AIR FORCE ONE (1997)

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Written by: Andrew W. Marlowe
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close
Rated: R

About the film:
Hijackers gain control of Air Force One and hold all occupants hostage save one. The President of the United States has managed to evade capture and must rely upon his cunning and previous military training in order to defeat his ruthless opponents and rescue his wife, child, and everyone else traveling with them.

Movie Quote:
"Peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice."
President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) in Air Force One (1997)

Bible Quote:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27 (NIV)

Commentary:

In his speech denouncing terrorism, President Marshall speaks words that resemble truth. They just don't go far enough to tell the whole story. True, the peace available to us through Jesus Christ does extend far beyond the absence of conflict, but it also offers us much more than just the mere presence of justice.

The best definition of peace, from a spiritual perspective, that I have ever heard is this: It is a state of undisturbed believing. It is a state of being where fear, doubt, and worry do not exist. Jesus Christ has given us the potential to have that kind of peace. We have the ability to believe without doubt and without reservation. He has shown us that our God is both faithful and loving. We have a God whose promises shall never fail.

Our hearts can be untroubled and we need never be afraid because we have been given the assurance that what we believe is true. Because it is true, we cannot be bound by doubt, worry or fear -- no matter what the circumstances around us say to the contrary. The promise of peace that Jesus Christ has left us is not a promise of world peace. It is a promise that no matter what the condition of this world happens to be - no matter the conflicts it contains - we can be assured that our God shall never leave us nor forsake us.

Questions to consider:

1. If peace is a promise of God, why is there so much war and suffering taking place in the world?

2. What obstacles stand in the way of true God-given peace and what must we do to overcome them?