End of the Spear

Ed and I stayed in last night and had a pizza and movie night. We rented "The End of the Spear". This is a very good movie, a must see, about faith, foregiveness and redemption. Five young missionairies in 1956 dare to make contact with the Waodani, a violent tribe in the jungles of Ecuador, who are motivated solely by revenge killing. After a failed attempt to befriend the tribe the five men are savagely murdered. Their families courageously set out to finish the mission these men began. There are two powerful lines in the movie that I will never forget. The first is near the beginning when the young son of one of the missionairies asks his father, "If they attack will you shoot?" His father replies, "We can't shoot the Waodani. They're not ready for Heaven. We are." The other line comes near the end. The young boy is now an adult. He finally finds out which of the tribesmen actually speared his father, one that he has befriended. The tribesman offers himself to the son to be speared in retaliation. The son throws down the spear and says, "No one took my father's life. He gave it." The movie certainly challenges us to rethink our own concept of foregiveness and sacrifice. By the way, be sure to stay for the credits. There is a very funny story at the end during the credits about the tribesman's later visit to America. You don't want to miss it.