Fact to Fiction

• Here follows a letter from Terry Brooks, a favorite author of mine:
  
  
  
• New oven! My parents got a new oven today! Appliances are wonderful; they are blessings.
  
  
• I found some weird stuff in Leviticus 13:47-59: “warp and woof” (NKJV).
  
  Warp: a series of yarns extended lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the weft.
  
  Weft: a filling thread or yarn in weaving.
  
  Woof (synonym for weft): woven fabric.
  
  “Warp and woof”: foundation or base.
  
  =/ Weird stuff, no?
  
  
• Last night, I saw Transformers (on ClearPlay) with the family. It was a fun movie. Fun was the purpose of the movie. This should not be our sole purpose in anything, really. If we have joy from fun, fun is good, but if we don't have genuine joy, it is a poor, unsightly reflection of joy. We should endeavor to find something worthwhile in all things, or it is a waste. Though I slip in this matter, I have sought to find something worthwhile in the movie; thus, I have been drawn upon a few quotes from the chief Transformer, good-guy Autobot, Optimus Prime. (The good guys are called Autobots; the bad guys are called Decepticons). Here follow some quotes and my observations:
  
  Optimus Prime's opening: “Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony. But like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil. And so began the war.”
  
  Yes, it is a deification of something other than God, but we should remember that this is a science-fiction film. Unlike the typically liberal-slanted Hollywood film, this is actually saying that the universe was created. It didn't happen by chance. Also, like the cube in the movie, the true God of the universe, the Savior of mankind, is infinite: we do not know where He has come from because He has not ever come; He has always been; God gives us life, though we may not always understand why He gives us this life. It is glorious! Then as the cube created the Transformers, so God created us, but it didn't take long before we were tempted away by knowledge (“knowledge is power”?), and we fell through Satan's tempting, even though we had the power through God to resist. And so began the war between flesh and God.
  
  The good guy robot weapons specialist, Ironhide: “Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race.”
  
  Optimus Prime: “Were we so different? They're a young species. They have much to learn. But I've seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. You all know there's only one way to end this war: we must destroy the Cube. If all else fails, I will unite it with the spark in my chest.”
  
  Ratchet, the medic robot for the good guys: “That's suicide! The Cube is raw power, it could destroy you both!”
  
  Optimus Prime: “A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet. We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes. . . .”
  
  (OK, I'm going to avoid the killing the cube thing because I'm trying to think of the positive. We all know that we can't kill God.) This exchange is quite interesting. “Were we so different?” As Christians, we should keep this in mind. Those who haven't been saved by grace through God's Son are reminders of who we used to be. We should be moved by compassion to help them. Even though we--born-again and not so--are capable of evil, God has given us the ability to do good, to do His will. We have been given the choice—the freedom—to choose to do good or ill. “We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes.” That line reminds me that we can't point blame, and that no matter what, we are accountable for our own actions. Also, our misdirected action or inaction can result in harm to others. That is irresponsible to ourselves, our fellow men, and our God.