Essay on Book of Eli

Submitted By awicker1
Words: 1155
Pages: 5

The Book of Eli The Book of Eli has an astounding, Biblical message, which tells the story of a man’s faith as he honors God with his life and follows God’s will no matter how tough times become. During this film, Eli is heading west for reasons that are somewhat unclear to the audience until later. As he travels, he faces many trials and temptations such as, a lack of clean water, shelter, criminals, and the power desiring man, Carnegie. Carnegie is seeking one specific book that he believes holds the power to assemble people under his leadership, and Eli just so happens to have the only copy left in the world. This book is a King James Version of the Bible, and all other copies were burned after the fallout thirty years prior because many assumed Christianity was the cause of the war. During this film, the theme of “good versus evil” is predominantly contrasted. It is evident that Eli represents the good as he follows God’s will for his life and continually seeks what God has in store for him, while it is also apparent that Carnegie represents a small portion of evil in the world as he allegedly seeks for the last copy of the Bible just to gain control of the remaining civilization. Without God’s word among them, this society has lost the true meaning of life. Many have never even heard the word of God. This is an illustration of how Satan works in many countries around the world today. The Bible is still banned from many countries, and people are dying and going to hell without ever knowing about the love of Christ. We, as Christians, need to remain faithful just as Eli did in this movie and show that the “good” will prevail because we have God on our side. Just as previously mentioned, there are two major viewpoints of scripture demonstrated throughout this movie. The protagonist, Eli, continually protects this book with his life, reads from it every day, and hides its words in his heart. This is an impeccable example of Psalm 119:11 which states, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” He genuinely believes the Lord has given him the book for a reason and continues to take it westward until he can use it for God’s glory. On the other hand, the antagonist, Carnegie, has many people killed in the search of this book because he believes its words can be used as a “weapon” and will give him control of the weak and desperate. He believes that the book will give him the power he has been searching for to control people from all over. Carnegie’s character can be depicted by John 8:44 which states, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” These perspectives are very different, and in the end, only one will truly conquer. In this movie, Eli is portrayed as a godly man who is guided solely by his faith and call to protect the only surviving copy of the Bible after the war thirty years earlier. He is mentally, physically, and emotionally strong throughout his entire journey and never ceases to keep persevering. During the film, he recites II Corinthians 5:7, “Walk by faith, not by sight.” His character is displayed as both caring and compassion yet also steadfast and resolute. He continually prays and seeks God’s will for his life throughout the entire film. In the beginning of the movie, he shares his food with a mouse, which displays his tender-heartedness. He is also strong as he resists the many temptations he faces yet still remains focused on his journey to the west. After being asked to stay in Carnegie’s small town to help him with his mission, he is told he has no choice. Eli answers, “It’s always a choice.” With this statement, I believe he is referring to the enticements humans face when times get tough. We must remember that while we ultimately have the final