The Interview

I felt like for a few weeks I would never see anything else on the news except for report after report about the movie “The Interview“.  However as always the news does move on, the reporters get stuck on the next thing.  I enjoy most of what I’ve seen Seth Rogen in so The Interview was on my “want to watch list” before it became known more by most that would have missed it if not for all the free news publicity it got.  Then once it became the focus of all the news I contemplated not watching it just because of all the talk that it was my duty as a US citizen to express my freedom and watch it.  I had a friend very strongly tell me “It is your duty as an American to watch this movie and show the dictator of North Korea you have the freedom and they can’t take that away!“.  Immediately my thought was “I will show my freedom by making my decision to watch or not“.

So on New Years Eve the family all went to bed early and I decided to stay up and finish 2014 watching The Interview.  Not sure if I should say this was a bad way to end the year or glad that is done in 2014 so I can start fresh in 2015 with something better.  Yeah I was more than disappointed and even twenty minutes in I was considering to turn it off–however I did finished it.

I feel very strongly, a comedy or not, The Interview goes way too far in showing disrespect to Kim Jong-un and the leadership of North Korea.  I feel freedom of speech is a good thing, however I feel we should respect of our, elected or self-appointed leaders, they are the leaders in our life if we voted for them or they are just there.  Respecting, liking, and agreeing with leaders are each different.  We don’t have to like or agree with a leader to respect them.

I don’t know all the political policies of North Korea and don’t feel I need to be concerned about it as I’m not North Korean, and I don’t live there.  I can pray for the North Koreans to have divine encounters with Jesus Christ as I do for many nations.  One thing I have learned living outside of the US for many years is no mater the government type; dictator, monarchy, democracy, or any other form of government; we should always respect to our leaders and even more when we are the guest in a nation that isn’t our own [the country I have lived in for the past decade is a monarchy].  Even more so when we are telling the story of another nation’s leader.  I don’t feel most of us from the US know how to respect our leaders, anyone around us, or ourselves.

In 1 Timothy it says: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [NIV 1 Timothy 2:1-4].  I feel this should be our actions if we are Christian or not, when we show respect we also will receive that same respect.

There is definitely a way to tell the story of North Korea and bring awareness to what is happening.  A comedy showing disrespect to the leader is not the way to tell the story even if some of it is true.  I would encourage anyone who has not yet watched The Interview to NOT watch it–let me save you two hours of your life that I have lost.  We can express our freedom to North Korea and the world in another way than being disrespectful to their leader.

Photo from: WallWideHD