Where’s Gort when we need him?
By David Myers
The other night I watched the 1951
classic, “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” As you may know, censors
objected to the original plot when told it was to be a science fiction movie with
a Christ allegory. As the story goes, the producers succumbed to the censors,
and agreed to alter the story.
Fortunately for us, the producers lied.
For what we have is a wonderful movie in
which an alien comes to earth bringing a message of world peace.
Before he can share his message with the world, he is shot and killed by a
paranoid and fearful society, only to rise again before returning to his home
planet.
And the name this
spaceman? Mr. Carpenter -- a gentle reminder
disguised as science fiction. (I wonder if there isn’t one of those
1951-era censors out there today watching a rented copy, when suddenly it dawns
on him: “Carpenter … peace … rise from the -- Hey! … HEY!!”)
Before departing Earth, Mr. Carpenter tells
humanity that a “police force” of indestructible robots (his
personal robot is named “Gort,” which I
begged my sister to name her youngest daughter) will be perusing the galaxy to
make sure that humanity’s war-like ways don’t extend beyond Earth.
It might be a reach, but one could say
that the robots are likened to the Holy Spirit; both are designed to help
humanity focus on the right path.
Or
not. But either way, I
think it would have been awfully cool if Christ had chosen to leave a force of
giant robots on Earth to make sure we don’t do things like, say, kill the
unborn, start unnecessary wars, or cheat the elderly out of health care. They
could also put a ceiling on the price of bean burritos at Taco Bell, which
couldn’t hurt.
While we’re at
it, I sure would have liked to have seen Gort in one
of those Roman coliseums: “Um, Ceaser? It seems
the Christian just ... um, well, disintegrated our largest lion. We may want to
... well ... ‘re-tool’ our thoughts on
this whole ‘Christianity’ thing. Just a
thought.”
If we consider the Christ allegory and the
indestructible robots (you won’t find that line in just any Catholic
newspaper), then we must also imagine that the day would come – and very
quickly -- when humankind would begin to lash out against the robots, maybe
even go to war with them. Why?
Because humanity
has to have the freedom to choose evil.
It’s one of those mysteries of our existence, that if we can’t
choose evil over good, we are no longer free. With this freedom comes
tremendous responsibility, and we see every day how this freedom is abused.
Why is it that humanity finds itself so
often fighting with the Holy Spirit?
Because it can.
For, while as indestructible as Gort, our Holy Spirit
won’t vaporize us when we get out of hand.
Just think of it: If people were vaporized
when they sinned, there’d be no more war; we would no longer have a
population problem; world hunger would be obliterated. No more crazy drivers on
the road. No more impatient diners hassling the wait
staff for their coffee. No more Ann Coulter. Of course, there’d be no me,
either, and maybe no you.
Fortunately for most of us, our battles
with the Holy Spirit are likened more to quarrels, quarrels that wouldn’t
earn the Holy Spirit’s wrath even if he could shoot us with a ray gun.
God knows we are an imperfect people, living in an imperfect world. As much as
we may try to be saints, most of us are going to fall short from time to time.
Where could Gort
and his pals benefit us? I wouldn’t mind a few “Gorts”
helping out our understaffed police force, changing the minds of a few would-be
bad guys. And it might be nice to have one around the next time an abusive
spouse wants to down a liter of Jack Daniels. Not vaporization, just a little
robotic reminder.
And then there are the world’s
governments, governments that breed a world of have and have-nots, that promote
death in the name of God, that don’t understand the simplest, the most
rudimentary teaching of Christ, that you should do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. I mean, it isn’t stereo instructions. It’s a
simple statement that carries a lot of weight.
Am I one of those guys who blames many of the world’s woes on the governments?
Well, today I am, because every day I hear about more American soldiers and
non-combatants dying in
The Holy Spirit, relegated to a spiritual
back alley, cries for our future while constantly and despite the odds, urging
us to do the right thing.
Despite how cool it would have been for
Christ to leave a force of indestructible robots to keep the peace, I accept
that we must have the freedom to choose right over wrong.
It’s the turning away from sin -- the desire to do what is right out of our want for holiness -- that leads us to grace. And within grace is salvation, waiting with joyful patience and open arms for our own return home.