Karen and I just returned from watching the film “Of Gods and Men,” a 2010 French film about a group of Trappist monks who lived in a monastery in Algeria among a largely Muslim population. The film chronicles the events leading up to the deaths of seven of the monks by adversaries who were never identified.
The film exhibits a wonderfully slow pacing that fits perfectly with the lifestyle of the monks, practicing both prayer and agriculture in a rural setting, surrounded by villagers who have come to trust and rely upon these humble Christians. As the Algerian civil war heats up and increasing numbers of expatriates are being killed by terrorist forces, the group painfully deliberates about what course of action they should take. At one point, when the villagers ask them what they are going to do, one of the monks replies, “We don’t know. Right now we are like birds on a limb, not knowing whether to fly.” To which the villager replies, “You are not birds on a limb. We are the birds… you are the limb.”
The film uses a powerful array of vignettes out of the monks’ lives to detail how each of them grappled with the very real possibility of death and of their willingness to sacrifice for the people they felt called to serve. As Karen and I watched, we were deeply humbled by these nine men. Their incredibly simple yet rich life, so filled with the love of Christ and the love of others, is a model of what following Christ looks like. It was also a forceful reminder of where real meaning in life comes from.
If you want to be challenged about the nature of true discipleship, I highly recommend this film. Don’t expect to be wowed by a dramatic story… this is not Hollywood. But do expect to be touched deeply in your spirit.
Steve Pecota - a Pastor in Seattle 