DOGMA (1999)

Directed by: Kevin Smith
Written by: Kevin Smith
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Starring: Linda Fiorentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon
Rated: R

About the film:
When two angels decide to defy God’s commandments and wiggle through a loophole in His law, all of humanity is threatened. It will fall upon the last known descendant of Christ to save the world. She teams up with a messenger angel named Metatron, an apostle who was left out of the Bible because he’s black, a muse turned striptease artist, and an oddball pair of humans. Despite its irreverence, the film does make a number of surprising observations about religion and faith.

Movie Quote:
“I have issues with anyone who treats faith as a burden instead of a blessing. You people don’t celebrate your faith; you mourn it.”
Serendipity (Salma Hayek) in Dogma (1999)

Bible Quote:
“And do not grieve the holy spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

Commentary:
I’ve never understood the stereotypical image of the downtrodden Christian. By those I mean Christians who endlessly struggle through this life with the entire weight of the world apparently upon their shoulders. Believing that we must suffer in this life to be worthy for the next is not only flawed thinking, it insults the God who sent His son to die that we might have a more abundant life.

Serendipity’s comments strike home. Everything that God did, He did for us. Everything He has given us and made available to us should be the joy and rejoicing for our hearts – not a burden that we are being somehow forced to carry until the day we die.

Certainly we will have difficult times to endure in our lives, but we should remember that we are designed by God to be able not only to endure them, but to triumph over them.

“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4b (NIV)

Manifesting the pure joy, freedom, and love that we, as believers, should feel is a far greater witness to the power of God than the sacrificial mindset of a self-appointed martyr.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. In the film, God is portrayed as a woman. In the Scriptures, God is continually given a masculine gender. Which is more accurate and why?
2. What is the relationship between angels and humans? How does it differ from the depiction in the film?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com