If you build it …
Recently I made the discovery that my wife had never seen the film Field of Dreams, and so tonight’s mission was to remedy that condition. Sometimes my wife asks a lot of questions during movies, and a movie such as Field of Dreams — which depends upon the suspension of disbelief — created quite a few questions. When we came to the final shot of the film, which provides the perfect poetic resolution after an emotional climax, her contribution to the nostalgic mood was …
“Where are they all going to park?”
If you’ve never seen the movie, you have no idea what that means. If you’ve seen it, then you know exactly what I am talking about.
The film brings dead baseball players back to life, sends its protagonist through time, and displays cryptic messages on scoreboards, yet we wonder where the long line of cars pulling into this supernatural field where dreams come true, led by mysterious voices and strange dreams, are going to find parking.
I think Field of Dreams is a Christian film. I have no idea what the personal faith journeys of the film’s creators or the author of the book Shoeless Joe — upon which the film was based — look like. I don’t think they necessarily set out to create a “Christian” film. But when I see the faith of the film’s protagonist, and how his faith brings about redemption, I am reminded of the faith of our fathers, who followed burning bushes and built giant arks.
“If you build it, He will come.”
I think it is interesting that many Christians would make the observation that it is impossible for dead baseball players to come back to life, especially if they say things like “ass”, Heaven is not Iowa, and God would not choose an ex-hippie to report on the afterlife. Realistically, and to be theologically accurate, none of the events that happen in the film could actually take place. There is no way they could all find parking. In the age of reason, where Christians feel they must make the case for their faith dependent on hard science, films like Field of Dreams are irrelevant.
But since when has Christianity depended on science to prove its relevance? Make no mistake, I am not trying to attack or defend the scientific method and its relationship to faith. What I am trying to say is that our faith depends on the mysterious. It’s okay to say things like “I feel the presence of God in my life, and I can’t present any empirical data to support that claim”. That’s why it’s called faith. Why Christians feel the need to attack science while attempting to use science to prove themselves is beyond me.
What’s great about Field of Dreams is that it presents an alternate reality where amazing faith makes amazing things happen. This is the reality of the Christian walk. If we truly believe that Jesus is who he claims to be, then we take leaps of faith and build our baseball fields. Sometimes we are bold as we take these steps. Sometimes we hesitate. But if we don’t expect the impossible to become possible, then something is missing. Field of Dreams provides us with the perfect example of an obedient faith.
I think they’ll find plenty of parking.
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
Hmm, funny that you ponder this film today; I just emailed my dad an article about the same film yesterday. It’s a classic in our family.
Here’s the other article:
http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/philmguy/13674
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Thanks for sharing that great article!