Heroes: Man or God?
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes throughout history. The world of man loves to follow and praise worthy men and women who have done heroic deeds throughout their lives. Heroes are cherished for their sacrifice and willingness to help others in need and in the world we live in we make new heroes every day. Today, we have movies that portray all sorts of characters becoming the savior of others and vanquishing evil. One such movie is that of an old western story called the Magnificent Seven. Throughout the course of this movie we see a band of misfits come together to fight an evil that is plaguing a small town and become the heroes the townspeople are so desperately looking for. The Magnificent Seven includes many aspects and topics within the allotted running time but some of the key take a way’s that I observed besides the hero factor were that of man’s greed and hate for one another when money and power are concerned. Another, is how men that are sinful and depraved still turn to God and religion for help even after attacking and scorning it publicly. Lastly, the subject of capitalism is shown to be connected not only with religious aspects of the movies message but is something that is underlying the entire story and its climax. Taking a closer look at what this movie has to say and teach can reveal a very interesting truth about man’s heart and nature and that speaks to how we are made.
During the beginning stages of the story we see a group of men coming together to form a group that is not only ethnically diverse but also with a very interesting set of norms to be observed. Christian Perspectives on Sociology by Stephen A. Grunlan and Milton Reimer, explains that norms serve to set boundaries that determine how interpersonal communication is to be maintained. However, in this group of individuals, we see that the boundaries are never really explained for several reasons. The band of misfits includes a confederate sharpshooter and his knife throwing companion from Shanghai, an African American bounty hunter, a card playing cowboy, a Mexican bandito, a religious half breed tracker, and a Native American who speaks hardly a lick of English. All of these men would be considered killers and extremely dangerous men so how would they establish norms when they were all used to being the top dog? I would argue that the movie shows the reasoning for which they all manage to work together and cooperate is because of the various personality’s that each individual brings to the table on their quest. While they are have different backgrounds and experiences, the personality traits that are highlighted throughout the course of the movie is something that is important to consider. Christian Perspectives on Sociology also highlights this area as being important to a group’s ability to make sense of one another. Because they are all hard men they understand the task at hand and how to work together to accomplish their goals as shown in the movie.
Because of the magnificent seven’s ability to work together, we see men that would normally be focused on themselves and own well-being be able to sacrifice and love people that they had never even met before. Sound a little bit familiar? I have always found it fascinating how so many stories and movies that have ever been made seem to revolve or include aspects of Jesus Christ and His time on earth. While the Magnificent Seven is certainly no spot on example of Christ and His biblical representation, He is the ultimate hero from which I would argue all other heroes and their stories have been derived from. Christ was willing to sacrifice Himself for humanity and many of whom He would never meet during His time on earth. Surrounded by hate and evil, He vanquished it and became the hero that none of us that would ever walk this earth deserved. So why does the Magnificent Seven story appeal to us like so many other movies that portray heroic characters? I would say that it’s because we let our sin nature and fallen mindsets to control us and let us look to fellow man for our help and salvation. Living in a fallen world surrounded by fallen beings causes us to look those around us who might seem more empowered and capable and put them under the spotlight and praise. In other circumstances, the men that make up this band of heroes would be avoided and shunned by those without cause or need for them but yet the need for self-preservation trumps all in this instance. Humanity even becomes so blind and desperate that we turn to government and society as a way of life and salvation but as the Magnificent Seven and other examples in this world show that this only causes problems and sin.
The topic of capitalism is not only shown in the Magnificent Seven but also in Christian Perspectives on Sociology as well. In one of the opening scenes of the movie we see the stories villain (Bartholomew Bogue) proclaim to the townsfolk that they are standing in the way of capitalism and his own enrichment. By doing so he claims the people are also standing against the countries foundations of democracy and God which capitalism goes hand in hand with. “You are standing in the way of God!” Bogue exclaims as a final point to his speech and then in ironic fashion burns the very church they are meeting in to the ground. I give this example to show that mankind will use any means necessary when driven by greed and notoriety and will not turn away from even calling into play something as sacred as religion. Power is a key aspect of man’s nature and is discussed to an extent in Christian Perspectives on Sociology while also being showcased perfectly in the Magnificent Seven. According to the book power infers the capacity to control others and perhaps even causing them to behave in ways that they would not really prefer. This is shown in the movie where the townspeople are forced to sell land or be killed when forced by the hands of gunman employed by Bogue. I believe that this topic of power is another important one to consider when thinking about examples of heroes and where they have originated from. Man hates the feeling of having no control of situations and one of most helpless feelings we can have is when we think about death and what comes after. I think this is a significant reason why Christ’s ministry was so successful and continues to be successful today because here was a hero that could save us from something we had no power over: death.
In the years since Christ leaving the earth, humanity has fallen back into the deception and lies of turning to fellow man to help and save us from ourselves and what we have on this earth. Many of us have forgotten or been distracted from the fact that there is an eternity ahead that we will all face at one point in time. While the Magnificent Seven does a great job of being an entertaining and exciting movie, what’s missing is an important message that while there are earthly heroes, there is an ultimate hero in Jesus Christ who lived and died for humanity and our well-being. As Christians we cannot be distracted or ignore this truth but need to observe and hold ourselves to a standard that reminds us what the ultimate goal and destination will be. So while entertainment is not a bad thing in and of itself, I would encourage those fellow movie watchers and critics like myself to remember what is most important in life and seek to serve and glorify our one and only savior Jesus Christ.
