One of the Best Christian Movies of All Time - Man on Fire

This film is a beautiful display of Christianity and essentially illustrates the paradox of God.

This looks like a "vengeance/action filled movie" that in many ways can give the appearance of being contradictory to Christianity. It is, on the surface, but that is the beauty of paradox.

Creasy is a man like every one of us. We are all dying inside, and we all, physically, die. But what is our cause, what is our purpose? Often in society we are entrenched with the struggle of just 'surviving' but not living. Through the course of time as we grow into adults, we lose the innocence. We lose view of what makes life worth living (and what makes life worth dying for).

We see that struggle in Creasy, and as well see it in him, we see it in us. We have all done and continue to take action/non-action that leads to desolation, isolation, depression, loss of hope, and stifled with the question, WHY? Why am I here, what purpose does my life have?

Creasy ultimately decided to end his life, and in ending his life, he gained an answer to his question of purpose? He did not see it, nor did he want it, but the mis-firing bullet was God's message to him - that creasy had a purpose in life and it is yet to be fulfilled. Yet, Creasy will still lose his life in the end, but will be redeemed.

This is a point which humans may be at. Rock bottom. Only when you lose your life will you gain it.

Creasy is reborn that night, the same man, but with a different heart. He is now reborn as the Shepard, and Pita is his sheep. As Rayburn said "... [Pita] taught him it was alright to live again."

This is where people may go off target that this isn't religious at all, and spoils the Christian message - when Creasy goes on his killing rampage and takes out vengeance. What one may be missing, however, is the fact that due to the mis-firing bullet, God was working with and through Creasy. This is alluded to when Creasy early in the movie is speaking with the nun. She asks him "Do you see the hand of God in what you do?"

God's hand is John Creasy. God's utilizing Creasy in a way that will eliminate the 'earthly life' of the kidnappers, allowing those kidnappers to come face to face with God. Meanwhile, Creasy's actions inevitably lead to Creasy saving the life of one of God's Sheep (i.e. Pita).

Creasy, at the end of the film, has regained his life by losing his life. Only, instead of losing his life in a dark room with a bullet, he loses his life for a reason, for a cause. For the best cause. Love. And there is no greater love than to lay one's life down for a friend.