Luke 18: 9-14 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
There are so many memorable moments from the 1982 iconic Spielberg classic that would be great fodder for discussion. However, today I’d like to turn your attention to one of the more popular scenes from the film, which has been immortalized in American pop culture. Early in the film, E.T., the extraterrestrial befriends a young boy, Elliott, and stays with his family. One day, while Elliott is out, his sister Gertie teaches him how to speak, whilst playing dress up. Check out the clip here (warning – there is one inappropriate word in the clip):
E.T. phone home. One of the most recognizable movie quotes of all time. Such simple, yet powerful language, illuminating E.T.’s greatest desire, his essential need. Abandoned on Earth, E.T. is away from his home, away from his family, away from all that he knows, all that is familiar. E.T. is an alien living in a strange and foreign land. This world is not his home. His life-sustaining connection is gone, and he yearns for it to be restored. In this scene, he is relegated to the role of play thing, and even Elliott demands that he be given his dignity back. He desperately craves connection and it is briefly achieved through Elliott, however, even that is short-lived, and the only thing that will save him is being reconnected with his people, restored to his home.
There is much here for us to learn. Much like E.T., we experience a longing for home that is never quite satiated. We have a yearning to experience the true, the good, and the beautiful, that most often falls short of expectation. We catch glimpses of home, but it seems illusory or just out of reach. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” We, like, E.T., are strangers in a foreign land. This world is not our home, and nothing here can truly satisfy our needs or desires. Pascal stated it this way, “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself” To fully live, the connection to home must be restored.
The phone in the above image, and the one in the film, once symbolically represented connection. Hardly recognizable to us today, unfortunately this symbol has been lost and replaced with its twin enemies: disconnection and distraction. Much has been, and is being written on this topic, so I will not elaborate on it here (Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death, Newport – Digital Minimalism, Reinke – 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, just to provide a few guides). Ironically, to reestablish our connection with home, we must put down the phone…and phone home.
What does it look like for resident aliens to phone home? We must pray. Fortunately, Jesus provides the perfect example for us to follow. Jesus prayed and heaven opened up (Luke 3:21). He went off alone to the mountain or the wilderness to pray (Mt. 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 5:16). He prayed in the garden before He was arrested (Mt. 26 & Mark 14). He taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11). He prayed for Peter (Luke 22:32). He prayed for children (Mt. 19:13). He prayed as He raised His friend from the dead (John 11:41-42). He prayed that He would glorify God through the cross, for His disciples, and for all future believers (John 17). He prayed while dying on the cross (Luke 23:34 & 46, Mt. 27:46, Mark 15:34). He prays for us today (Romans 8:34).
We must phone home. Friend, I don’t know what you are dealing with today, but I want to assure you that God is near (Psalm 34:18). As much as you are craving connection, God desires to commune with you. You were made to connect with Him. He is available. He is listening. You may feel forgotten or forsaken, Jesus did too. One of His above prayers, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” (Mt. 27:46 & Mark 15:34) is the first line to Psalm 22 – go check it out. The Psalms, many of which read like prayers, are full of the entire range of emotions. God can handle whatever you are dealing with, and help you through it.
Lost, lonely, or afraid? Phone home.
Feeling insecure, inadequate, or ill-equipped? Phone home.
Experiencing regret, guild, or shame? Phone home.
Need forgiveness? Restoration? Phone home.
Not sure what to do? Need guidance? Wisdom? Phone home.
Anxious or depressed? Phone home.
Angry? Discouraged? Full of doubts? Phone home.
Desire to grow and learn? Phone home.
Want to love like Jesus? Phone home.
Hunger to experience life to the fullest? Phone home.
If we hope to have peace during our temporary assignment here, we must restore and maintain our connection to our home. Let us hold fast to Paul’s admonishment in Philippians 4, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We have not been abandoned (John 14:18), and we we have a life-sustaining connection available to us, we need only take advantage.
As a kid, I was captivated by He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I collected the toys, watched the shows, fought imaginary battles in which the fate of the entire universe hung in the balance. These figures were on my annual Christmas list (circled in the catalogues), birthday lists, and I can even recall paying for some using lay away (I’m sure a few of you can recall this)! There was something fantastically magical about He-man that drew me in and held my attention. Imagine, a cosmic battle of good v. evil, in which an ordinary man is transformed by the ancient Power of Grayskull, and he teams up with other Masters of the Universe to vanquish evil once and for all from the planet Eternia! What else did a young boy need?
Not long ago, a friend of mine helped me sell all of my remaining vintage figures and accessories. My kids had the chance to play with them and they had been taking up space in the garage for years. Coincidentally, around the time I was selling them I learned that two new shows and three lines of figures were being produced. It appears that a whole new generation of kids will be drawn into the battle. Coincidentally, I always seem to have fan pages show up in my Facebook feeds, even though I haven’t followed them. Truth be told, I will frequently check out the figures (Tab recently said it was cute that I was looking at He-Man toys on Facebook – ha)! It seems I am still drawn to the battle as well.
In his book, Wild at Heart, John Eldredge states, “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue”. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to He-Man. Could it be that deep inside, I was made for a battle to fight? An adventure to live? All of the imagination, fantasy about a cosmic battle between competing forces of good and evil, was truly preparing me for, and orienting me to a greater spiritual truth. The reality is, there is a cosmic battle of good v. evil being waged as we speak. However, the stakes are much higher than we often realize, and eternity (not Eternia) hangs in the balance. Fortunately, we have a true hero to follow, and his name is Jesus. Listen to how Jesus is described in Colossians 1: 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Jesus is Savior and Lord, and He is our greatest adventure. If you are not following Jesus, I invite you to join me – He will change everything.
Too often, we settle for the mundane in our daily lives, rather than engaging in our cosmic calling. Our affections should not belong to this world, for our time here is limited and our loyalty belongs elsewhere. “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world…17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever”(1 John 2). We have a battle to fight, and our true citizenship is in heaven, so we need not set our mind on earthly things. “20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body“(Philippians 3).
I invite you to join me on an alien journey. Together, we can resist the distractions of the world, and take our place in the battle. By the power of…Jesus, we have the power!
An Alien Journey 