Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love, owned by Universal Pictures

      "I'm going to let you decide," My mom told me seriously.  "You're a Christian young adult now, and you need to make your own choices."  

     I felt an unexpected honor, and yet I knew I wasn't quite an adult yet.  I was sixteen.  The way my mom saw it, I needed to start making my own decisions about things, including what convictions I held.  The question facing me was: would I go see the hit movie that was in theaters?  This movie was about a sinking ship, and the title starts with a T, in case you're wondering which movie I'm referring to.  The theme song, performed by Celine Dion, dominated every radio station.  By osmosis, I had learned every word to the song, without even trying.  

photo owned by Vogue

     Everyone loved this movie.  Many strong Christian friends had recommended I see it.  However, I had learned some things about it, including that this movie had unmarried characters having sex with each other, as well as nudity.  Sometimes, those things can be overlooked in the overall scheme of the movie.  Some people, who are godly and would never condone such things in real life, are able to separate that and still enjoy the movie.  It's a matter or conscience, and I make no judgment at all.  However, I was at an impressionable time in my life, and I had the feeling this was more than I could handle at the time.  It wasn't that it was evil, or that others who liked it were wrong.  As I said, I make no such judgments.  I just knew I couldn't handle it.  I had had a boyfriend in junior high, whom God had removed from my life (it was sort of an "unequally yoked" situation, in addition to life changes separating us).  For me specifically (meaning I do not put this on other people), I felt led not to date or get into another romantic relationship until I was eighteen and out of high school.  Watching overly passionate things were a stumbling block to me during that time in my life.  I had a very strong sex drive, but did not have a husband to exercise that with, so seeing such things was really hard on me.  Knowing this about myself, I concluded it wasn't in my best interest to see that movie.  That is how I became the only sixteen-year-old in Riverside County not to see Titanic.  Even one of my good friends who was two years younger than me saw it, and I questioned my decision, but every time I prayed about it, the same answer came back to me.  For me, that movie wasn't God's plan for me at that time.  Maybe I was weak in areas the others were strong, and it didn't affect them the way it would me.  I still haven't seen it, although I don't really feel it would be a problem now.  I'm just not particularly interested.  It's not the cool new movie, and I'm not sixteen anymore, so I don't really care if I miss out on cool movies!  

     I recently did go and see a new movie.  I've been happy that in the last two decades, Christian movies have come a long way.  I love seeing Christian films succeed in theaters.  I think my favorite is still Facing the Giants (2006).  Naturally, I was excited to hear that the Francine Rivers novel Redeeming Love was being made into a movie.  If you are not familiar, this is a Christian novel, based on the book of Hosea, only set in 1850 gold rush California.  The story goes that the virtuous farmer, Michael Hosea, falls for and marries a prostitute.  From here, there will be spoilers, so be warned.

     This is not my favorite Christian book, and it's not even my favorite by Francine Rivers (though it is her most well-known book).  If you're really interested in getting into her writing, I recommend And the Shofar Blew.  But anyway, the theme of Redeeming Love is, as the title implies, redemption.  This story covers the depths of hurt and desperation felt by the character of Angel (the prostitute-turned-wife).  Of course, that isn't her real name.  Her real name is Sarah.  She's had a rough road, being the illegitimate child of an extramarital affair, having her father reject her, and having her mother go into prostitution in order to support them.  When her mother dies, Sarah becomes a prostitute herself, going by the moniker Angel.  Her story is rough.  Some people's are.  Art imitates real life, and that is often how God's grace is shown, so I do not condemn Francine Rivers or the makers of the movie for portraying these heavy things.  Life hurts sometimes.  People who have been used and abused might feel some validation from these aspects of the story.  

     There were some small differences between the book and the movie, but I'm going to critique the overall story, and not really criticize any changes made by the movie.  There are enough people doing that.

