SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this blog contains spoilers for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’
Alien Abduction
Her body was ravaged by cancer. In the soft light of hospital room the green glow from the monitors confirmed her life was slipping away. With the family gathered at her bedside, she asked for her son, Peter, to be brought into the room. She handed him a gift with a note and told him to open it after she was gone. She asked him to take her hand, but he was too frightened. The next moment she was gone and Peter ran outside into the starry night. An alien spaceship appeared in the sky and abducted him. If this seems like a terrible idea for the opening scene of a movie, you’re right. But that’s exactly how ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ begins and it’s the one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. The main characters are a dangerous, yet lovable band of cosmic misfits who team up to save an entire planet. It’s one of those stories that seem to point to something bigger. This blockbuster movie is a faint echo of cosmic story that began before time.
Star-Lord
Flash-forward 26 years and we find that Peter is an interstellar adventurer who’s on a quest to find an ancient artifact. His motive is to redeem this artifact, called an Infinity Stone, for a large reward. Peter now goes by the name ‘Star-Lord’, a nickname given by his mother. When I think about this character I can’t help but think of the real Star-Lord. He created the stars, including the planet we call Earth. The Psalmist wrote that the moon and the stars are the work of His fingers. The New Testament guy, Paul, wrote that Jesus created everything that exists and that He is holding the universe together. I’d say that qualifies as a Star-Lord. You may have heard about the Star-Lord’s mission to redeem the Earth and all of us who live here.
Come and Get Your Love
Early in the movie, we learn that Peter’s mother gave him was a old-school Walkman and a cassette tape entitled ‘Awesome Mix #1.’ This is Star-Lord’s prized possession and throughout the movie we’re treated to music from the playlist of classic songs. There’s a great scene where Star-Lord dances through a large dark, cavernous structure while grooving to this song.
“Hey, what’s the matter with your feel right?
Don’t you feel right, baby?
Oh yeah get it from the main vine (alright)
I said find it, find it, darling, love it if you like it
Hey, it’s your business if you want some
Take some, get it together baby
Come and get your love
Come and get your love”
Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
Jesus once said, “I am the true vine.” His advice for His followers was to remain in His love. He made it very clear that we should stay connected to Him so we can experience a life full of love and joy. So you definitely want get it from the ‘Main Vine.’
Cosmic Bad Guy
Every good story must have a bad guy and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is no different. Ronan The Accuser is the villain who gains possession of the Infinity Stone and plans to destroy a planet called Xandar along with all its inhabitants. After the Guardians successfully launch a counter-attack against Ronan’s space station, they all crash-land on Xandar. Ronan The Accuser is about to destroy the planet with what he thinks is his superior power. In a mocking voice he points to Star-Lord and the unlikely band of heroes and says, “Citizens of Xandar, behold your Guardians of the Galaxy.” But, Star-Lord and his friends surprise Ronan with a fatal blow and take back the prized Infinity Stone. There’s a very real cosmic bad guy much worse than Ronan who attempted to destroy our planet including you and me. John, the Apostle, wrote about the bad guy in the book called Revelation. This villain was also called the ‘Accuser’ and a very long time ago he was defeated and banished from Heaven. The Accuser crash-landed on Earth. You known him by another name: Satan. He was known for being the cause of evil on our planet. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s work and made this definitive statement: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” Only the real Star-Lord could deliver on that promise. And He did.
Tree of Life
The most unusual Guardian of the Galaxy is named ‘Groot.’ He’s a towering tree-like creature who serves as the muscle for the band of heroes. He’s a living demonstration that actions speak louder than words. He has only one line of dialogue that he repeats numerous times with different inflections, “I am Groot.” His actions were nothing short of heroic. In one of the most poignant scenes of the movie he chooses to sacrifice himself to save his friends. He became a ‘tree of life’ through his own death. A tree also plays a crucial role in the story of how mankind has been rescued by God’s love as expressed through Jesus. The Old Testament says that someone who is hanged on a tree is cursed. The New Testament explains that Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself and was hanged on a tree. His death gave life to the rest of us. It’s interesting that when the Bible describes Heaven it says there’s a ‘Tree of Life’ planted right in the center of town. The leaves from this tree will bring healing to the nations. That’s what I call supernatural landscaping!
I Want You Back
I didn’t want Guardians of the Galaxy to end, but I knew I couldn’t handle much more non-stop adventure laced with galactic one-liners. As the Guardian’s spaceship rocketed toward their next adventure, I was very happy when an on-screen credit promised there would be a sequel. But there was still one more surprise. Even though Groot died in the earlier scene, one of his grief-stricken friends placed one of his twigs in a pot of soil. It was a delight to learn that a cute, little baby Groot was now growing. For me, this was not only a reminder of the new life made possible by Jesus, but it was just plain funny. As the movie ends, another song from the ‘Awesome Mix’ starts playing and Baby Groot begins dancing by waving his little branches like crazy. He stops periodically to avoid being noticed by others on board. The song that plays is an expression of God’s heart for all of us here on Earth. Jesus, a.k.a. Star-Lord, came to our planet to defeat the Accuser, sacrifice his life to save ours and in the process reveal the Father’s infinite love.
“Spare me of this cost
(I want you back)
Give me back what I lost!
(I want you back)
Oh baby, I need one more chance
I’d show you that I love you
I want you back!
I want you back!”
I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
The Father is calling out to all His children in our dysfunctional Earth-bound family. Humanity has drifted away from His love. We’ve been caught up in a struggle with a cosmic enemy we cannot defeat without divine intervention. The Jesus story as told in the Bible is very clear that God wants every person rescued and to know the truth. It’s the core message of the Gospel. There is a Guardian of the Galaxy and He wants you back!
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