Wakanda Forever

Jesus told a story in Luke chapter 10 that illustrates a powerful truth about our response to injustice.  It is a story referred to recently by a Christian commentator in a piece about a current movie release.  Jesus' main characters: a wounded man who had been robbed, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The priest and Levite left the man on the side of the road, and the Samaritan tended to the wounded man's needs.  We read:
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Jesus delivered this compelling story in response to the question, "...who is my neighbor?"  We have been given unbelievable resources through which we can minister to the needs of others.  We have the compassion of Christ, the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, and perhaps physical resources that can be used for God's glory. But we can choose to keep these treasures to ourselves or to use them to touch people's lives, to further the Kingdom of God, and glorify Him.

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Stories can be used to illustrate deeper truths and applications. After he gave the parable of the sower in Mark 4, Jesus challenged the disciples:
10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
11 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,
12 so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.' "

The film is smashing records, and it is certainly a cultural phenomenon, for good reason.  The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther, is a film that contains some highly important messages, and it's certainly an entertaining film.

Box Office Mojo listed some of the box office achievements of this film.  It is "only the fifth film to ever deliver over $200 million in its first three days of release and the second largest four-day gross in history."  It holds the title for Largest February Opening Weekend, Largest Winter Season Opening Weekend, Largest President's Day Opening Weekend, at just over $242 million. It now has the largest Monday in history.  Also, "Beyond those charts, Black Panther places second only to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as the second highest four-day gross of all-time and the second largest Sunday of all-time by just $485,750."

Cultural commentator Jim Denison of The Denison Forum shared this straightforward summary of the plot and its implications:

Black Panther is about an African nation called Wakanda, which developed a metal called “vibranium” from a meteorite. Vibranium helped them produce an extremely advanced civilization and technology they have hidden from the world by posing as an impoverished country.

At the heart of the movie is a dilemma: Should they share what they know with those in need?

If they do, will they lose control of their resources? Will people use their technology for evil? Is their king’s highest duty to his nation or to humanity? If he refuses to help those he can, what kind of country will Wakanda become?

Martin Luther King Jr. noted, “The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'”

Black Panther resonates with audiences in large part because its dilemma is our dilemma. Every day, we must face the question of serving self or serving others.

Now, as a Movieguide article adeptly points out, the religious elements of the film are centered around ancestral worship.  The "gods" of Black Panther are not the God of the Bible.  Put that aside, and you find some themes that are consistent with the Bible, as Denison points out.

I sought out an African-American Christian perspective on the film, and found some good ideas which were consistent with my own appraisals of the film.  A piece by Esau McCaulley appeared at the Christianity Today website. He says the film...

...did not set out to highlight black suffering, but black achievement. Furthermore, it was black achievement in a black context. For black people, this was a film for us, by us, and about us.

He states:

American evangelicals might look to Black Panther as a starting point for dialogue and reflection as they increasingly address concerns about diversity, reconciliation, and representation in their churches and the church at large.

McCaulley writes:

At the heart of the film lies the question: What are those with resources (the Wakandans) going do about black suffering in the world? The film posits three responses: violent black nationalism, isolationist black nationalism, and an engaged nationalism that addresses the rest of the world.

The first point of view is represented by the challenger to the throne, the nephew of the late King T'Chaka, who is known as Killmonger.  By contrast, the new king, T'Challa, T'Chaka's son, in the titular role, is concerned with protecting the valuable resources of Wakanda.  But, there is pressure from within his inner circle to be more generous and use what Wakanda has to touch the world.  McCaulley writes:

Black Panther shows us that rejecting violent nationalism need not carry with it rejecting the concerns of oppressed peoples. This idea is deeply Christian. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. could say that “riots are socially destructive and self-defeating” and that “a riot is the language of the unheard.”

If you read the review, just know that there is a spoiler alert about which direction T'Challa takes.

A little aside here:  You may remember, I shared the story from the set of the film a few weeks ago from actor Sope Aluko.  There is another actor who has been sharing her story of a relationship with Christ.  Her name is Letitia Wright, who plays T'Challa's scene-stealing little sister, Shuri.  In Relevant Magazine, you can read this:

On the UK talk show This Morning a couple weeks ago, Wright joined co-star Daniel Kaluuya for a talk about the movie. When she was asked about her road back to acting, Wright confessed she had to step away from the industry for a time, but a relationship with Jesus proved to be her way back:

I needed to take a break from acting, because I really idolized it. So I came off from it and I went on a journey to discover my relationship with God, and I became a Christian. It really just gave me so much love and light within myself. I felt secure, like I didn’t need validation from anyone else, or getting a part. My happiness wasn’t dependent on that, it was dependent on my relationship with God.

Wright assured the hosts that things weren’t all crystal clear but affirmed that her faith is a process. “I’m not perfect. As a Christian, you’re not perfect, you know, but you’re walking everyday and trying to stay connected. I’m really grateful. I’m centered in who I am.”

Several takeaways from these comments today:

First of all, seek out application in stories.  Jesus taught us valuable spiritual principles through stories, through parables.  He had the supernatural ability to penetrate the heart through the way He communicated.  Sometimes there are stories that have no redeeming message, and we can reject them - but if we find stories that line up with Scripture, perhaps the Holy Spirit would want to teach us truth.

We can also pay attention to one another's stories.  The audience for Black Panther are incredibly diverse:  according to Fortune magazine, 37 percent of the audience in the U.S. over the holiday weekend was African-American, 35% was white.  Black audiences no doubt resonate with the mostly-black cast, as well as the messages of achievement and empowerment in a positive way. White audiences have the potential to come away with an appreciation of elements of the black experience and issues.

As McCaulley touches on, the evangelical community can be inspired to consider some of the themes.  I would say that the whole notion of response to opposition, including oppression, is a major theme.  And, T'Challa and the Wakandans had a choice - would they continue to isolate themselves or use their resources to address issues and bring about solutions?  The film, I believe, does depicts an incorrect response: to respond in anger and use violent means to overthrow the oppressors and by so doing to create a better world, a utopian world under the dominance of one powerful entity who overcomes oppression by oppression.  But, it also shows correct responses...the film raises important questions and does so in an entertaining way.