Journal Entry, 08/03/2002
Occasionally the dialogue of the characters sounded not real, thinly veiled propaganda to support a political point of view. Although I happen to agree with the point of view. The liberals got it right. Again.
The climax blew me away, however. Reduced me to a mass of sobs and near hysteria as John Q lay on the table putting the gun to his head. I knew his wife rushing to give him the good news about the donor heart would be too late. I’m glad I was wrong.
I put the VCR on rewind and got into my "sleep" mode but the emotion and thoughts of John Q’s intended actions stayed with me. I tossed and turned and talked to God asking Him to help me understand until I finally fell asleep.
Most disturbing for me personally was the thought process that kept reminding me of a biblical story that has always troubled me.
John Q, after all, is just a story from someone’s imagination who had the wherewithal to make a movie expressing a political point of view. Certainly, aspects of John Q’s experience are valid. Certainly, our health care system needs fixing.
The story of Abraham and Isaac, however, for those of us who were raised to believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, is ultimately more troubling.
John Q. Abraham and Isaac.
Liberal Christians such as myself do not necessarily hold to the "inerrant" truth of every word in the Bible. It has been translated too many times by too many fallible humans. Even so, we embrace it as containing stories and examples of principles/values to live by. (Maybe we should have followed the example of the Muslims. They have never translated their "word of God" from its original language.)
John Q., a movie. Abraham and Isaac, a story. John Q would lay down his life to save his son. Abraham would kill his son to please God.
Something is wrong with this story.
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Update -- Since writing this, I have learned the Qur'an HAS been translated into English. My grand-daughter, whose father is from Jordan, has a copy.
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