Ending All Wars, But Not Without the Help of My God
- Cultural Compass
- Aug 27
- 7 min read
Contributor: Wyatt Thompson
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” – John 12:24 (NKJV)
In this parable, Jesus illustrated that if people seek to remain in control over their lives, they will not be satisfied. However, if they surrender their lives to God, they will lead fruitful lives that honor God.
One of my favorite things about movies is that they can demonstrate biblical truth. When I took the Intercultural Communication class at SEU, I was asked to watch two different films and discuss the cultural conflicts presented in those movies. The films I chose were Not Without My Daughter (1991) and To End All Wars: Director’s Cut (2002).
After watching and reflecting on these movies, I have learned that how Christians respond to their enemies can either point unbelievers to Christ or drive them away from Him.
Disclaimers
Not Without My Daughter has been criticized for its negative depiction of Muslims and Iran. There were several scenes in which Betty (Sally Field) was violently beaten by her husband Moody (Alfred Molina) and one in which she cursed his family for helping him arrange her capture. Although the intent was to show what happened to her, I sensed an overarching bias against Muslims.
Parental discretion is advised for this movie, and it is not recommended for students before entering Challenge II, despite having a PG-13 rating.
To End All Wars is an intense war movie that features a significant amount of violence and gore. Viewers will see some visible wounds after an explosion and watch some of the executions take place. While these scenes are included to give viewers an idea of what occurred, they are nonetheless shocking.
As it is rated R, parental discretion is advised for this movie, even for students in Challenge III and IV.
Even though these movies may be difficult to watch due to potentially controversial or stirring material, they are full of biblical truth, which makes them worth watching and contemplating.
What Happened in Not Without My Daughter (1991)
Directed by Brian Gilbert. Starring Sally Field, Alfred Molina, Sheila Rosenthal. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1991. Rated PG-13.
Not Without My Daughter is set in 1984. Betty Mahmoody was an American woman married to an Iranian man, Sayed Bozorg Mahmoody, who was nicknamed Moody. She was a Christian and he was a Muslim. They had a daughter together whose name was Mahtob (Sheila Rosenthal).
Feeling homesick, Moody persuaded Betty to travel to Iran for two weeks to visit his family. Unfortunately, this was part of his plan to lead an authentic Iranian family as he made the executive decision for them to stay there permanently. Although it might seem Betty could have easily overridden this decision, she was unable to do so because she was in Iranian and Islamic culture where husbands had full authority.
What Happened in To End All Wars: Director’s Cut (2002)
Directed by David L. Cunningham. Starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland, Ciarán McMenamin. Ocean Avenue Entertainment, 2002. Rated R.
In the film To End All Wars, which takes place during World War II, the Japanese captured the Argyll regime, a group of mostly Scottish soldiers, in Thailand in 1942. Ernie (Ciarán McMenamin), the captain of the regime, provided his perspective on this event as he narrated the story. He and his fellow army men were enslaved to build a railroad from Thailand to Burma.
Throughout the film, he reminded the Argylls of John 12:24, for the actions of each man would leave legacies that showed the consequences of both choices that Jesus described. As he said at the beginning of the film, “it was our loyalties that would eventually be tested … in the face of defeat and captured by the enemy.” These loyalties included those to his country and to God.
The Challenge of Evangelism
These movies show what happens when people persuade themselves that their actions are morally acceptable and affirmed by the government. When these people are close-minded, stubborn, and aggressive, there is little that Christians can do to resolve this miscommunication.
Some may think that confronting such people with the Word of God will help them see the truth, but if they are not in the right mindset, then this would be ineffective.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV).
Consequently, Christians should first pray that God would open the eyes of those who practice other religions to understand His Word and then seek to build relationships with them to build trust before addressing sin.
An Old Testament Example
Esther and Mordecai, who were Jewish, were exiled in Persia. They were in the religious minority, yet Mordecai chose to serve that nation instead of resisting its authority. Consequently, Christians can learn from the ways Esther and Mordecai kept their faith while they were physically exiled.
