I’ve been thinking about Evan Almighty – we had a chance to see it on Friday. It got horrible reviews – either because the critics didn’t like Steve Carell, or because they weren’t wanting something that you could take your kids to. But I think they did a great job. Granted there’s some theological issues, God promised to not destroy the earth with another flood, etc. BUT, the thing that was great about the production was the fact that Evan was seen as crazy. He was asked by God to do something that was “so great it was doomed to fail lest God be in it (RP).” Everyone around him thought he was crazy. It wasn’t an easy sell for his wife or kids, and then there was the whole animal thing. I’ve actually heard people argue against the flood saying “how could Noah really have rounded up two of every kind of animal.” And that’s where the movie is awesome. God brought the animals, not Evan. God changed the heart of the wife and kids, not Evan. And God keeps His promise, but does it on His terms, not the way creation would think or expect.
It made me go back and read the account in Genesis of the flood and the building of the ark. I think we forget that we serve a supernatural God. It’s too easy to try to pin God into a human likeness, limited to human ability. Why couldn’t HE have brought the animals to the ark? I’ve always imagined Noah, running around crazily gathering animals. I often forget that God is way bigger than an ark, or a bunch of animals, and He chose to use Noah and his family to help tell His story. Good movie.
