Slumdog Millionaire

Wow - I'm so impressed at everyone's hard work in writing their reflections for Slumdog Millionaire! I wasn't going to write a reflection myself since it was the third time for me to watch the movie, but since everyone did such an excellent job, I'll write a real quick one in response;)

I hesitated a while to show you this movie. I know that I was super excited when I found the file on Mark's computer at school, but when I came home, I thought to myself, "Hmm, this movie really has no point. Is it worth all my missionary students' time? What can we possibly get out of this?" On Friday, as I lifted up my heart to the Lord once again through prayer, He gave me the final okay signal, so I went ahead and showed this movie - I'm so glad everyone was able to experience God through the movie:)

Well, here's my story of how I got to watch the movie and my personal reflection.

I watched this movie with a good friend of mine. He is currently in Japan serving as a YWAM missionary, and when we went to see the movie about three weeks ago, he was visiting Saipan for a short while. We hadn't seen each other for about two years, so I really didn't know what to do with him. I had heard of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" from here and there, so I figured it would be okay to watch a movie with my friend.

We really didn't what to expect. I was kind of disappointed at the movie poster - it seemed too tacky for a famous movie. Yet once the movie started, there wasn't a moment that we could take our eyes off the screen! From the childhood days of Jamal and Salim to when Jamal meets Latika again, wow, the movie seriously took my breath away. My friend is a very talented musician and I like music, so the soundtrack of the movie totally blew our minds as well. I was always curious of what India would be like, and all the color, the people, the sounds completely fascinated me.

The first time I watched the movie, I really didn't know what to think. I was just so shocked at everything about India, since I really didn't know anything about the place. Although, I agree with most of you about the ending - I didn't like how pointless and meaningless it was. When I came home, I laid on my bed trying to connect different thoughts and ideas, trying to figure out if I really loved this movie or didn't like it. A lot of things flew past my mind.

I remembered visiting Smoky Mountain in the Philippines, a dump just like the one that the kids were living on the movie. I was scared of the smell and the scene and everything about the dump, but once I started to talk to the children there, I felt so happy to be able to hold their hands and share the Gospel. I also remembered the time when I was in Peru. There were so many children beggars on the streets that a whole pack would follow you even to get the leftover drink in your hand. This was an extremely shocking experience for me, but soon, I fell in love with these children as well.

Yes, the movie was a little too Hollywood for us to completely love it, but I think this movie served as a great eye-opener for all of us.

Personally, I was able to look back at myself once again as a Christian. "Joo Hee, do you love your fellow brothers and sisters of all the nations?" "No matter what kind of sins they've committed, no matter how dirty or how worthless they may be, are you ready to share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ?"

My heart was so broken at some of the more violent, cruel scenes, but before I got all warped in my emotions, the Lord asked me, "Can you love them as I love you when you were still a sinner? Can you die for every single person in the movie, as I died for you and every single person of all times while you were still sinners?"

All the nations are suffering from pain, sadness and sin worse than we can ever imagine. They may look okay and rather happy on the outside like Salim, Jamal and Latika, but the pain that they hold inside their souls are probably unimaginably sensitive, dark, and deep. As I promised the Lord that I will not fear the works of Satan no matter how devastating it is (as I was sin itself at once), I didn't cower into my emotions at the glance of reality that I was able to experience through this movie.

Instead, I pray with even a greater heart and a greater hope for the Lord's coming; the Day in which all the sufferings of the world will end and the ends of the earth will be able to see the glory of our living Father. So that the lost, neglected children of the world just like Jamal, Salim, and Latika aren't left to die eternally without knowing the Lord, I make my confession once again, Father, that I will gladly give all my life, even to my death, to take the Gospel of your living Word to the ends of the earth.

(Borrowing the words of Joseph)
In the salvation we've gained through Jesus Christ, let's have hope in that we'll be Heaven's eternal millionaires with all the children and people of all nations!

Father, send me!
Maranatha!