How to Share Your Faith Using Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Yo, Ho, Whoa! It's no surprise that the Pirates are back to sail once again on the high seas this summer. After all, Dead Man's Chest raked in over $1 billion in box office receipts last summer - and that's a pretty spectacular pirates' haul, even by Hollywood standards!
In the latest episode of this movie juggernaut, At World's End, Captain Jack Sparrow is dead and in the clutches of Davey Jones. The plot follows Captain Jack's double-dealing crew and friends and their efforts to rescue him in a final titanic battle against Davey Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Confusion reigns as their greed, selfishness and double-crossing ways threaten to sink their alliance and leave Jack forever imprisoned in Davey Jones' mind-bending locker. Confusion may be just what pirates love, but the complexities of this plot may test your mettle...
Still, as the quest to free Captain Jack from the clutches of death entertains and diverts with its twists and turns and mixed-motives, deep down, most everyone has a basic human curiosity about what awaits us when we die. It's only natural to wonder if there's an afterlife and whether there's any way to escape the clutches of death.
As Christians we place our hope in the Good News that thousands of years ago a radical, revolutionary plan was set in motion to take away death's ultimate sting. God's plan was to send Jesus, God's own Son, to earth on a rescue mission. Jesus did battle with death on our behalf! By his life, death and resurrection, he freed us from the clutches of spiritual death, if we trust in him and his gift of salvation. Jesus puts it this way in John 5:24:
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Or check out Hebrews 2:14-15:
...He (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Jesus has rescued our souls and calls us to the battle to help rescue others. We fight evil every time we share the truth of His message! We help rescue souls from the gates of hell with our captain--Jesus Christ! And best of all, our captain will never betray us!
Since Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End throws the door wide open for conversations about the supernatural world and what happens when we die, try using it as a conversation starter with your friends to talk about God's rescue plan for each of us. Here are some specific ideas to get you started:
- Ask your friends if they believe there is an unseen spiritual realm. Is there a spiritual battle being waged between good and evil? Share what you believe based on Ephesians 6:12.
- Ask your friends what they think happens to people when they die, since there is no "Flying Dutchman" ship to take a person somewhere. Do they believe in heaven and hell? For help discussing this check out the Soul Fuel article What in the Heaven is Hell? The Bible describes hell as a place of pain and suffering - not quite as funny as what Jack Sparrow experienced being in Davy Jones' locker.
- Do you think people can really 'sell their soul'? Will we reap eternal consequence in the next life? Share what you believe about Jesus paying the price for our sins and offering us the free gift of eternal life.
As a Christian, you've already experienced God's dramatic rescue plan first hand. Make sure you share the 'map' God's provided in His Word with your friends, so they will understand the rescue plan as well!
