"Taken" and beauty of the God's character

**Warning: spoiler alert**

I saw Taken a few nights ago, and I was struck by how beautifully it portrays what Christ did for us. A bit of background -- in the movie, a teenage girl and her friend finally convince her father Bryan, an ex-secret agent, to let them go to Paris. Through a series of events demonstrating a serious lack of judgment (ie, sharing a cab with a stranger, accidentally mentioning that they'll be home alone, etc), they end up getting themselves kidnapped by a sex slavery ring as she is on the phone with her father. One of the kidnappers picks up the phone, and the father vows that if he will not release his daughter, he will come find him and kill him. The rest of the movie is her father's detective journey, following clues and taking out the enemy until he rescues her.

This dad is my hero, and I think his character is an amazing representation of God's character.

We can see clearly the her father is good and has her best interests at heart. Even though he is strict, he sets his rules in order to protect her. Like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, he watches and waits for word of her safety. He scolds her sternly when she breaks his rules, but when she is in danger, he speaks to her tenderly, lovingly, and wisely (albeit urgently). The consequences of her actions are very real and frightening, but if she will listen to what he tells her, then she will help him find her. The instructions are not for the sake of demanding obedience, but for love.

If we only looked at this aspect of his character, then it might be easy to conclude that he is only a distant protetctor from afar. However, as we observe the father, we see that is not the case -- he is actively involved with her story. He desires a relationship with her, leading him to retire from his service to the goverment that kept him away from his family. He delights in her and knows the desires of her heart to be a singer. He weeps when she was taken -- for his own pain, for hers, and for the injustice. He places himself in her shoes, re-enacting her abduction. And finally, not only does he desire for the injustice to be made right, but he goes out and rescues her, searching relentlessly, risking his life, and destroying the enemy along the way.

In the same way, we have a heavenly Father who has our best interests at heart and lays down rules for us to protect us. Like Kim, we have the option to obey these rules or not...but we find that there are consequences when we disobey. But most of all, he is a God that desires to be in relationship with us, who loves us in spite of our stupidity that gets us in trouble. He put himself in our place in the form of the man Jesus Christ and not only risked his life, but gave it up for us in order to destroy the Enemy and set us free from certain death -- all of which he did in his own initiative, completely unmerited.

Thank you, Jesus.