Indiana Jones

Well, I’ve seen it now … twice, since opening day last Thursday. I admit it- I’m a fan of Indiana Jones. I remember seeing the first movie, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in the summer of 1981. I was a sophomore in college and like a vast majority of American theater goers, I sat through that movie, wide-eyed and gripping the arm of the chair until the credits began to roll. I entered curious and exited a fan. The whole series, including the latest, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, is just plain fun and tells epic stories with surprises and excitement.

So, yes, I enjoy watching them just for pure enjoyment, but I can’t escape my natural tendency to look for deeper meanings in things. For instance, I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and saw Indiana standing at the edge of the precipice contemplating the faith necessary to step out across a vast chasm toward the Holy Grail. When I think of that scene I can’t help but view that as a picture of stepping out in faith and believing in what you can’t see. There are a number of things throughout the series that offer moments of pondering the deeper things, such as the power of God, self-sacrifice and good versus evil.

Indiana’s mission was to seek out relics lost for ages. Christ came “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Indiana went to the ends of the earth (just about) to rescue those he loved and cared about. Is that not what Christ did, come and rescue those whom he loves? So for me, beyond the sheer adventure of the series, I enjoy those moments of illumination.

So today I’m simply indulging in frivolous musings of the adventures of Dr. Jones and celebrating this final chapter in the saga. Go see it (by yourself before you decide to take the kids) and enjoy it for what it is. Then, after you’ve seen it a second time, you can begin to reflect about the meaning of Kingdom and all the mysteries that life holds, but until then… may the force be with you … (oops, that’s another series).