Review
My wife and I rented and viewed the movie Bella last night through iTunes.  If you are looking for an artistically rich movie with excellent acting, without sex, profanity or violence, that is both creative and challenging, I highly recommend it.  Though this movie doesn’t bombard its viewer with graphic depictions of the baser parts of reality it does very well at accurately depicting the human condition, being true to the deep-rooted corruption of humankind.  In balance to this, Bella also captures the inherent beauty of humankind, a true snapshot of the imago dei.  Bella is real, with flesh and blood believable characters dealing with real issues.  In a unique and inspiring way Bella winsomely champions the pro-life cause through its remarkably compelling true-to-life story.  At times it can even be said that Bella is theologically robust, as I note in the commentary below this review.  As a Christian, the one thing you won’t find in this movie is the gospel, though you will be sure to look for it.  While Bella is drenched with  character, reminiscent of the ministry of Jesus, any gospel allusion to the imputation via substitution is absent, and we would do best to appreciate this movie for what it is rather than put focus on what it is not.  I give Bella 10 stars, 2 thumbs up, the movie of the year award, and any other endorsement that can be thrown its way.

Commentary
There is a phrase that appears about twenty minutes into the movie that has moved my heart in a way that I have not been able to shake.  It is a phrase that captures the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God over all things for the glory of God and the good of the Christian, in a real life context with down to earth language.  Scribbled on the cardboard sign of a blind homeless man is a message: “GOD CLOSED MY EYES NOW I CAN SEE.”   In the one minute and thirty second role that this homeless man has in the film, you can see that these words are true.  His blindness is a gift.  Yet, at the same time, when the world around him is described to him by a passer-by he says, “Boy I wish I could see that.”  Does he wish that he could see with his eyes?  Yes.  Is he thankful that he can truly see with his heart?  Yes.  Yet, he knows that in order for him to truly see with his heart, God needed to take away the sight from his eyes.  There is a lot to think about here.  If what is important to God is truly most important to us, we will see every trial as a gift, and we can be thankful for everything and receive it as from God.  At the same time, this robust truth on the sovereignty of God does not diminish the fact that trials are indeed trials… they are difficult and painful.  By definition, pain is not something to be desired.  I don’t want to loose my sight, I don’t want my one year old to spill a cup of water on my laptop, I want people to like me, I don’t want my car to die, I want to get an A on my next homework assignment, I want my children to be healthy, I don’t want my spouse to die of cancer, I want my children and loved one’s to know and treasure Jesus, I want everything to be perfect and to run smoothly.  Yet, the real question is: more than all those things that I want, do I want to see Jesus?  Is he that precious to me?  And if God told me today, “Jeff, I’m going to give you a better view of my glory, and to do this I’m going to ___(fill in the blank with least desired trial)___,” how would I respond?  In the midst of trials am I be able to say, through the sorrow and through the pain, in the midst of many tears, with deep-rooted joy that cannot be shaken, “God has closed my eyes so that I might see clearly.”  God, give us eyes to see, even if that means our sight must be removed.