Unbelievable

One of my favorite shows in the 80's was the A-Team. My husband says I should never admit this to anyone but after this weekend- I don't feel so bad about it. I sat in a theater full of people that obviously loved this show as much as I did. It took some convincing to get Brad to go with me but he finally caved and we went opening night. I thought it was fantastic. Brad thought it was okay. He took issue with a couple of scenes he found "unbelievable".
I take issue with movie-goers that complain about movies being unrealistic or unbelievable. This morning as we watched a TV movie about talking dogs, my 13 year old son actually looked at me and said a scene where a German Shepherd snapped a rope was totally unrealistic- it would never have snapped that easily. But the scene before where he was talking to the chihuahua was completely believable? Please. The whole reason we go see movies is to see something that is not reality. Frankly, reality can really suck. Happy endings are rare and the story line is never predictable. I enjoy knowing how the story will end- the guy will get the girl- the good guys will win- justice always triumphs- and if I accidentally get one of those waste-of-an-hour-of-your-life movies (ie A Perfect Storm)...it ticks me off.
The scene that bothered Brad so much involved a tank falling out of an airplane with parachutes attached to it and someone hanging out of the top firing the tank. Of course, they landed safely in a lake and went on to accomplish their mission. I think it's only right that they survived the fall because, after all, they are the good guys. Heroes should be able to acomplish the impossible- to survive against all odds to save the day and make some pithy remarks in the process. And - maybe you'll think this is a stretch- but I think there is something biblical about this whole line
of thinking.
Who would think it realistic to send a newborn baby, born to a virgin- mind you, to save not only a nation- but the world? Not very believable. Then He picks as His "Super Friends" 12 losers of His day- fishermen who couldn't cut it in the temple. Hmm...this story line is getting a little flimsy. How are we supposed to believe these guys will turn the whole world upside down when they spend their spare time fighting over who's the most important? I find them very unbelievable as heroes. But then something happens and this is no longer an idea but it's happening.Within three days Christ has overthrown an entire world system and 12 men are setting out to change the world and their only super power is the Holy Spirit. Not even Hollywood would put this story on the big screen. It's craziness. Completely unbelievable.
Yet it's the more true than the "reality" most of us live in. We believe in only what we can see with our eyes or rationalize with our mind. There is a whole thing happening around us- a battle between good and evil- and we don't have eyes to see it. We are clueless and arrogant, thinking our physical senses and our intelligence will take us to the only places that matter- that if it's unbelievable , unrealistic, or irrational- then it's insignificant.
But something calls to the deep places in us- even these movies, if you will. Something that longs to believe the unbelievable- that good will ultimately win- that even the most unlikely can be heroes- even the most unrealistic situation can turn into victory. And that is His reality. It's how He rolls.