The French film “Of Gods and Men” has experienced unusual success around the world, and received almost uniformly favourable reviews.

The impact of this film is no doubt due in part to the extraordinary acting, the beautiful cinematography, and the power of the story. It is a well-made film.

But there is more to this film than just good movie-making. The power of the film lies in more subtle qualities that might not be immediately obvious to the casual movie-goer.

I see at least eight elements in the film that make it a powerful and moving experience to view. I will deal with three of these aspects of the film this morning and the remaining five tomorrow.

1. “Of Gods and Men” offers a profound vision of corporate worship. Every event in the story is surrounded by worship. The monks’ lives flow into worship and their actions and words flow out of their worship.

The words they chant in their worship are all from ancient sacred texts. But they are neither obscure nor archaic. The words of their chants speak profoundly to the events of their lives.

After they hear the horrifying news of the slaughter of twelve Croatian workers at Tamesquida, the monks gather in their chapel and chant,

Because he is with us in this time of violence,
let us not dream that he is everywhere other than where we die.
Let us make haste.
Let us draw patience from him.
Let us turn to the Man of Sorrows
who beckons us from the cross.
Because he is with us as on Easter morn,
let us not forgo the blood he shed.
Let us break the bread.
Let us drink from the chalice of passage.
Let us greet the one who sacrifices himself
by loving us until the end.

Their chant reassures them that, in the midst of a violent and horrifying world, they are not alone. The suffering of the world is held. They can enter into the familiar rituals of worship and find strength and comfort.

The movie speaks to a deep human desire to acknowledge the reality of a transcendent power present and active in human affairs. “Of Gods and Men” may point the way forward for the Christian church. People are less interested in spiritual gimmicks and more interested in opening their hearts to the mystery of the divine.

2. The film “Of Gods and Men” is filled with love.

The love begins in the monks’ worship. Their worship is an expression of their love for God and an acknowledgment of their awareness of being loved by God.

As his tremendous struggle with the monks’ destiny begins to resolve, Brother Christophe sits alone in his darkened cell and prays to God saying,

You.
You envelope me, hold me, surround me.
You embrace me.
And I love you.

The love the brothers express for God in their deep devotion, embraces their entire community. Although there are moments of tension in the monastic community, the deep respect and love the brothers share is evident in every scene. They care for each other with tenderness and compassion.

But the love of the monks is not confined to their monastery. It spills over to embrace the villagers who find comfort and hope in the shelter of the monastery.

“Of Gods and Men” offers a powerful vision of what it might look like for people of faith to hold passionately to their faith while at the same time living in respectful loving relationship with people who do not share all aspects of that faith.

The monks’ ability to love expands even beyond those villagers with whom they live in peace and harmony. The monks’ love is great enough even to embrace their enemy.

At the end of his “Testament” Brother Christian addressed his imagined assassin saying,

And also you, my last-minute friend, who will not be aware of what you are doing: Yes, I want to THANK YOU and this A-DIEU to be for you too, in whom I see the face of God.

May we be allowed to meet again as happy thieves in Paradise, if it pleases God the Father of us both. AMEN! In sha’Allah! (“If God wills”)

The love that has grown in the monks’ hearts through their reverence to God, includes all of life without exception. Love is the beginning, the sustaining power, and the goal of the monks’ lives.

Speaking to Brother Christophe as he struggles with his fear and doubt, Brother Christian tries to explain what their martyrdom might mean, saying,

We’re martyrs of love, out of fidelity. If death… overtakes us, despite ourselves, because up to the end, up to the end we’ll try to avoid it, our mission here is to be brothers to all. Remember that love… is eternal hope. Love endures everything.

At a time in our history when it seems to be acceptable for people to demonize their enemies, the film offers a powerful portrait of the open inclusive love that lay at the heart of Jesus’ call to his followers to serve all people.

3. The monks as they are portrayed in the film are deeply human. Their humanity is evident in their fear in the face of the horror they imagine. It is evident in the tensions they confront as the pressures around them increase.

These are not superheroes impervious to the frailties of the human condition. They are flawed human beings who experience the conflicts and tensions of life with which we are all familiar. They struggle; they doubt; they feel insecure and uncertain. And yet, they choose to walk their journey to a noble death, embracing fully the sacrifice they see in Christ.

The disciplined lives of faithfulness and loyalty the monks live enable them to hold their humanness with tenderness and grace. Their acceptance of their own frailties offers a powerful vision of faith that respects the reality of human weakness while choosing to trust in the presence of that Mystery which sustains the universe. They are icons of grace and humility.