Millions of professing Christians
will be taking their families to the movies to see The Prince of
Egypt during the coming months. This animated movie retells the
story of Moses. It's already being described as the "most politically
correct film of all time," the reason being that the movie's makers
consulted 450 theologians from the Vatican to the Religious Right with
a number of rabbis in between while making the film. Hopefully, the
movie will be worth it, but Hollywood's track record is not good when
it comes to Biblical themes.
Rather fewer people will be going
to see the movie Elizabeth, which my wife and I saw over Thanksgiving
weekend. The irony though is that if it weren't for Elizabeth it's
doubtful that the Prince of Egypt or any other movies would ever have
been made. I cannot think of any woman in history who changed the world
more. If not for Elizabeth I and God working through her, we may never
have gained the religious freedoms we have today.
Elizabeth is the story of
England's last queen (the country became Great Britain after her death
when she was succeeded by the Scottish King James of KJV fame). She
reigned from 1558-1603. The movie focuses on the nine years between
1554 and 1563, years during which she secured the throne. When the
story opens, Elizabeth's half sister, Mary, is queen (1553-58), having
succeeded their half brother Edward VI who died at the age of 16 after
six years as king. All three children were the offspring of Henry VIII
and his various wives.
Henry, you will remember, in wanting
a divorce from his first wife (Mary's mother), broke from the Roman
Church because the pope refused to grant his wish. He then married
Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother. When he tired of her he had her beheaded,
leaving a very vulnerable young princess, Elizabeth, behind. She was
only two years of age at the time of her mother's execution.
