I watched a movie recently, a release only a year or so old, that featured a scene of a tugboat going out to sea. Since the movie was set in the past the tugboat and ocean were actually special effects renditions of reality. I suppose it was easier to have a computer draw and animate old boats and sights on shore, along with the water rather than trying to recreate a whole huge set in ‘real’ life.
Everything looked very realistic but there was something that spoke of special-effects wizardry nevertheless. Something, and I can’t just say what it was, didn’t ring true despite Special-Effects department’s best efforts. For a second I caught myself thinking, “Wow, that looks pretty fake, how silly of them to do that” and then I realized something: folks in movies have been faking it for a long time.
I remember watching old British movies about world war two sea battles; there too special effects ruled the day. The only difference was that way back in the Sixties and Seventies movie makers relied on small scale wood or metal model ships floating in huge swimming pools. Really good movies, with big budgets and very talented model makers did an excellent job of making the models and battle scenes look realistic. Still, despite their best efforts, there was still something invariably fake-looking about those scenes. The issue hasn’t changed much over the ensuing years. Whether it’s modern computer animation technology or old-style model making, no special effects department, no matter how big a budget or talented the artists, can make a fully convincing representation of reality.
Throughout human history people have tried to create or recreate their own versions of faith, religion and even Christianity according to their own whims or needs. Like special-effects artists in the movies they design and build systems that sound good and might fool the less-than-discerning eye, but ultimately they fall short. Their faith systems and beliefs can’t hold a candle to the reality of God and what God has to say about things.
These faith systems disguise themselves as hobbies and jobs. They mask as entertainment and sports; they create idols out of busy-ness, possessions and spending; they feel good for a moment but offer nothing that is lasting, beneficial or even meaningful. The problem with these poor imitations of faith is that they confuse and confound us to the point that we can’t recognize that they are only cheap imitations of a bigger, better reality.
There is no substitute for God and a healthy faith-life. His presence in our lives has far reaching effects on the nature and quality of both our day-to-day and long term existence. Nothing is as satisfying; nothing is as meaningful; nothing is as helpful; nothing is as good for us. The author of our very reality is the only one worth trusting in order to make our reality a healthy and happy one. One might say that God offers special effects that are beyond anything we could imagine.
