Last month, our family went to the movies to see the film The Tiger Rising.
Based on the award winning book by author Kate DiCamillo, the movie tells the story of a young boy whose family has hit hard times following the untimely death of his mother. The boy strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow classmate — and their bond deepens when they stumble across a caged tiger in the woods. The book explores themes of life, loss, pain, and friendship.
My son’s fourth grade class had just finished the book as a part of their language arts curriculum, so his teachers invited each of their pupils (and their families) to attend the Saturday matinee together at our local theater.
Shortly after we took our seats for the showing, the lights in the auditorium began to dim and a hush fell over the crowd in anticipation of the book’s big-screen debut. We laughed. We cried. We ate our weight in popcorn 😜…and at the end, everyone applauded in hearty approval of the cinematic experience.
On our way out of the theater, my husband asked our son what he thought of the movie, “Was it just like the book??” To which, our son replied by giving it the good-ole’ Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up. 👍 👍 😉
That’s when I started thinking…as an audience, when the books we love come to the big screen, we want the story to be told as true to the original script as possible. I don’t care if you’re Steven Spielberg — it’s disappointing when film-makers take so many artistic liberties with the book that it becomes nearly unrecognizable.
And the more I thought about that, the more I realized…the same is true for the Bible.
Written by the best-selling author of all time, God Himself, the Bible should in theory be the biggest blockbuster hit of all time! Yet for various reasons, some still feel the need to edit the script.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, one of those people was Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson literally cut out only the parts of the Bible that he agreed with, subsequently pasting them onto blank pieces of paper, and later compiling the verses into a book of his own, which he called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth…hmmm, doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as The Holy Bible…does it?
Like Jefferson, some people even today will metaphorically cut out all sorts of scriptures they don’t like…scriptures about creation, Heaven, Hell, baptism, the resurrection and deity of Jesus, divorce, homosexuality, men and women’s roles…and now even the concept of absolute truth all together.
But God says we are foolish to make such changes. (I Corinthians 3:18-20)
Why? Because God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts, (Isaiah 55:8-9). Any edits or ad libs done on our part will essentially only serve to turn God’s blockbuster hit into nothing more than a low-budget film that at best deserves to go straight to…well, let’s just say…straight to DVD. 😉🤣🤭
I’m sorry to sound harsh, but if the apostles didn’t stand for such an overhaul of the truth, neither should we:
“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” (I Timothy 6:3-5)
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)
So, what about you? Have you read the book? (and, no…just like high school English Lit. class, Cliff’s notes don’t count! 😂🤣)
The first century Bereans read the book, and they were applauded for it:
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)
Reading the Bible (and applying it to our lives) is the only way we can truly know if what we are doing in our lives, hearing in our churches, and seeing in our society is pleasing to God or not.
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Our town actually has two different theaters — one on the north end, one on the south.
Had my son’s teachers invited the class to view The Tiger Rising at the south-side theater rather than the north, I’m fairly certain the theater would’ve looked a little different…with different staff members, different concession offerings, and different seats in the auditorium (e.g. they don’t have the “luxury loungers” that my husband likes so much😬🤣…first world problems, I know🤦♀️)…
But what I am 100% certain of is that the movie would have been the exact same.
Why? Because it was based on the book.
Until next time…
-PWAP
