NOT ABOUT ME

What has God called you to do that no one else can do? The Book of Eli was an amazing movie after watching it the first time (I saw it twice within 36 hrs). I tweeted it was one of the best movies I had seen in my 34 years of living. Now you wonder what would make me say something like that. Was it the special effects, the acting, the story line or even the directing? While all those things where great for me, it was the truth of Gods word that came pouring out of this movie.

Now if you have not seen the movie STOP reading now, there are SPOILERS in this next part.

For those of you who have seen it, let’s begin. It’s a pretty simple movie; a guy is carrying a book from the east coast to the west coast on foot after a future post-apocalyptic  war. Yet this is no ordinary book, it’s the word of God, the Bible and not only is the man carrying the Bible across the country on foot, he’s blind. Blind can’t see jack and he’s doing this all on faith. Now if you’re a believer and that doesn’t motivate and convict you about the missions and plans God has for your life I don’t know what will.

In this movie, we get a glimpse into about a week of this 30 year journey Eli is on. We see him encounter things that would make most of us stop and rethink what we are doing. Let’s take the first action scene where Eli, even knowing it’s a trap stops and addresses the woman who claims to be in need (sound familiar? read Luke 10:29-37) Now this didn’t turn out the same way, and Eli had to get a little gangsta on them to say the least, but he kept on.

Let’s jump to the town seen where Eli first encounters the main bad guy, Carnegie. This is where temptation jumps in the picture. Carnegie (who at this point doesn’t know Eli has the Bible he’s been searching for) offers Eli what ever he wants if he will just work for him.  He even locks him in a room and sends the daughter of the woman he supposedly loves to temp him more. As soon as he finds out Eli has a bible he goes running for him to get it. But, Eli is not in the room and everyone seems to wonder how he got out, I like to think of 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Carnegie wanting to use the Bilbe for his will and not Gods is straight out of the word of God in 2 Peter 2:1-3. Eli recognizes this and keeps on moving even while being shot at. If you remember when Carnegie said the book can help the people Eli didn’t listen to man, he listened to God and knew what God had for him to do.

Now at one point all looks hopeless; Carnegie has Eli and his traviling partner Solara who he picked up along the way. Now Eli is faced with the choice to give up the book or Solara being killed. Eli chose to give up the book but it’s later when Solara ask why that Eli says “I’ve been reading this book and protecting it for 30 years, I thought I would do what it says”. Wow what an impactful line. It takes you back to the scence where the couple gets killed by the motorcycle gang and Eli hides and says “stick to the path”. It’s like he knows now that God has him on a mission, but that while on that mission he needs to put others first.

Now it’s at the end when Eli says you’re going to need a lot of paper that everything comes together. You find out that he memorized the Bible; you’re not sure if it was on purpose or if somewhere along the way of reading the Bible night and day for 30 years he placed it his heart. I know that convicted and motivated me even more.

I know this was a long post but one I felt like I was supposed to share. I could go own for days but I want. That’s just my take on the Book of Eli.  I would love to hear yours.

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