Explaining movie plots is so not my skill, but I just watched one called “G.I. Jane” that was inspiring to me, and I’d like to try to share something I saw in it pertaining to the Bride of Christ.  Along with some other encouragement from the Lord and others, it has energized me to wade back into the waters of the Song.  Forgive me if I get some of the details in this movie wrong. :)

It was about a strong and beautiful woman who applies to one of the most difficult and elite branches of the military, something like the Navy Seals.  “Jane” (as I’ll call her here) was recruited and hand-picked by a female Senator for this experiment.  While Jane had some doubts about the politician’s motive in working with the Navy to allow her in, she had no doubts about her own motive, and accepted the opportunity.  At first I thought the Senator believed in the cause of tearing down old prejudices against women, but found out that she only believed it in theory – to the degree it would get her votes and bargaining power!

You see, the Senator didn’t actually believe in Jane.  She never thought she’d survive “hell week,” (brutal training when 60% of the men quit) let alone beyond that.  Soon the media broadcasted Jane’s success, and this only added to the nervous tension among the military leaders.  Ultimately the buck stopped at the Senator.  So what did she do?  She did what anyone in ‘imaginary’ positions of power do when they fear losing control and it’s attendant perks.  They look for dirt.  People began to scrutinize Jane’s past and the Senator influenced men to spy on her.  Eventually trumped up lies were leveled against her of being a lesbian and fraternizing with women.  As a result of the controversy she was told she had to leave the training and was offered a desk job instead.  A show-stoppper for Jane?  In case you’d like to watch it, I won’t give away the ending – or all the possible types and shadows. :)  The whole movie is available on YouTube.

Although the story is fictional and it was about an issue that I don’t care to form an opinion about, I was impressed with the parable.  People can talk about there being neither male nor female in Christ, and write books and do teachings on it, but how much of it is for “voter” influence, and how much of it is because someone is actually living what they believe by divine revelation, and bearing the sufferings of Christ for it?  This Senator was all talk, for when it came down to someone else living in this “heavenly vision” to the point of it becoming a ‘wrecking ball’ to the system controlled by the powers that be, she chose to protect her own self-interests and persecute the one she once supported.

A line in the film jumped out to me that said, “The biggest symbols make the biggest targets.”  It made me think about the stigma of the Shulamite woman in the Song, and why it is that her relationship with Solomon is “outside the camp” in secret.  There is still a lot that needs to be said about this woman that hasn’t been said yet.  It’s sufficient in this post, however, to not look any farther than Jesus Christ to see this woman, and in this woman to see Jesus Christ.  People perceived Him as a symbol of revolution, even though He never set out to be that.  Religious leaders were threatened by this, and it only exasperated people that He answered to a higher call and didn’t pander to religious and merchandising agendas.  He was truly different – as different as a woman in the Navy Seals.  And so is His woman.  The Bride of Christ is outside all the religious and world systems, free, and in the ‘secret place’ with Him.  It is here that the King goes to comfort her in her afflictions, and be with her.  It is here that there is neither male or female, single or married, young or old, or any such division.  It is the new bridal paradigm of heaven on earth, and as long as it touches earth with it’s fallen systems, and people begin to live in it here, there’s going to be controversy.

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We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.  ~Acts 14:22
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It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the head of the house these things, and accused him of such, how much more those of his household!  ~Matt. 10:25
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Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ~Heb 13:13
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As He is, so we are in this world. ~1 John 4:17
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