A still from Redeeming Love, picture owned by Universal Pictures

     The story is based on the biblical story of Hosea.  Hosea was a prophet and a godly man who was called by God to marry the harlot Gomer.  This was a depiction of Israel's relationship with God.  However, 1850's California is very far removed from Old Testament Israel.  1850's California is decidedly after the Bible was complete, and the Apostle Paul had written Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (Second Corinthians 6:14).  God will never lead someone to violate the commands of scripture.  This being the case, God would never lead a Christian to marry a non-Christian, as Michael Hosea did.  All allegories break down at some point, and this one certainly does.  It is still a powerful picture, but I think it could give the wrong message, such as the idea of marrying an unbeliever to convert or change them.  That is such a dangerous message.  This is not saying God can't lead someone to love and marry someone with a difficult past, or with baggage.  We all have that.  But the way it is portrayed in this story is unbiblical and unhealthy.  I knew someone who has based her marriage on Beauty and the Beast, and has stayed in an abusive marriage because she believes she's supposed to bring out the prince within.  She married him knowing what he was, but determined to be Belle to his Beast.  That's not right.  We need to be careful with the messages we feed ourselves and others.  Dating or marrying someone to bring them to Jesus, or into a healthier life, rarely works the way we hope.  Someone has to choose to change because they want to, not because we're pressuring them.  We cannot control them.  We cannot change them.  Marriage should be entered into with the expectation that this person is who they are, and we accept them fully as that.  If they grow and change, they grow and change, but that isn't something we should bank on or try to manipulate.  

     This story (both the book and the movie) portray Michael Hosea as pure and good.  He shows Angel/Sarah the grace she has never known her whole life, and it confuses and confounds her.  Her own guilt and shame cause her to repeatedly leave him.  The first several times, he goes after her and redeems her.  The final time, he says she has to choose to come back, which she eventually does, after she experiences her own personal redemption.  The idea of redemption is shown strongly throughout.

     A big problem I have with this movie is the amount of sensuality.  I am a happily married woman, and it was a bit much for me.  I can't even imagine watching it as a teenager or single woman.  It would have been a big stumbling block to me.  I am shocked it only had a PG-13 rating.  The sex scenes (including married sex) were explicit and left very little to the imagination.  These scenes were not quick either.  They lingered, and showed a lot of both male and female bodies.  I think they could have gotten the same idea across without being so extreme.  You can be romantic without being sex-crazed.  A film can even indicate that characters are intimate without becoming so graphic.  There was a lot of nudity in the movie as well.  This is somewhat understandable, as the story is about a prostitute.  But it was a bit beyond what was necessary.  This movie pushed the envelope.  As I said, I still have not seen Titanic, but from what I actually know, Redeeming Love can easily give Titanic a run for its money.  The naked bodies of these attractive actors in their 20's could be a stumbling block to many.  The review from Focus on the Family suggested that those who have struggled with porn addictions shouldn't see this movie.  Read Focus on the Family's full review here.

     Christian movies have come a long way, but this one pushed the envelope.  I wasn't sure if they were trying to compete with the latest sex story by having one with just as much sex and violence (yes, there was graphic violence too) but with a redemptive ending, or if they just got too realistic for their own good, but it was a little much for me (as a married woman), and I definitely believe it would have been a stumbling block to sixteen-year-old me.  I can't in good conscience recommend it to my friends, especially not to those who are single but truly longing for marriage and waiting on the Lord in this area of life.  Song of Solomon 8:4 urges us not to stir up love until the right time.  This movie will leave many burning with passion.  (First Corinthians 7:9).  

     Life is hard.  Ministering to others often leads us out of our comfort zone.  Maybe you're like me.  My mind rarely wants to go beyond PG, but sometimes, God brings people across our paths who desperately need His love, and they have been horrific places we can't even imagine.  This requires us to lose a little innocence.  Jesus did that when He left Heaven and came to this sin-sick earth.  I hasten to add that I'm not so sure I'd say Jesus was "innocent" prior to coming to earth, but you get the idea that He left a perfect and good place in order to come to this earth.  We do know He learned while He was here, and experienced everything we did, only without sin (Hebrews 4:15), and He can now be our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14).  He carried all our sin-induced sorrows (Isaiah 53:4).  He enables us to give His love to those who need Him.  I do not think watching this movie is necessarily a calling of God.  Love the "Angels" God brings across your path--just don't watch them have sex!

     In conclusion, you will have to make your own decision about whether or not to see Redeeming Love, just as I did about Titanic many years ago.  I hope the thoughts I have shared help you make an informed decision, and provide food for thought about ministry, Christian films, and temptation in all of our lives.