Emily and I went to see "The Hunger Games" Friday night with millions of other people around the United States. The energy in the nearly 500 seat theater (one of four at the AMC we were at) was palpable. Emily had read the books, but I had not and so I had little real information up front about what was going on. There was a death match? A love story? The future? I really didn't know what to expect and I wasn't expecting terribly much from a film that seemed to be marketing to teenagers and younger (and older) women.
But, while the wife was laid out with her wisdom teeth recently I played the hero card in a valiant attempt to placate her pain by buying her tickets to the Hunger Games on its opening weekend. And now it was time to pay the piper--I was going to see it.
The book, exactly like the film "is written in the voice of sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds absolute power over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive."
The boy and girl who are selected from each district are known as "Tributes", and they serve as reminders of when the Capitol destroyed a now extinct "District 13" because of their uprising against the regime. Now the Hunger Games exist to remind the people of the honor of fighting for their own survival, of the glories of battle, and for the sheer entertainment that the televised games provide to the people in the Capitol--and also, I think, that the people would continue to pay the debt for their rebellion and uprising.
The Hunger Games trilogy actually follows the biblical narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Professor Alvin Reid writes about the Hunger Games...
"The Hunger Games begins with this new world, moving quickly to the depiction of depravity: the sacrificing of children. Though the leaders use fear to keep people in line, Panem’s President Snow states the truth: “Hope is greater than fear.” Ultimately hope will come in the life of the rescuer, the Mockingjay named Katniss. Ultimately, Panem is overthrown, the rebellion succeeds, and young people – those chosen to be the sacrifice -- become the key players in the rescue. Finally, in the Epilogue, you find this rescuer named Katniss with her family, restored."
In the film it is clear that someone must die in order that someone might live. The debt the people owe because of the rebellion must continually be paid. The Capitol must punish the Districts for their rebellions years ago, but they must also offer hope, a sliver of hope that they can be rescued. They offer this by allowing one person to win The Hunger Games--opening up the possibility that all is not lost in this broken world they exist in. The debt has been paid--for now.
However, the Hunger Games do not only occur one time--they occur every single year. There must be an ongoing Hunger Games. One Hunger Game is not enough to remind the people about the rebellion or to appease the Capitol. The film recounts the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The girl or boy who wins the Hunger Games does not die, but they are not truly free because they are still enslaved to the Capitol, and the next year all the people must await another Hunger Games.
The book of Hebrews powerfully recounts how the people of Israel had to continually offer up sacrifices for their sins. Every single year they had to offer sacrifices. The writer of Hebrews writes "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."
The people of Israel and the people of Panem are in the same boat. Unable to save themselves. Unable to deliver themselves. You can feel the angst. You can feel the need for someone to ultimately and eternally rescue the people. An annual Hunger Games is not enough--it is simply a continual reminder to the people that they are enslaved to the Capitol. The film is clearly setting up Katniss as the figure with the power to ultimately reverse all that has gone wrong. She will overthrow the Capitol, she will rescue the people, she will finally deliver them from their poverty, brokenness, and slavery. Ahhh...if only she wasn't a work of fiction.
The writer of Hebrews, however, gives us a beautiful work of nonfiction--a true and greater Tribute, a true and greater hope, a true and greater Katniss. That is Jesus Christ. The ultimate rescuer. The ultimate deliverer. The one who really does bring us all the way home because of His great love for us, His people. The writer of Hebrew writes "And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."
It is finished.
Through the offering up of Christ's life on our behalf, in our place, for our sin. The debt has been paid. We have been freed.
This is the gospel message.
We all ache for a greater rescue, for someone to come and really save us and free us. In Jesus--we get it.
In fact, Suzanne Collins writes this at the very end of the final installment of the series of Katniss “What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.”
The Apostle Paul, writing to the people in Ephesus (and us today) in Ephesians 1 writes-- In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
We have been forgiven. We have been rescued. We have been redeemed.
We have been brought home.
Hungry No More.
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