What sins are truly unforgivable? As I was watching The Redemption of General Butt Naked, this question continuously rang through my head. And, I believe this is one question that many people struggle with.
Also presented, was the topic of forgiveness, repentance, as well as the dichotomy of love and hatred. The main character, General Butt Naked, also known as Joshua, had numerous sides to him.
Starting his knowledgeable career as Saul of the Bible did with Christians, Joshua persecuted anyone that he believed was against his own country. He believed he was fighting for his country, to rout out those that were not for the government in place, which in and of itself was corrupt and being overthrown by many of its citizens. Within his own logical reasoning, he was in the right. He thought it just to murder anyone who opposed his beliefs, and did so horrifically, confessing to “no less than 20,000” heinous crimes.
As Craig Detweiler puts it, “I truly believe there were Spiritual forces at work within him.” To understand how someone could, to that magnitude, conduct such atrocious acts, especially in a stable, right mind, is likely inhuman. I agree with Dr. Detweiler in saying that there was something super-human at work within him. To further this understanding, there are numerous accounts of people telling of how he could be penetrated by neither bullet nor sword, that he was protected somehow. And knowing of the evils Joshua committed, it is easy to say that the power he had was of an evil nature.
Yet, remarkably, the Lord worked within him to change his life and actions. He was convicted of wrongdoings, and showed sorrow for his fighting. After running in to hiding for a number a years, he emerged, as appeared, a changed man. He began preaching and teaching, speaking of God’s redeeming power. As he began to attempt to live a life signifying his change, people began to believe him. Moreover, he sought out those he had wronged in the past, seeking reconciliation from the families he had destroyed and the lives he had ruined.
This is where the story gets tough for many people. At the Q and A one of the director’s, Eric Strauss, speaks of how his desire for the film is for people to “wrestle with [their] own idea of Josh’s ingenuity,” and furthermore, true redemption as a whole.
It is easy for us, in this society, to see someone change from being a petty thief, or possibly even a drug dealer, and be realistic in his conversion. But, once someone has stepped across that invisible line of no return, we cannot accept that their change is real. There is a tendency within humans to create a boundary, a point in which people cannot cross, in which to allow for true repentance and change. For many, this is the case with Joshua, and it was very evident within the Q and A after the film, as many of the questions centered on this.
As for me, I believe that there is nothing the Lord cannot do, and that He has the power and choice to redeem whom He wants. After only sitting down and watching about an hour and a half of Joshua’s life, it appears, to me, that his transformation was genuine. How else could a man go from a pure, unrelenting desire to kill, to laying down his weapon to go and seek reconciliation from those he had hurt? There is a good quarter of the film devoted to showing him seeking out such people, and asking them for their forgiveness. Not only does he say that he is sorry for what he has done, he goes deeper and asks these people to openly and honestly forgive him of his deeds. To add to this, he talks a couple of different times, with a couple of people, about how he begins to realize that this is going to be a life journey, going to be a constant struggle to find these people, to live his life the right way, and to be genuine. He understands that it is going to be tough to the end, but he moves on from this, and acts out what he is saying.
Yet, many would bring up how he is not fully living his life as he ought. Granted, he is human. He makes mistakes. He is not always there for his family and wife, and should reevaluate his tactics for seeking forgiveness. But, I feel as though he has begun to take the right steps towards turning his life around.
I wonder if one of his main struggles is going from being the strongest, toughest, most feared man around, to now being looked at as a man who can’t, or moreover won’t, pick up a weapon again. I believe this internal, as well as manifesting itself outwardly, struggle haunts him. That former way of life is seemingly all he knew. He went from being the man on top, not relying on anyone, picking himself up by his bootstraps, to now needing to rely on Christ, and unseen, unknown to him, entity that he is told will help and change him. This alone is daunting to many people, and is what keeps many away from Christ.
In this film I see hatred, hurt, and horrific crimes. But, past that all, on a deeper level, I see a man broken, realizing his mistakes and problems, and working to right these the best he can.
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