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The Book of Eli

Feb 8, 2010

The Book of Eli is a fascinating movie full of both suspenseful action and spiritual truth. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world where Denzel Washington walks his way through bleak landscapes dotted with abandoned cars and deserted homes. To be alone in such a world is precarious at best and dangerous at worst. We discover early on that he is both resourceful and fierce when it comes to surviving.

He is not just surviving though. In fact he has a mission. His mission is to go West with the last hard copy of the Bible. This is what he is doing and the audience is brought along for the ride. His mission westward brings him into a seedy little ghost town which is ruled by the owner of the local brothel. A tyrant without morals, he is on a hunt for the very book Denzel is carrying.

The chase is on and Denzel must repeatedly fight for his life and for the safety of the book. Without giving away the ending let us just say that Denzel's success depends ultimately not on his possession of the book but on his reading of the book. It is clear as the film unfolds that owning a Bible is not the key to success but reading the Bible and taking its words to heart are.

How many of us own a Bible, or maybe even three of four? They are not hard to get our hands on. Just visit a hotel room. How many of us realize how precious it is to be able to open it and read? This in fact is one of the major themes of the Book of Eli. When Denzel escapes from the clutches of the brothel owner he is joined by a young woman brilliantly played by Mila Kunis. She is curious about the book and the world before the war. When she asks about what it was like before the bomb ripped a hole in the sky Denzel replies, "We didn't know what was precious. We threw things away that people nowadays kill for." Reading the Bible and not just owning one, is a precious gift.

It is intended to be opened, read and lived out. This is a message we have seen more than once from Hollywood. It is the call for authenticity. It is as if the Production Companies are sending a message to Christians, "Don't just carry it around. Open it up and live what it says. Then we will respect you. Then we will listen to you." Jesus himself warned about becoming a religious hypocrite as well. In Matt 23 he warns, "Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is for men to see." (Matt 23:3-5) He then goes on to rebuke these religious people calling them hypocrites and blind guides. The Greek word here for "hypocrite" is the same as the word for "actor." He is saying that religious people who own a Bible but do not ever open it or read it are just "acting" they think they are on stage, they are not authentic. And they are not fooling anyone either. They are just like the brothel owner.

Mila is intrigued by Denzel's authenticity. She says to him. "Do you really read the same book everyday?" He responds "Without fail." And then she says, "Will you read some to me." This is the cry of the next generation to us to "read some to them." Our world is not as bleak and desolate as the one portrayed in the Book of Eli, but it is close. And the next generation feels it more than we do. Whether it is international terrorism, or the rising divorce rate, the next generation feels adrift in a sea of disintegrating values. Mila's character wants so much to discover something more. To find something precious in the midst of the rubble. She finds this in Denzel who reads the Bible and prays with her. These are two simple acts we often take for granted, yet they truly are precious gifts from God. Don't let today go by without enjoying each one.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray continually"

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another."

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