It may seem counterintuitive, I know, and they say “don’t miss the forest for the trees,” but I’d like you to look at a particular tree with me… in order to see the forest… with the end goal of better seeing the Maker of that forest. To be clearer, I’d like to start with a popular fantasy, a movie franchise (the tree), to extract some select observations about reality (the forest) that will then help us better see and appreciate the source of all realities, God (the Maker and Designer of the forest).
The movie franchise or his name? Bond… James Bond.
Let me say at the outset that my intent here isn’t to pooh-pooh Bond movies as a source of entertainment. The truth is many are favorites and I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the franchise over the years. My purpose is rather to use the 25 films spanning six decades for reflective and illustrative purposes. Indeed, and as you’ll see, these films can provide a fun and accessible gateway into the more difficult—yet far more important—task of better understanding and appreciating the loving and relational heart of God and His purposes.
Bond movies incorporate all the best in the world: the most exotic locations, the most elaborate stage sets, world-class stuntmen, the hottest gadgets, and, admittedly, the most beautiful women.
I will not skirt the issue (excuse the pun): there are a lot of scantily clad women in Bond movies and James Bond is a philanderer. His reputation is one who is openly known to visually indulge in, use, and sleep with any woman he chooses. In real life, there would be many damaging effects to his wayward sexual ways. But Bond movies are clearly fantasy and paralleled well by yet another non-reality—SPOILER ALERT: Bond never dies or rarely gets seriously hurt in any one of his thousands of altercations, fights, chases, etc…. except, well… in Daniel Craig’s last movie, No Time to Die, the end of the franchise as we know it. In the movies, Diehard can be surpassed by Dieharder and even Diehardest, but the truth is you still can’t do all those things to the human body without severe and/ or permanent consequences. And let’s be honest: the idea of unlimited sexual pleasure with unlimited beautiful women in a world where no one would ever get hurt might at times be appealing. But it’s a fantasy, a non-reality, and, yes—a lie. Uncommitted sex outside the context of marriage leaves spiritual and emotional pain in its wake. As Dr. Armand Nicholi of Harvard Medical School observed:
“Sexual permissiveness has not led to greater pleasure, freedom and openness, more meaningful relationships between the sexes, or exhilarating relief from stifling inhibition but has often led to empty relationships, feelings of self-contempt and worthlessness.”
Quoted in The Journal (published Summit Ministries), Nov. 2003.
Along with this emptiness comes the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. And, again, let’s acknowledge another truth of our existence: God didn’t even design the human body for unlimited sex, something that would be painful, not pleasurable. Added to this, few women look like Bondwomen and, unfortunately for most of us men, few of us look like Bond! But I maintain that most of us know these things just like we know that James Bond can’t really survive that many explosions or dodge that many bullets. So what else is there in these movies that could appeal to dads who love God, work to guard their hearts against lust, and believe that sex should be protected in the context of marriage?
James Bond lives life to the full and has plenty of passion, drive, and fire. He’s not only sharp but consistently makes the best decisions, immediately or exactly when they need to be made. We can only dream of having this kind of focus, to consistently “nail it” in a way that every one of our continual acts of heroism results in saving the world. Often as men, we question just how valuable our contribution is to the world. We make decisions to get up, go to work, grab our coffee, and switch into autopilot. Our routine is often not demanding and for many not even challenging. Or if it is, many of us feel like our lives are an endless series of tasks with little time left to relax and enjoy. The Killer’s 2021 song Pressure Machine captures our experience well:
Keep the debt cloud off the kids
Only sunshine on their lids
Jimminy Cricket and Power Wheels
And memories of Happy Meals
Sometimes I look at the stars
I think about how small we are
Sweating it out in the pressure machine…
And every year goes by faster than the one before
Brandon Flowers / Dave Keuning / Jonathan Rado © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group.
To be continued next week!
For personal reflection or processing with a friend:
- Do you enjoy Bond movies? Why or why not?
- If so, what are your favorites? Your least favorites? Why? And why do you think the franchise had had such an appeal?
- Can you relate to the lyrics in Pressure Machine at all? Which parts specifically?