Messengers With A Message: Nate Saint Versus Chad Allen

There has been much hay made over Chad Allen, activist homosexual actor, playing the role of Nate Saint in the movie, "End of the Spear". The argument is that a Christian message is inextricably linked with the messenger. This is quite true. The only problem with this argument in this case is that there is no real Christian message. The motivation for what the missionaries did is not explicit in the movie, and the Christian message in this event IS the true motivation of the missionaries. The Motivator, of course, is the Holy Spirit, and the goal is to bring the news of what God has done for us through His Son. Therefore, the missionaries were messengers with a message, and they were inextricably linked. However, the primary motivation evident in the movie is humanitarian. In other words, the movie appears to indicate that the missionaries went to give the natives tools, some education, and to help them be less violent. (Sshh... *whispers* It's politically incorrect to talk about the... *looks around* ...g-o-s-p-e-l of you-know-who.)

Therefore, it's true that message and messenger are inextricable. In the movie, Chad Allen's message got across - it's just not the same message that Nate Saint bore. What the movie amounts to is a mere portrayal of an historic event. In this case, all it can do is give people who are not exposed to missions a slightly better idea of what many missionaries face. It might even make them ask why missionaries would do these things for mere humanitarian purposes...

...but it won't offer an answer.