Dune and The Bible
The other week I went to see the film Dune, and I loved it! It is based on a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert in 1965.
This film adaptation is a true cinematic experience with breath-taking images on the ‘big screen’, and a spectacular ‘sound-scape’ provided by the genius, Hans Zimmer.
It was directed by Denis Villeneuve, a French-Canadian filmmaker who is known for directing several critically acclaimed films, including Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017).
Adapting Dune was a lifelong ambition for Villeneuve, and in an interview, he said: ‘I'm going back to the book, and going to the images that came out when I read it’. In fact, they had a copy of the book on set and called it ‘the bible’ during the film making process!
When they wanted to check if they were doing things right, they referred to the original novel. This reminded me of something in the Bible...
“Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.”
This was written by Paul in a letter to Timothy, who then, was a young church leader. At the time, Paul was primarily referring to texts in the Old Testament, as the New Testament had not all be written then!
Over the centuries most people accept that this applies to the whole Bible we have today. For many years the Bible has been a ‘go to’ reference point on how we should live. Here in the UK many of our laws are based on Biblical principles.
For Christians, the Bible is more than just a law or reference book, it’s the unfolding story of God and His relationship with the earth and its inhabitants – us! It reveals God, His character and His ways.
In my experience the Bible has unveiled God, challenged my worldview, given me direction, brought comfort and hope. To be honest, I have ‘wrestled’ with certain texts over the years, and I am no way an expert! However, I do seek to understand the context in which it was written and apply it to my life.
It has given me a ‘big picture’ of God and His world. Most importantly it has revealed Jesus, and brought me into a living relationship with Him, for which I am very grateful.
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader