Oppenheimer — The Movie

Genesis 6:5-6 – The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (NIV)

What happened in Japan, on August 6 and 9, 1945, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was an ugly, disastrous, and devastating power play. There is no question about it! The launching of the atomic bomb on the people of Japan happened before I was born. I am unable to imagine the destruction of human beings in this way. I am left with so much emotion that I had no choice but to put my heart on paper.

The movie Oppenheimer that reenacts this incident is brilliant; all the seasoned actors were excellent in the roles that they portrayed. Christopher Nolan, the director, was more than brilliant, and in it, he reminded us of the ugliness of war. Like the other people in the audience, my daughter and I saw the special effects of the kaleidoscope of orange colours from the giant mushroom clouds of the bombs. Was Oppenheimer a great movie? Absolutely!

What did I take away from this movie after watching it for three hours in the cinema? Plenty! My takeaway was that nothing nor no one is mightier than our Almighty God. He was watching from above; He knew in advance what He was going to see.

What else did I take away from the movie? Power players, revenge, remorse, lies, deceit, and hate were all at play before, during, and after the creation, detonation, and aftermath that was the life of Oppenheimer and the lives of the several thousands who lived in New Mexico creating this abomination and scientific wonder. Almost 80 years later, we are still hearing about wars and rumours of war and the threat of nuclear weapons. Have we not learned anything from history? The world is still a dark place for God's creation to exist.

War on earth is a symptom of the battle between God and Satan, between good and evil, which rages on in the heavenly places and also within us as fallen creatures. Thanks be to Jesus Who conquered the evil one when He died on the cross to forgive our sins, and then rose again. He now enables us to share in that victory, and He will ultimately be triumphant in the continuing battle.

Revelation 19:11-21 – I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. … His name is the Word of God. … Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword. … Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. … The beast was captured, and with him the false prophet … and the rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. (NIV)

While we wait for Jesus to return as the victorious conqueror, Christians need to be ready for battle in the ongoing spiritual warfare. Let us put on all the armour that God provides, and be prepared to use the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as our weapon against the evil one and his demons.

Prayer: Our mighty Father in heaven, thank You for Your mercy and Your grace in keeping us safe from all that is happening to Your creation here on earth. Lord Jesus Christ, watch over us and protect us from all harm. In Your name, we pray. Amen.