Theology in Skyfall--Who Would Have Guessed?

Sean Connery, in my opinion, has always been the best actor that played 007, James Bond, and I am not a huge James Bond movie fan.  My husband is a huge fan which is the reason we chose to see this movie.  I always thought Sean Connery's portrayal of 007 was the most campy and classy.  Daniel Craig is my second favorite James Bond actor.  He, like Sean Connery, delivers camp and class to the 007 character.

Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie in celebration of 50 years of James Bond on the big screen, returns to the original camp and class of 007--more focus on plot, action, and character and much, much less focus on sex and nudity--and not surprisingly it delivers a riveting successful Hollyweird (I no longer call it Hollywood) movie.

As a United Methodist minister, I look for theology in all movies that I see.  Some movies deliver more than others, and all movies (some movies more than others) have theology and God's grace because humans are involved.  Some screenwriters, directors and producers recognize this more subtly in their creations/work than others.

Even if you don't care for James Bond movies, go view this official trailer and pay attention to the word associations:

• Country--England 
• Gun--Shot
• Agent--Provocateur
• Murder--Employment
• Skyfall--Done

I could only think of the word associations for followers of Christ:

• Country--God's Kingdom
• Gun--Shot--it's what guns do! It's a gun's purpose.  What do followers of Christ do?  What's our purpose?
• Agent--Provocateur--synonyms for provocateur: firebrand, agitator, rabble rouser--followers of Jesus and Jesus himself was known as an agitator and a rabble rouser as were the disciples/apostles and John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was a firebrand.
• Murder--Employment--a synonym for murder is slay and as followers of Jesus our employment is slaying or putting an end to evil and injustice in this world so that God's Kingdom is near and on earth.
• Skyfall--Done--Skyfall is the name of the orphanage where James Bond came from and to where he returns.  As followers of Christ we are all adopted as children of God and that does mean we're "done."  We come from God, and we return to God.

And then there's the new "Q"/new "Q"/Quartermaster clip.  God most often calls the least likely and those who do not fulfill the usual description of beautiful and exceptional people.  Jesus' disciples and followers often look like and act like Q and 007 in this conversation.  I suspect that Jesus' and Peter's conversations might have gone along this path.

Resurrection--Bond, James Bond, in a scene with the movie villain describes it as his "hobby."  The opening of the movie has resurrection all over it.  Grace, suffering, redemption are all mixed in, too.

Theology in Skyfall--some might say where you least expect it--I say that's the way we live--surprised by God's unexpected grace and resurrection even in a James Bond movie.

Perfect for the season of Advent.