Bang!

Danny Archer:  Over there, it's bling bling.  But out here it's bling bang. ~quote from Blood Diamond (R) My wife and I watched this movie recently and it raised a few questions for me.  However, before I get to that I want to say that this film is very well done and worth a viewing if you can handle the graphic violence contained in this motion picture canister. The quote only slightly tells the tale of the brutality throughout the African land.  I'm certain the film only allows us to catch a glimpse of what really has and most likely still does take place amidst the red sands.  The hatred and shear lack of respect for human life is utterly clear.  For me it was incomprehensible the manner in which they so freely shed the blood of their brothers and sisters of the land... and even though killing is nothing new to the history of this world, something seemed different about this.  It wasn't the brutality; I've seen other films and read other things which depict just as, if not a greater level of man's brutality.  It was the heartless almost whimsical way men, women and children were gunned down in a blaze. The bible speaks of having God's commands written on our hearts.(a,b)  The desire to do good, to serve God and keep His commandments is hidden somewhere in the heart of man.  In this film, you could see it in the eyes of the children who were taught to kill.  It took time, but eventually enough confusion, hatred and deceitfulness was imparted to deaden the conscience.  Soon, the trigger was pulled without a second thought.  At a point in the film you see that the conscience which was once covered still remains and with love and patience it can and will be restored. The other thought which my wife and I both shared was in regards to forgiveness.  Could God forgive such men?  Looking into the eyes of the children you could find sympathy for them, after all they were taught to kill.  It didn't seem too hard to imagine forgiveness extended to them.  But shifting the focus to those men who seemed to be evil to the core.  They were the ones who imparted the brutal, heartless killer instinct into these children.  Not only where they ones who pulled the trigger, but they corrupted nearly a whole generation.  My heart could not grasp the idea of forgiveness for these men, but my mind continued to ponder. The bible is pretty clear... if you believe in Jesus Christ, His live, death and resurrection and accept Him as Lord and Savior, you will be saved.(c)  Certainly they did no lead righteous lives, but through accepting God's gift of His Son, it is His righteousness which covers.(d)  Because of God's faithfulness, He will forgive those who ask.(e) My feeble mind can't grasp the idea of this kind of forgiveness, but for God it's all the same.  Whether I stole a pack of gum at the grocery store, or robbed the vault of a multimillion dollar bank... both are sin, both are forgivable.  Whether I spoke poorly of my father, or pulled the trigger and kills hundreds... both are sin, both are forgivable.  Forgiveness is not dependent upon man's ability to be forgiven, but upon God's ability to forgive. a: Jeremiah 31:33; b: Romans 2:12-15; c: Romans 10:9-10; d: Romans 3:22-24; e: 1 John 1:9 (thought history)