Previous | Next 

CURRENTLY IN MOVIES
A faith in leaps

Marshall Janzen

I recently saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with some friends. Since it is a Mandarin film with English subtitles, I expected the theatre to have a small group of refined adults – and me. Instead, the theatre was quite full, and from whispers behind me I soon discovered that a mother had taken her young daughter to the film. Throughout the movie, the mom would relay crucial bits of dialogue when the daughter had not been able to read the subtitles fast enough. She translated complicated scenes into simple phrases the child could understand, such as “He’s the bad guy” or “That’s her boyfriend”.


The movie combined martial arts and romance to tell the tale of Zen warriors in feudal China. In one intense scene, the characters clashed swords while effortlessly leaping rooftops, flying through the air and running up and down walls. During this, the daughter piped up, “Mom, is this a true story?”

I couldn’t quite contain a laugh, and neither could others around me. A few days later, that particular “scene” stood out in my memory more than any part of the movie. It’s amazing what kids can accept as true!

Believing in people who can defy gravity through mental discipline takes a leap of faith. In my opinion, believing in a loving God who created this world and works miracles in it requires a much smaller step. The first belief requires us to ignore the conflicting evidence we find through our own experience and the laws of nature, while the second explains why all of nature exists and why it is orderly.

Jesus says we must receive salvation like a little child (Mark 10:15). Thankfully, He doesn’t require us to keep that kind of faith. God graciously bestows His Holy Spirit on us to guide us to a deeper faith, one that meshes with our senses, intellect and emotions.

Marshall Janzen attends Parliament Community Church in Regina and is webmaster for the Canadian MB Conference.

Previous | Next 

Last modified May 17, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.