Convictions

Many women at 21 are thinking about careers, boyfriends, clothing styles, and music. Sophie Scholl was thinking about opposing madness.

If you haven’t seen the movie Sophie Scholl, it’s worth a thoughtful look. Don’t be looking for a lot of action, although the final scene is very gripping and dramatic. Based on a true story, it takes place in 1942 during the second World War.

The self-righteous totalitarianism of Nazi Germany is seen in raw contrast to Sophie’s commitment to freedom, truth, and compassion. The terse anger of Sophie’s prosecutor stands as a harsh backdrop to Sophie’s calm faithfulness.

Throughout the movie, Sophie is drawn to light. When she can throw back the shutter in her jail cell, she soaks in the sunlight. Her walk across a gray courtyard to her trial gives her opportunity to see the beauty of the sky with white clouds dancing. The sun illuminates her prayer time.

Sophie dissects the maneuvering of the Nazis. How could they bring freedom when they stifle dissension? How could they bring fulfillment when they destroyed “sub-humans” (anyone not meeting their arbitrary standards)? How could they deliver perfection through barbarism? She stands simply and fully on her convictions, impervious to their insults and their rantings.

Although the movie is a tribute to a modern-day hero, it also triggers discomfort for followers of Jesus. Where is our strength in opposition? Would we stand for truth and freedom if it meant such stark hostility? Could we raise our faces to the sun when evil was sucking the color out of our world? When evil bowed our backs, could we trust God’s beauty and grace?

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

John 17:15