Last weekend I saw the movie Hero. Following the innovative storytelling techniques of Akira Kurosawa, Hero explores the multi-faceted mystery in the stories of this world. We think we understand so much, and we fall so short. In some ways, this film makes me think of the Eastern Orthodox notions of apophatic and cataphatic. The cataphatic is our attempt to make sense of God and the world around us. It is the way we categorize and label and explain. But the apophatic is direct encounter and it always shatters our cataphatic illusions. This film takes on our illusions of a Hero and forces us to question what is a Hero?

The Hero of Christianity is a big loser. Despised and rejected by everyone–even his closest friends. Are we willing to embrace the way of a hero or do we simply want to be perceived as heroes? And do we even really know who we are and what role we are playing in this world.

Beautiful film.