You've been warned.
I'm not the type of person to just go and see a movie. I dissect it. I'm a writer and I read into things when I experience them. This includes movies. I pick apart plot lines and dialogue and let it roll around in my brain until ideas are formed. If you've read this blog for awhile you will have seen the results of this in the form of posts on takeaways from 42:More Than a Simple Baseball Movie , It Means Hope: My takeaway from Man of Steel , The Hero Complex and the Common Man (The Amazing Spider-man 2) , The Good Lie, American Sniper. When I saw Captain America:Civil War last Thursday night all this filled my head.
The basis of this new movie (the best superhero movie I've ever seen) is that the Avengers have caused massive amounts of damage and very high civilian casualties. The result of all of it is the powers that be have decided that super powered beings needed to be registered and controlled. This idea becomes the Sokovia Accords and essentially gives various governments control of where these men and women can help and how they can employ the gifts they have for the greater good of mankind. Therein lies the problem, Captain America and his gang are against the idea (the guy fought Hitler and saw what happened when government had too much power) and Iron-Man and those who side with him agree with the Accords and they sign. It becomes an us against them fiasco etc etc and you get awesome fights because of it.
Now, this is where the persecution part of the title comes into play. It is no surprise that our brothers and sisters around the world do not have the freedoms we do when it comes to worshiping and sharing our faith with others. But, as laws are quickly changing here in the states that do not in general favor the Christian faith (we are quickly becoming a minority). The idea that something like the Sokovia Accords could be put into practice isn't altogether outlandish. You need only to look at the Chinese state sanctioned three-fold patriotic movement and the 'churches' that have come from it to see that. These are places that are controlled by the government. What is taught is not God's word but propaganda that cannot be disputed. Daring to teach the actual gospel is asking to be thrown into prison or worse.
A law being passed that would require Christians to identify themselves and worship in specific places with rigid sermons and not evangelize etc is not actually out of the realm of possibility. The Church would no doubt look much different because it would show exactly who the true followers of Christ are akin to the Secret Churches around the world. Much like the Avengers and the Sokovia Accords it would likely rip churches and families apart. Some would agree and register, others wouldn't bow to the law and would be by the eyes of the law, criminals.
I actually attended our youth choir's musical tonight that dealt with this exact scenario, Christianity was outlawed and what was happening in the musical was the result. A bunch of teenagers and families who loved Christ far more than their own freedom,lives, and reputations and faced the consequences because of their choice to break the law.
While I'm not saying all this to try and convince you that we are all going to be considered criminals in the coming times I am pointing out that it's a possibility. After all, persecution is a promise.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death."-Matthew 10:16-22
Persecution is the best way to weed out those who simply say they follow Christ. Those who endure it will do so by hanging on the promise of Christ that it is identifying them with Him and His sacrifice. When things get hard or scary it will get easy to just fall away and be like everyone else. That is easy now, it will be even easier when the threat of prison or death is tacked onto the name 'Christian'.
If such a thing were to happen there is no doubt in my mind that the Church would flourish in America. The proof of that is in the places were such evident and outspoken faith gets you killed. These are the places where the gospel is changing lives, where there is risk, where faith costs more than harsh words. Take away the perfect buildings and traditions we've built and give us only the gospel and it isn't hard to imagine a people that cling to God because He is all they have. Worshiping him comes with risks but it also comes with rewards, more of Him.
Like I said I read into things. I'm sure that the Russo brothers didn't intend for this to be the message of Civil War. But, fiction is scariest when it is tinged with just enough reality to make it possible.
For what it's worth #TeamCap.
Awesome and very thought provoking!!
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