How to Share Your Faith Using Eragon
A high flying dragon named Saphira and destiny bound teenager named Eragon hit the theaters this week, enticing people in with the promise of heroes, battles, magic, and (of course) dazzling special effects.
And Eragon doesn’t disappoint…unless of course you go to see this film with the ‘show me in-depth dialogue and intricate plot development’ attitude. No, this movie is not Hamlet meets The Odyssey, but if you’re in the mood for Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings- you came to the right place!
Abandoned by his parents, Eragon is seemingly chained to a droll destiny of scraping by an impoverished existence with his cousin and uncle- until an ordinary day brings an extraordinary turn of events that forever alter his destiny. It starts with Eragon’s discovery of an unusual blue ‘stone’, that turns out to be a dragon’s egg. Then comes the hatching, the connection with the hatchling dragon, and the rest of the story unfolds an epic battle of good vs. evil in a land inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, Urgals, and an eeeeeeeevil king whose name I still have a hard time pronouncing…that’s how evil he is.
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So given the widespread popularity of Christopher Paolini’s excellent book, and now the adaptation to the big screen, the question is: will you fulfill your destiny and use its subject matter to share your faith? Help us Obi-Wan reader…you’re our only hope!
If you do, here are a few questions/talking points for building a few bridges between Eragon and the Good News:
-Eragon’s choices and ultimate destiny seem to be tied into a simple matter of fate. Do you believe our lives are guided and decided by random chance? Why or why not? Talk about your belief that God gives us free will in deciding not only our day to day choices, but also where we will end up spending eternity.
-Eragon is willing to give his life to defeat the ultimate evil in the land. Ask your friends if they think good can overcome evil, and how that might happen. Share your belief that Christ ultimately defeated evil on the Cross, and one day He is coming back to claim that victory.
-In the film, one of the characters willingly sacrifices his life for Eragon so he can live on and fulfill his destiny. Talk about how Jesus did that very thing so we could have the best life possible (John 10:10)
Like Eragon, don’t be afraid to follow the calling to fight evil with every fiber of your being by rescuing people from a destiny of separation from the God who loves them, died for them, and wants to spend an eternity with them!
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Lane Palmer is the Youth Ministries Specialist for Dare 2 Share Ministries in Arvada, Colo., where he works with to provide resources for youth leaders and students. Dare 2 Share exists to energize and equip teens to know, live, share and own their faith in Jesus. For more information on Dare 2 Share Ministries or the GameDay youth conference tour, please visit www.dare2share.org. Send feedback to lane@dare2share.org.
