Minor comments on Evan Almighty...

Movie reviews aren't usually my blog post of choice. But last night we watched Evan Almighty for the first time. I thought it was overall rather stupid (but good enough to watch once). I thought that the extra features on the DVD about making the movie a "green" film were interesting (i.e., making the ark recyclable, and giving the used materials to Habitat for Humanity, and planting trees to try to decrease the overall carbon footprint of the production) ...but I really didn't think the movie itself was as much an environmental flick as the special features made it sound. (I watched those features first, before the movie, which I know is an odd thing to do.) I suppose it did provide an opportunity for some reflection on being foolish in the world's eyes in order to do what God is calling you to do / what you think is the right thing to do, morally. And it was worth a few laughs.

There was one thing (minor within the movie) that I found offensive. (Disclaimer: you might interpret this as a "liberal" comment on my part!). In once scene, God appears in the chamber where a congressional committee is convening, in the middle of their saying the pledge of allegiance (to the American flag), and he joins in. Now, to be fair, I'm sure the primary reason for doing this was just for frivolous amusement, and I suspect that any political/religious statement buried in this event is limited to a vague comment on the whole issue of the "under God" phrase being in the American pledge. (Again, I think it is most likely that they were having fun with it, and nothing more!)

But in a combined amused/irritated way, I strongly object to the portrayl of God saying the pledge of allegiance to the American flag! (OK...he didn't start talking until the "one nation under God" part, so maybe he wasn't really pledging allegiance to the American flag...). It seems so obvious (to me) that this turns any notion of dual-citizenship on its head. If Christians owe any allegiance to their nation, its flag, its ideals, its constitution, its laws, its authorities, whatever...this allegiance is unquestionably secondary to the allegiance we owe to God, Christ, and His Kingdom. God certainly does not owe any allegiance to the U.S. I *hope* that the filmmakers were not endorsing a "God is on America's side" viewpoint, but I seriously think that many nonAmericans could interpret it this way, and rightly take offense at such a viewpoint as arrogant nationalism mixed with dangerously bad theology.

I can tell that I'm ranting. So I'll stop.

:)

Oh, and happy All Saints Day, if anyone cares. If you're a saint, or knew some saints now dead, I guess it has relevance. I don't know that much about what All Saints Day is *supposed* to be about, but I personally think it makes more sense as a day for the memory of saints (any saints, in general) that have died than Memorial Day does. Not that I've been observing it as such.

Now I'm not ranting, I'm just rambling. Definitely stopping now.
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"He Himself is our Peace." (Eph 2)