Several years ago, on a snowy, gray November afternoon, I was in the mood for a tearjerker. I searched for “tearjerker movies” on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 2-star film popped up. I must admit that sometimes, I enjoy a good old-fashioned, so-bad-it’s-good movie. The reviews for this particular flick fit the bill.
Within ten minutes of watching, I was heartbroken, but not for the reasons you might expect. What broke my heart wasn’t the tragic storyline itself—it was the faith message of a specific religious group that sponsored the film. They relentlessly pushed their doctrine with every tragedy the young heroine cheerfully faced. The underlying message was: “If you remain good, you might make it to heaven one day, and perhaps you ‘might’ be reunited with your family.”
This movie was released years before the Duggar scandal, even though its doctrines held definite parallels to the beliefs of the Duggars. Both emphasized being bright and shiny, perfect on the outside and inside. There was so much pressure to perform.
If you are good enough, suffer bravely enough, and are selfless enough, then perhaps God will grant a miracle—for you or someone you love who desperately needs one. If your spiritual report card reveals all A+, you receive more clout in the Heavenly realm. And the best way to know you have that clout is by some kind of emotional or mystical ecstatic experience.
So often, it is tempting to perceive warm, fuzzy feelings as indicators of God’s pleasure over us. Don’t get me wrong; emotions are wonderful, necessary, and welcomed, but they are not always carriers of truth or necessarily confirmations of truth. This danger of mistaking emotions for truth should make us all more cautious and discerning in our faith journey.
Good news! It’s not all about you, after all.
According to the beliefs of the movie’s producers, Jesus served primarily as an example of a godly life. They see Him as someone to admire and emulate, but they still need a piece of the puzzle. They need a deeper understanding of the redemptive power of the cross and the significance of the resurrection.
According to the Christian faith, Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life and paved the way for our salvation. Our strict adherence to societal or religious rules does not earn us favour in God’s eyes. Quite the contrary. We already have access to the love and favour of our Heavenly Father. We just need to walk through the open door. Jesus’ death and resurrection is that door. The only way we can walk through that door is by admitting it is not by our good works, sacrificial living, or noble suffering but by surrendering to the love of Jesus and laying down our self-righteousness.
The tearjerker film I watched highlights the dangers of viewing faith through performance and perfectionism. It’s easy to confuse emotional experiences with divine approval, but salvation is not about being good enough; it comes from the transformational love of Jesus Christ. By understanding His death and resurrection, we can move beyond a transactional faith and embrace the unmerited grace that defines our relationship with God.
©2024 Katherine Walden