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June, 2006
The Da Vinci Code is still a hot topic. In 3 years, the book has sold over 40 million copies in 44 languages. The opening weekend of the movie grossed over $77 million in the
First and foremost, let’s all remember that this is just a book of fiction. Enjoy it, or dislike it as a work of fiction. As controversial as it may be, it is not that important in the big picture of life.
Doesn’t the book claim that it is based on facts? Here is another example that if someone says something long enough, loud enough people begin to believe it. I hear that even the author, Dan Brown, believes in everything he wrote in his book of fiction. Hmmm… is that a fact?
Of course many stories are based on real events, but anyone can begin a story with a few facts and then add a multitude of fantastic ideas. Da Vinci, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene are all historical figures, but what is the reality of who they were and what they did? Since the Garden of Eden, we should all be aware that lying works best when mixed in with a portion of truth.
Am I upset about the book and movie? Am I going to protest against it? Well, instead of putting energy in stopping (or adding momentum to) the media machine, I’d rather see this as an opportunity to open some meaningful conversations. I would love to explore with honest seekers to discover what the historical facts really are and what the spiritual truths really are. So, go ahead and take one of those tours at the Louvre following the clues of the book, but let’s also take a read in the Bible to see whether these things are real (See Acts 17:11). People will looking more at how we Christians are relating, rather than what we are saying or yelling at them. Let’s pray that our actions will not repel people, but bring them to meet the real Jesus.
This is an opportunity to share the Good News, but this opportunity will pass away. This controversy will also pass away, just as it did with “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Godspell”, and “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Perhaps some people’s faith will be shaken by the Da Vinci Code and the like, but rest assured that Jesus Himself still stands as the Rock of our salvation and He can weather this little storm.
According to Guinness World Records, “The world’s best selling and most widely distributed book is the Bible with an estimated 2.5 billion copies sold since 1815. It has been translated into 2233 languages and dialects.” The British Times has written, “…the Bible is the best-selling book every year. If sales of the Bible were included in best-seller lists, it would be a rare week when anything else would achieve a look in. It is wonderful, weird ... that in this godless age... this one book should go on selling, every month." There are over 100 million Bibles sold every year around the world. The Bible itself puts it this way: "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:24-24 NIV)Pastor Jonathon
〝達文西密碼〞仍然是一個熱門話題，在三年間，這本書翻譯成44種語言並售出超過四千萬冊；而電影在上畫的一個週末，單在美國的票房收入就超過七千七百萬。以下是我的看法：
首先和最重要的是讓我們緊記，無論喜歡這本書與否，都只不過是一本小說而已。無論它的爭論性如何，在我們的整個生命中並不重要。
這本書不是說它以事實為根據的嗎？這是其一個例子，說明如果有人不斷的大聲疾呼，人們就會開始相信他所說的。我聽說它的作者Dan Brown相信他自己在這小說中所寫的一切，但是，這些是事實嗎？
當然，很多故事是根據真人真事寫出來，但是任何人都可以用一些事實來開始他的故事，然後加上各種不同的虛構幻想。達文西、耶穌、抺大拉的馬利亞都是歷史中的人物，但是他們實際是誰？而他們的所作所為又如何？自從伊甸園以來，我們應該醒覺到，謊言混在事實中的時候最能使人相信。
我是否對這本書和電影不滿？我是否要向它提出抗議呢？其實與其浪費精神來阻止﹝或推波助瀾﹞這媒體，我會視這是一個為一些有意義的對話打開話盒的好機會。我會喜歡與一些真正尋道者去尋索那些真正的歷史事實、和真正的屬靈意義。所以，不妨跟從書中的建議去羅浮宮一趟，但同時亦讓我們去研讀聖經，看看這些是否是真實的﹝讀使徒行傳十七章11節﹞。人們會更留意基督徒如何反應多於聽我們的對話或向他們的叫喊。讓我們祈求不要讓我們的行為使人跌倒，反之，帶領他們認識真正的耶穌。
這是一個分享〝好消息〞的好機會，但這機會是會過去的。這些爭論亦會過去，就好像以往的〝萬世巨星〞、〝Godspell〞、和〝基督最後的試探〞一樣。或許有些人的信心會因〝達文西密碼〞和類似的事件而動搖，但確實的倚靠主耶穌祂仍然是我們救恩的盤石，而祂是可以經得起這些小小的風浪的。
根據〝健力氏世界記錄大全〞所記載：「世界最暢銷和分佈最廣的書是〝聖經〞，自從1815年以來，共售出25億本；並翻譯成2,233種不同的文字和語言。」英國泰晤士報有這樣的報導：「……每一年〝聖經〞都成為最暢銷的書，假果聖經的銷售也包括在〝最暢銷書〞排名中的話，如果有其他的書籍銷售額與它接近將會是一件不可思意的事了。……在這個無神世代中……實在是奇妙、令人驚訝……這本書應該每月不斷的出售。」每年全球的聖經售出超過一億本，而聖經本身這樣說：「因為凡有血氣的，盡都如草；他的美榮都像草上的花。草必枯乾，花必凋謝；惟有主的道是永存的。所傳給你們的福音就是這道。」﹝彼得前書一章：24-25節﹞李振倫牧師
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