Christians might not realize that they are spiritually exiled because they wait to be united with God in eternity. This may be especially challenging for American Christians to recognize because of the technological advancements readily available that can make life more convenient.
“The questions we must consider today, then, are these: How can I be a good Christian and a good citizen? How can I live for Jesus and ‘seek the welfare of the city’ where He has sent me (Jeremiah 29:7)?” – Alistair Begg
While I believe that people should not be held hostage, I believe that God allows people to be in foreign lands so He can use them to grow His Kingdom.
To approach cultural conflicts today, I believe that Christians should not present theological arguments that deny others the opportunity to explore all sides of the issue. Instead, I believe that they should approach the conversation with the assumption that these other worldviews are correct.
Due to the challenges described in these movies, I do not want to force my faith onto someone else, affirm an incorrect behavior, or appear to promote a relativistic worldview. However, I believe that considering the worldview and cultural practices of others will show them that I respect their perspective on life.
A Lesson From Habakkuk
Also in the Old Testament, the prophet Habakkuk wondered why God allowed people who rejected Him to thrive and carry on with their sinful lives. Throughout the book of Habakkuk, God explained that He had a bigger plan to lead people to repentance that involved the Jews being taken captive by the Babylonians.
Eventually, the Babylonians were defeated, but in the process of living in a foreign land, the Jews could see that God wanted their hearts to be centered on Him. While they waited for freedom, He humbled their hearts so that they could recognize their place before Him.
What Christians Can Learn From These Characters
Being under Islamic rule in Iran, it would probably seem natural and justified to resist the cultural norms like Betty did. However, resisting authority is unbiblical and will not lead anyone toward Jesus (cf. Romans 13:1-7).
Conversely, when the Japanese took the Argylls as prisoners of war, they were surprised and offended that they were being enslaved. Although they were severely wronged, Ernie taught his comrades through his words and actions that it was not their responsibility to administer justice. Ending all wars was based on the idea that the Allies could overcome the Axis with military power. However, as demonstrated in the movie, preventing wars begins with extending compassion toward enemies.
Consequently, I believe that the most effective strategy to evangelize is not about a specific action, but an entire lifestyle. Since people are impacted by the way others treat them, they will notice the difference in those who live a Christ-centered life and therefore taste the goodness of God.
“God is not unjust; by no means will [H]e clear the guilty and sweep sin under the rug. But the leading revelation of [H]is glory is [H]is mercy.” – David Mathis
If people in the Bible wanted to follow God because of the mercy He showed them, people today will want to follow God when Christians extend mercy to others.
As Jesus lived in the Roman Empire, authoritarian leaders governed His homeland. He could have used His equal status with the Father to His advantage, but He chose to submit to the culture, especially when He was unjustly sentenced to death. He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant” (Philippians 2:7; NKJV).
Final Thoughts
At some point in their lives, every Christian will experience unfavorable and inconvenient circumstances. They might even feel that they have been taken captive spiritually. In those seasons, they have the choice to have a negative outlook like Betty did or have a positive outlook like the Argylls.
God removes certain comforts and freedoms from His people because He has a ministerial purpose for them. Through those seasons, He equips them for the purpose for which He created them.
“All of us find ourselves in wilderness seasons. Typically, we immediately run to the prayer, ‘God get me out of the wilderness.’ Given what is revealed in Scripture, the better prayer might be ‘God, what do You want me to get out of the wilderness?’ The goal is not figuring out how to get out of the wilderness but what to get out of the wilderness” – Heather Zempel, Amazed and Confused
For Betty and Mahtob, God allowed them to be held hostage by their own family despite their American citizenship and culture. For the Argylls, God removed them from the safety and freedoms provided by their nation by letting the Japanese enslave them to build a railroad.
From these two examples, Christians can learn how to live out their faith. People of other cultures and religions may be ethnocentric, but if Christians choose to forgive and surrender to their authorities, they can demonstrate Christ-like compassion in their words and actions.
For Further Learning
Amazed and Confused: When God’s Actions Collide With Our Expectations by Heather Zempel
Citizens and Foreigners by Alistair Begg
Have Mercy on Me: Four Glimpses into the Heart of God by Pastor David Mathis
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