District 9, In My Humble Opinion.

Amy Guerreri Aug 20, 2009

I follow a Dallas-based photographer on Twitter. The other day he tweeted this: "District 9 is one incredible piece of art, social commentary & edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Best film of the year. Girls, u won't like."

I knew immediately I'd like it. I loved Fight Club. And I got kicked out of the room during the first ten minutes of Sense & Sensibility because I wouldn't stop making fun of it.

But the assumptions of which gender prefers which kind of movie is not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the movie District 9. My friends, it is GOOD, even if you did enjoy Sense & Sensibility.

I will concede that the movie is brimming with gratuitous dropping of the f-bomb, lots of splattering of blood, and way too much vomit. Folks, there is a reason it's rated R. So brace yourselves, but please please go see it.

It's a beautiful story. About human nature and how evil it is. About how when we don't understand something or someone we form bull-headed opinions and exploit the visible outer layer of what we can see. About how we, all of us, have a world-view based on assumptions.

Upon seeing this movie, it's blatant. You'll see what I mean. You'll see how it illustrates why we need missional communities, why we need groups of people with a common conviction to understand and learn about and learn from and immerse themselves with and walk in the shoes of someone else, or some group of people.

When we are apathetic, we become impatient. And when we're impatient, we stop listening. And when we stop listening, we can't understand. And when we don't understand, we become self-righteous. And when we're self-righteous, we put ourselves on a plane higher than others ... and when we do that, we are lost and blind. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." —Romans 10:12–13

So if you can get past the f-bomb, and the blood, and the vomit—please see the movie. It's a parable—one that illustrates so well something that we all need to remember in a way that really helps us remember it.