Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 13
June 26, 2006
Film portrays an end to one community’s cycle of violence
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End of the Spear, an Every Tribe Entertainment film, directed by Jim Hanon, 2005. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence. Available at Wal-Mart and other video/DVD retailers.
The sacrificial love of Jesus Christ compels his people to go into all the world and love as he loved. This love often takes his people into dangerous regions where their message is either not understood or where other traditions have a longer-standing hold over the people.
This was true of the missionaries who went into the Ecuadorian jungles in 1956 and attempted to reach the Waodani people. Jim Hanon’s End of the Spear is the cinematic presentation of both their sacrifice and the ultimate victory of God’s love.
The Waodani were Amazon tribes that had created a culture of revenge and death. Like many cultures of the world, their lives were caught in a vicious cycle of vengeance, as each generation of warriors would avenge the deaths of their fathers or families by killing those who had speared them. With their vengeful and swift form of justice that demanded the immediate taking of human life, the Waodani had reached the point of near extinction. Fearing that they would completely destroy themselves, five young missionaries attempt to make contact and teach them of God’s love as well as his teaching of forgiveness—but are killed upon first contact.
The ensemble cast of this film includes not only the five missionaries and their families, but also the Waodani and their families. It is a film that presents decades of their interactions and the effects these had on them, illustrating that the transformation of a culture—as well as a life—takes time.
The central characters are the missionary pilot, Nate Saint (Chad Allen) and the tribal leader of the Waodani, Mincayani (Louie Leonardo). Central to the victory over the cycle of vengeance are the women of both the Waodani tribes and the missionary families.
Without being either preachy or obvious, the film takes the viewer through the sacrifice given by the missionary families and the effect it had upon the Waodani. The supernatural power of God is present in the moments of sacrifice as well as in the powerful transformation of this vengeful culture.
One of the most moving scenes in the film is when Mincayani confesses to Nate’s son Steve (also played by Chad Allen) that he is the murderer of his father and offers himself to be killed. When Steve will not respond with violence, the use of the spear truly comes to an end.
While viewing the film, do not miss the final scenes during the closing credits when the real Mincayani and the real Steve Saint are talking. Their love for one another is obvious, and the point is made that for the first time in Waodani history there are now grandfathers in the tribe, as the cycle of violence has been replaced with the love of Christ.
It is our hope that this message will be communicated to the outwardly more-sophisticated cultures that nevertheless seek vengeance in an endless cycle of war.
Decoding The Code in a small-city church
Stratford, Ont.
Prayer and great thoughtfulness led Herb Sawatzky, pastor of the 170-member Avon Mennonite Church in Stratford, to produce a four-week sermon series on The Da Vinci Code, the bestseller by Dan Brown that was turned into a blockbuster film by director Ron Howard with Tom Hanks as the star.
Sawatzky had planned for a community outreach series, fully supported by the pastoral care team, but was unsure of direction.
“I was still unsettled and then one Friday an e-mail came regarding the launch of The Da Vinci Code movie along with various pastoral resources. I prayed very hard that weekend whether that was what God wanted us to focus on and by Saturday night I was convinced it was,” Sawatzky said.
He announced the series weeks in advance, encouraging members to invite others. Flyers were distributed throughout the city.
The first and last weeks centred on the gospel message of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Sawatzky noted that people hunger for understanding of who Jesus was and who he is.
“The Code has been a great opportunity to share the gospel,” Sawatzky said. “The tragedy is that much of the earlier church got Jesus wrong and people find other portraits [like the one found in The Da Vinci Code] more appealing.”
The second week Sawatzky explored the “sacred feminine.” He commented later that “everyone talks about sex, so must the church.”
In the third service, Sawatzky described the development of the biblical canon and the fictional book’s false assertion that Constantine dumped 80 gospels in the fourth century.
There were handouts each week and group discussions occurred after the services. The series was to engage existing congregants and encourage interest in new membership.
“Our mission is to connect people to the living God and we want to grow in the grace of Jesus,” Sawatzky said.
Indeed, attendance jumped more than 10 per cent, with three families indicating a strong interest in joining the congregation.
Joanne Hunsberger, 73, is a church care group leader. Although not interested in the book, she cares deeply that those attracted to the book—especially youths—heard Sawatzky’s series. In fact, several backs rows were filled with young people.
“For the sake of the youth, I think it was worthwhile because they were listening to someone I approve of; I knew they were in safe territory,” she said of Sawatzky’s series.
“I am grateful Herb was courageous enough to present accurate historical information to us all,” remarked Nicola Usher, Avon’s youth leader.
Chris Thomas, 42, was invited to share his testimony during the last Sunday of the series. “There’s nothing in the book that threatens my faith,” he affirmed to those in attendance.
Sawatzky ended the series, commenting that The Da Vinci Code is certainly “a good mystery read! That’s all.”