Pilgrim Soldier

I know I’m way behind the times but we finally watched the film “Hotel Rwanda” on Sunday night and a few nights before we had also watched “The Pianist” as well.

After just one viewing they’ve already leapt into my list of ‘most inspiring’ films along with the likes of Cry Freedom, The Killing Fields and Schindler’s List. There is an obvious connection between these films. In each one we see one person’s battle against unjust regimes or situations. The Third Reich, the Khmer Rouge, Interhamwe and Aparthied were all extreme forms of injustice that thankfully few of us ever have to face in the modern Western world.

However, it is still possible to see this sort of problem in the world. All too often the world then tries to ignore the situation. This is especially true when you look at those countries that have little or no strategic value. For instance would the Western powers put up with the oppressive regime of Burma (Myanmar) if it was a more strategically placed country or had the sorts of oil reserves found in the Middle East?

These films rarely mention the faith of the individuals (except of course those dealing with the Holocaust) but still reflect Kingdom values. Whilst my first thoughts are often around “Man’s inhumanity to man”, I end up feeling edified by the fact that there are still those who, in a fallen world, are willing to risk everything to stand up against the twisted values that pervade so many regimes.

Many of us will never be faced with this sort of situation, but even so we can still stand up for the injustices that are faced by the countless millions on a day to day basis. Whether it be supporting campaigns to cancel the majority world debt, or whether it is the sort of incarnational living that sees us standing alongside our brothers and sisters in the impoverished areas of our towns and cities, we can reflect Kingdom values through our lives.