Schindler's List

I recently watched Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List". Somehow I had manage to mentally miscategorize this film. I was a little too young to appreciate when it first came out. The people I knew who had seen said, "Oh my gosh, it's so sad and long. You probably won't like it." I said, "Alright, I don't like it".

Well now I've seen it and I love it! I watched the ending twice. I cried both times. I watched all the extras the DVD had to offer and cried some more. I disagree about it being a sad movie. Let me explain.

The story is certainly set in a tragic time period and circumstances: WWII and the Holocaust. "Schindler's List" isn't about that though. It's an incredibly heroic tale of people persevering, and one man sacrificing almost everything to save a great many people.

This isn't a "look at all the murdered Jews and cry story." That is an element, but not the main plot. This movie offered two powerful stories. First of all, the perseverance of the Jews on Schindler's list is incredible. The heroic actions of so many, together, in the face of such awful hate could inspire a brick to grow flowers and drop fruit.

As great as that story is, the best story in the movie is of Schindler himself. I say this because it illustrates one of the greatest promises of the Lord. That he would leave the flock to find the one missing sheep. Schindler is self admittedly an adulterous party animal Nazi crook profiteer. However, he orchestrates an incredible scam on the Nazis by hiding almost 1200 Jews in manufacturing plants supposedly supporting the Nazi armies. These Jews, who witnessed a constant massacre of their fellow hebrews, had to wonder "why us? why have we been spared?". I think the Lord brought Schindler to them for their preservation, even more though the Lord brought them to Schindler.

The Lord always preserves His remnant. The Old Testament has countless stories of a remnant surviving...everything. So these Jews, this remnant, surviving is just one more example of the Lord fulfilling His promise and doing what He always does. That's just the way the Lord rolls. What the Lord does with Schindler though is much more powerful. These jews were already faithful, Schindler though was the prodigal son and the Lord wanted to feast at his return.

The closing scene's of Schindler's list are worth watching twice. In particular, after the German forces have surrendered and the factory has been closed, Schindler is fleeing just after midnight. He's trying to make it to the American lines. If he gets caught by the Russians he will assuredly be shot. The Jews he had working for him sent him off with a beautiful ring they fashioned for him out of the gold from someone's denture work. They wrote and signed an affidavit explaining Schindler's actions hoping to exonerate him from the punishments his crime might require. As he's getting into the car Oskar Schindler breaks down completely. He cries, and falls down, and rants about how he could have and should have done more. At this point he is a penniless war crimes fugitive and his overwhelming desire is that he could have done more. He could have given up more for the sake of these people. Certainly the Lord was there that night killing the fattened calf! That's the scene I had to watch twice.

Other than being a technically fantastic movie, the story itself screams of the Lord's goodness. Watch it and love it people!