Faith in Film 2, The Invention of Lying

"The Invention of Lying" is a fascinating film for a couple reasons. First, it's an interesting comedy. Star/writer Ricky Gervais has a unique comedic style, and I think it works really well in this film. Second, the film is an interesting social commentary. And, finally, this film has some interesting ideas about faith.

The last part is the most interesting given Gervais is the co-writer/star. Gervais is an avowed atheist and a member of the National Secular Society. He once said as justification for his decision not to get married that, "there's no point in us having an actual ceremony before the eyes of God because there is no God."

With "The Invention of Lying," Gervais and co-writer Matthew Robinson create a world of absolutes and facts. There is no lying or imagination. People are blunt and tend to share every thought, no matter how inappropriate. Of course, in this world of absolute rationality, there is no God. If you can't see it, taste it, hear it, or touch it, it does not exist.

Gervais' character, Mark, manifests the ability to tell a lie. He is the only one in the world who can do it. So he tests the limits of his powers, trying to figure out what he can do. He uses his new "skill" to improve his own situation, and also uses it to try and make the world a better place. One of those efforts lead him to offer comfort to his mother on her death bed.

Mark's mother is scared, believing she is about to die and become nothing. Mark reassures her, giving her comfort by creating the idea of Heaven. It has been said it takes more faith to be an atheist than a Christian for the very reason that you have to base your life and your hope on the temporal things of this Earth. That is a struggle for those without faith, as this scene touches on. It is also interesting to see the picture an outsider paints of Heaven. It's very rosy and touches on the hallmarks of the things we desire in our Earthly existence.

I must admit I don't know what Heaven will look like. Most of the descriptions we get from people on Earth or the thoughts passed on to us are a reflection of humans trying to work out a concept we can't fully understand. All we really know is that Heaven is an eternity spent in the presence of God and Hell is eternal separation from God.

The Bible, though, does offer a few descriptions of Heaven. 1 Corinthians 2:9, written by the Apostle Paul, says, "However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' — the things God has prepared for those who love him." Hence the speculation.

Mark's efforts to console his mother lead to a bigger picture. He shares with his friend, Anna, what he told his mother. She is filled with joy and tells him he must share it with others, saying it is the most important news the world has ever known. Gervais, himself, may not accept the Gospel or really understand why, but his film touches on the fact it is important. The word Gospel means "good news," that is why we are meant to share it.

Think about the Christmas story. When the angels appeared in the field to tell the shepherds about Jesus, they said they brought "good news that will cause great joy for all the people." And it is a story that we are meant to share. The Great Commission, Jesus' final instructions for the disciples before ascending, were to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." We have a living faith that is to be shared. And when that faith takes root in another, it brings them peace, joy, and hope.

A final piece is when Mark decides to share what he knows about "The Man in the Sky" with the people. In the context of this film, he is essentially creating the idea of God. One of the most interesting aspects is the way the crowd reacts, especially to the idea that God is responsible for all the good and bad things that happen in our lives. This is probably the hardest concept for believers and non-believers to grapple with, in part because it is impossible for us to understand God's will as a part of this world.

Jesus addressed this idea in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:44-45 says, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." That can be tough to hear and even tougher to live out, but it is something we must grapple with as we consider the world and God.

One of the greatest examples of this struggle comes from the Bible in the story of Job. Job was, by Biblical accounts, a righteous man. Yet, God allowed him to suffer and to suffer tremendous losses. Yet his faith remained solid. In response to his loss and suffering, Job said in 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." That is faith that we can all aspire to.

I think the thing that strikes me when I see that sequence is the fact that the people were angry with "The Man in the Sky" because they had a sense of entitlement. This is something we all struggle with, at times. That was certainly part of the struggle for Jim Carrey's character in "Bruce Almighty." Really, we must remember that God gave us everything; and there is nothing we can ever do or say to earn that. Perhaps the toughest discipline in the faith is being thankful for all we receive, all we don't receive, and all those God puts in our lives.

That is something that Gervais, and by extension this film, can't understand. We should feel blessed if we can.