A little history...

...because my midterm is tomorrow. (Why is he writing a blog if he should be studying? hmm...)

I watched a terribly depressing film today called Black Robe. Brilliant in its construction, but depressing in its subject matter. Long and short of it, A Jesuit priest goes off into the wildreness with some Algonquins to go to the Huron Mission. The Algonquins leave him stranded but a man and his daughter come back for them, are captured, get tortured, guy dies, preist gets to mission, converts town, town dies.

I was so torn watching the movie, but it was interesting in how it approached the topic of conversion, and how the Jesuit was transformed. He enters the wilderness with a single track mind: these people are savages and I need to convert them to my faith. But as the movie progresses, he comes to love these people who he is with. In the end, he baptizes all of the hurons after a most remarkable montage where we see how much he cares for these people. Sadly, the movie made it out to be a negative thing, but it was one of the most beautiful things I thought. This Jesuit, after having been through so much, truly loved the people he was with. And while the director (an athiest, even anti-theist) trys to film it in such a way that we are to be disgusted and dissappointed with the baptisms of the Hurons, I couldn't help but wonder why? Why was it perceived to be such a terrible thing? If he had forced baptisms, then yes it would be terrible. But he didn't. He loved the people he was with. He believed so strongly in a God that would save them, why would he keep that to himself? The Hurons asked to be baptized, and he was joyful in doing it. There was no 'hostile takeover of the soul.'

The Hurons died. The were killed by the Iroquois. This is how the movie ends (sorry to ruin it). We see a picture of a cross against a sunset, and the text telling us how all the Hurons were killed. If this text had been ommited, it would be a very different movie. But we can't mingle with the facts. Is it upsetting? Yes. I'd like to believe that God raised the Hurons up and made them a great and mighty people who would conquer land and such. It seems like that's what we should expect right? If they're going to be Christians, God better bless them huge.

But again, (and maybe this is what was so depressing to me) I ask myself, why? Why should we expect this for them? Jesus WAS God, and he didn't conquer any land, wasn't a 'great and mighty' person in his day, and died in the most horrible fashion I can imagine (read into the process of crucifixtion if you doubt this).

I don't know the story, but maybe the hurons knew this verse: "To live is Christ, to die is gain." It's been one of those 'background' verses in my life for a while. I liked how sounded, when I would say it out loud. But this film opened it up in a new way for me. It's hard for me to understand, becuase I see the death of the Hurons as a terrible, unfortunate thing. But really, in the Christian scheme of things, death is hardly a negative.

That's my mind for now. I'd love to watch this film again. Maybe I'll get the chance.

Now I really have to study for my midterm.