Plot-holes.
Recently, I watched the movie, “A Quiet Place.” It was worth the watch. But it did leave me with some questions about its plot. Some of my movie loving friends might be asking me at this point, “Why are you criticising a $20 million film that made $340 million in revenue?” and that is a fair question. So, I’ll try not to ruin the story for anyone. But be warned, a plot-hole does exist, and you might want to try to explain it away before seeing the film—or be left standing confused in a post-apocalyptic world, forever!
The plot-hole comes in the form of a question: Given the fact that life and death depended on silence, why did the characters only build a Quiet Place when a new baby was about to arrive? I’ll leave the rest up to you. (The film has a sequel out, so fear not, my opinion doesn’t matter). Inconsistences in storylines cause confusion. Though plot-holes can be ignored if compensated for by additional humour, action, or an unpredicted romantic ending, they don’t tend to settle well on the left side of the brain.
Everyone loves a good story. Jesus was the master storyteller. His stories were designed to be understood in two ways: 1. As just a good tale, or 2. Enlightenment from heaven. Jesus designed it so that the secular man will see what he wants to see. Plot-holes would easy have been found by an unbelieving listener. For instance, he may reason: ‘Jesus may have told a cute story about a so-called Good Samaritan, but since no such thing exists, it’s just a story.’ The spiritual man will be changed. He will feel accused of the same self-righteousness and neglect of the Priest and the Levite who left their fellow Jew to die on the side of the road. The spiritual man feels the sting of shame when Jesus employs a hated foreigner to be the godly hero whose actions define what it means to ‘Love your neighbour.’
Also, for the worldly mind, it is simple to find plot-holes in the parable of The Prodigal Son. Certainly, the worldly man is pleased at the forgiving heart of the Father, because the kid got everything back when he went home. A sense of Privilege is built in. Now if he saw himself as The Elder Brother in the story, he would have lost the plot—because everyone knows that the younger brother should have been sent to the barn with the other slaves. The spiritual man adds his own inconsistencies and shortcomings to Jesus’ stories. He sees the pigpen as a deserving consequence for leaving the Father’s love for a sinful existence. He is shocked that the humble mercies that he sought were dismissed for blessings untold by a gracious Father. The spiritual man sees that he can easily become The Elder Brother. That jealousy and spite is a clear indication that he believes that he worked hard for his Father’s blessings, and so should everyone else. Jesus’ stories are powerful because they draw us into each scene. When you see yourself looking in from the outside, don’t be surprised if see that something is missing.
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