BATMAN (1989)

Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren
Studio: Warner Brothers
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
Millionaire Bruce Wayne turns to anonymous crime fighting after his parents’ tragic death on the streets of Gotham City. On the opposite side of the good/evil spectrum, a nefarious but brilliant sociopath called the Joker is positioning himself to be the newest leader of Gotham’s criminal underworld.

Movie Quote:
“Haven’t you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?”
The Joker (Jack Nicholson) in Batman (1989)

Bible Quote:
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)


Commentary:
Even though the Joker’s question was intended to be sarcastic, there’s no denying that it is based upon truth. Laughter (or more specifically, a merry or cheerful heart) has great healing properties.

For all their training; all the technological advancement at their disposal; and all the knowledge they’ve been able to glean regarding the workings of the human body; doctors will be the first to admit that they do not heal anybody. They treat, they operate and they medicate… all with the purpose of helping their patient’s body to heal itself.

God’s design of our physical frame is nothing short of awesome. As intricate as it is durable and as functional as it is aesthetically perfect, the human body is a marvel; built to house both soul and spirit.

The reason a cheerful heart is good medicine is because our physical life is not divorced from our spiritual life. They are interconnected. To believe is a spiritual reality. Fear and worry are forms of believing that will lead to stress and other negative physical manifestations. Keeping one’s heart stress-free by believing positively will reap positive physical results. A habitual pattern of believing positively will lead us to developing a cheerful heart which does a body good.

Questions to consider:
1. Why does a cheerful heart have healing properties?
2. What are some of the properties of the human body that point to a godly design?