The Elysium Mentality

If you’re like me, when you watch a movie, you can’t help but see the deeper things that are ingrained within a particular film.
In this case, it’s the movie Elysium.

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t worry, there are no spoilers here…kind of.

Sister:
Max, have you stolen again?

You’re breaking my heart. Why are you doing this?

Want to save money? To one day buy one ticket there?

This place is not for you and me.

Max:
It’s just unfair, sister.

Why can’t I go?

Sister:
Sometimes there are things in life we must simply accept.

But one thing I know you’re something special.

One day, you’ll accomplish something big.

It’s the year 2154, Earth has become a desolate place filled with pollution, crime, poverty and diseases. In this time, an Eden-like place was built in the space to accommodate the wealthy while the less fortunate stays below the overpopulated Earth. This space station is called Elysium where poverty and crime are non-existent, where robots are your servants and where medical technology advancement has made it possible for any sickness and disease to be cured. Surely, it’s a place where everyone wish they could be. But strict immigration laws were passed to ensure that only those that are qualified and approved, more so because of wealth and status, can set foot on this floating paradise. Anyone who dares try to get in without proper identification will surely face extreme repercussion. Only citizens of Elysium can access its privileges.

Here we have Max who is sick and tired of his situation. He’s always had a rough life growing up, specially in an orphanage, and is still struggling to make ends meet.

He wanted nothing to do with what’s going on down here and just wanted to go up there. As a kid, this was all what he could think about.
Ever since, he’s been saving money, and that’s not limited to stealing, just so he could get a ticket to Elysium.

Even when trying to make an honest living, he finds himself exposed to radiation poisoning. Now more than ever, with only five days left to live, his only hope for survival is to defy the law and get himself up to Elysium.

He wanted to leave this place to go somewhere else.
Cause if only he could go there, he will be happy.
He won’t suffer anymore. He could finally live.

Max (looking up to Elysium):
I want us to live there.

Sister:
Do you see how nice it looks from here?

Max:
Yes.

Sister:
Good.

Sister (shows him a locket with a picture of Earth in it):
Now look how beautiful we look from there.

Sister (gives him the locket):
Keep this.

It now belongs to you.
So you’ll never forget where you came from.

When I was watching it, I couldn’t help but see how many Christians think like this.

“If only I can leave this place and go to heaven, all will be well.

“I’ll be glad when I go to heaven and get away from here.”

Let’s be honest, how many of us have thought this?
Just leave Earth and just be with Jesus?

“It’s all going to burn anyway.” 

Another way of saying that is,

“To hell with rest of the world, let’s go to Heaven now.”

Let me tell you a different story, about a man who’s filled with splendor and majesty. When you look at Him, you stand speechless at His Beauty.
One gaze from His eyes, you feel as your whole body melts. With the same gaze, he looked down and saw the whole creation as very good.
Yet, He also saw its condition and He became grieved.
Earth and humanity were broken.

The creation that He created was sick.
Sin, diseases and evil are rampant.

Compassion gripped His heart and this Man, this King, this Creator, stooped down into broken humanity to save her.
He came into the Heart of broken humanity so that they might be redeemed by His blood.

His name is Jesus.

This is the Gospel.

It’s about Jesus coming and bringing Heaven with Him so that the Kingdoms of this world can become the Kingdom of His Father.

It wasn’t about praying a prayer so we could go to heaven. It’s not even about going to hell.

It’s all about Him becoming part of this world. Where Humanity and the Divine can become one again.

“His Kingdom come, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

You see, not going to hell is like a drop in the ocean in comparison to what the Good News really is.

The Good News is a Person.
The Gospel is Jesus.

He is the Great Vine Tree. The Cross is an invitation for us to eat off of the Tree of Life once again. It is the very life of God that is in Christ coming, making us His very dwelling place.

There was such an enormity in God’s heart to deposit Himself in us that he was willing to go to the cross to accomplish it.
He endured the cross to eradicate sin and pay its wages to bring you back to your original value.

You were created to bear his image not just on the outside but on the inside as well.
To be an image bearer is to emanate His character and His nature from the inside out.
He died so He, who is grace personified might take His residence inside of You.
The very life of Christ emanating in You.

How good is the good news?

The Gospel is so much bigger, more beautiful, so spectacular, so scandalous, even better than any of us can even fathom.
It’s not about just praying a prayer to go to Heaven.
It’s about heaven being birthed in us, so what we can release Heaven wherever we are.

So let’s get rid of this Elysium mentality.
Let’s change the way we think (repent).
Let our hearts become align with His heart.
Let compassion grip our hearts and let Love be our priority so we can see the Kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God.

And let us be reminded that the Darling of Heaven came to us, not in splendor, but in the frailty of the human condition, so that we might become part of His Family.

Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT)

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Here’s a video that I saw awhile back that helped me change the way think:

Note: If you do get a chance, watch Elysium. It’s a great film. There was an awesome twist at the end. After you watch it, let me know what you think.
Also it is Rated R for violence and language throughout the film.
Click here for the trailer.

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