Movie: “RED ONE” > I’ve got to comment on this movie. Can’t resist. Really struck a note with me. My wife loves Christmas movies. And I think she has a secret crush on the Rock, too. But we went to this movie yesterday and I really connected with the character the Rock played. Not because he was playing it. I mean, he did a fine job on the part. Really good. But it was the issues his character was dealing with. I feel the same pain. It’s one of the reasons I published a book and also began this blog site.

The Rock plays the bodyguard for Santa. He’s good at it and been doing it for a long time. However, the current culture and the direction it is going has him depressed. He has lost the vision for what Santa is doing. He feels like it no longer matters. The world is choosing hell in a handbasket and doesn’t even seem to care. There are more people on the “Naughty List” than are not. It grows every year as the good people shrink.

This movie is almost prophetic. How did it get written and produced before the election and now seems to apply so well?! I feel like that is exactly where we are today. One party lied through their teeth to us, constantly. I was afraid they would get away with it. I wasn’t sure the American people still had it in them to see through all the lies? We have become a selfish people voting for the good of our own desires no matter what it means to the country as a whole. 36 trillion? Come on now! Get out and work!

Also, how can we pour billions into other countries in an effort to bribe, manipulate, and force them to our will; while our own people in the mountains are told there is only a little money for them, and little help? If we had lost this last election I would have been right where the Rock was in that movie. I must admit I have gained some hope, but the threat of what they can still do before leaving, looms over us like a very very bad storm. Added to all that, will be what they still try to do even after they’re out. We saw what they did the last time. This is not speculation. We have historical proof! And they have no shame. They are actually proud of their evil workings. We can’t let it be like the last time.

In Red One, the witch lady thought she could “force” everyone to become good. Maybe the other party thinks they can do the same, but it doesn’t work that way. This is a huge error in their understanding of human nature. Good grief, we’ve got stores having to lock everything up because people are allowed to steal one-thousand dollars of stuff and not be prosecuted? Are we serious? Have the store owners become the bad guys and deserve this punishment? The robbers are simply doing what they deserve? My values don’t work that way. And seriously, do yours? Even though you vote for this stuff, why? You don’t really believe in it, do you?

That’s where the Rock character was at. More and more people on the “Naughty List” every year, and nobody even seems to care. The movie really did hit on some good messages. It pointed out absent fathers, too. It handed out good messages while giving good entertainment the whole time. It’s a true Christmas movie with the intentional hope of promoting some true “good”.

But you know, Santa Clause really is fiction. He’s not going to be able to give what this world needs. So where do we find it? Who’s job is it? Well, each of ours, really. We choose everyday. Most of us know when were doing good or bad. When we’re helping or hurting. When we’re just all about ourself, not the good of others. If thoughts of a “Naughty List” helps some do better, then I’m all for it. For the sake of society as a whole. But it won’t meet the need of the human soul.

What is your source of values? Was it simply your parents? If so, where did they get them? What was the original source of the values you live by? What do you measure by? You can’t measure something without some kind of a measurement standard. Who or what has set the standard in our life? What is your measuring device? Can you imagine this world if a carpenter had no way to measure?

For me, I can only be honest here, it has been God, the Bible, and Church. I know, that’s out of style. The modern American is looking for something new, not of the old ways. We believe we have experts in these areas now. We have psychology, lots of personal therapist, science, man-made values, drugs, and so on. But can anything with “human nature” in it really be trusted? I know we mean well. We think we’re right. But somehow, it never seems to quite satisfy our need. Something always seems to be missing until we find our way home. We are Spirit. We are meant to be Sailboats. Not Rowboats or Motorboats. Sailboats find their way to Heaven. Man’s power will always fall short of what our soul really needs.

Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

We are called to be Sailboats. We were created to be Sailboats. We will never feel quite right as anything else.