tell stories.” That’s not the calling of the Christian witness in my reading of Scripture. Yet, the film still has value, in my opinion. Value like the “Passion of the Christ” had. Value like the “Chronicles of Narnia” had. Associations and content problems exist in these films too. But I can fill in the blanks for my children. I can teach them discernment. If I can do it with Disney films, I can do it with Every Tribe films.