KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Da Vinci
FUROR, CONSTERNATION, CURIOSITY, and much intrigue must be giving Ron Howard and his cast delight for all the free publicity in advance of the premier of the movie version of The Da Vinci Code...
It is based on the book by the same name written by embattled, but successful, Dan Brown. It is of the "historical fiction" genre, though secular experts are quick to point out a number of inaccuracies and far-fetched theories that fuel the plot. In quick summary, the book relies on heretical and gnostic material that no student of ancient materials, be they believer or unbeliever, consider credible, historical documents. It cannot stand the scrutiny of historical fact. Basically, the whole story is a cotton candy mansion built on a foundation of very dry straw.
That's not what is of interest to me. What catches my attention is a portion of the public who would rather latch onto a farcical, convaluted tale of coverup and suspicions than to accept that to which history overwhelming attests and subsequently "amens." The historicity of Jesus, the solid foundation of Christianity (not to be confused with corrupted versions thereof), and the emancipating power of the gospel are so compelling and proven (especially when lived out in people's lives) that one has to grasp for hidden codes, gnostic-like circles of knowledge, and esoteric symbols to try and undermine the Savior and scripture. If Christ and His church can be undermined and subverted, then people can discount it along with every other religion as false and valueless. The world will always have "flat earth" clubs and Roswell cults who believe little green men created the earth. It also has many others who look only at Christ and Christianity to search for "loopholes." Maybe nothing can be said to convince these. For the rest of us, if it seems too absurdly obscure to be true--there may be a reason for that. Let's accept the plain, simple explanation scripture gives of how we got here, why we are here, and where we are going. When we do, the biblical claims about who Jesus is and what He did here will overshadow the codes and conspiracies of the skeptic (Neal Pollard).
KneEmail: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8).