What a 14th Century Hun Can Teach Us About God

By Keith Haynes

 

I usually don't watch foreign films. It's not that I have anything against them, but typically I find that reading every word in a two hour film a bit distracting. It's a little too much for my borderline ADD tendencies, but last week (over the course of three nights) I watched a Russian film called The Horde. I had no idea what it was about. It was really one of those throw-a-dart-and-see-where-it-lands Netflix moments. Turns out I really enjoyed the film and gained a few insights along the way.

The Horde is a historical fiction set in the middle 1300's along the Russian/Mongolian border. The Mongolian khan, Janibeg, summons the Russian Saint Alexius to come to his mother's aide to cure her blindness. As Saint Alexius is known to perform miracles, he is the khan's last resort after his numerous shamans and their magical spells do not work.

Saint Alexius is reluctant to go, but the threat of a Mongolian raid on Moscow influences his decision to make the journey. 

After his arrival, Saint Alexius begins his task of trying to restore the sight of Taidula. He does everything he can think of, prayer, burning incense, rubbing mud on her eyes, etc., but to no avail. Taidula's sight is not restored.

This is bad.

Literally, Saint Alexius' life is in the hands of the khan now. The saint is not killed, but stripped of all his clothes and sent away. The khan wanted him to suffer greatly before he died for his inability to convince his god to cure Taidula.

Saint Alexius leaves the city, but decides to go back where he is sent to be a slave in the manure pits of the bath house. A literal hell on earth. Deep down, the saint felt obliged to endure the suffering as he believes he is a failure. 

At this point in the movie the khan and the khan's right hand man, Timehr, have a profound conversation:

khan: Is the old Alexei suffering badly enough?

Timehr: I think so.

khan: Why didn't he leave for Moscow then? He hasn't suffered enough. Or else he would have left.

Timehr: Maybe he returned here...to suffer the way his God suffered?

kahn: What sense does that make?

Timehr: I don't talk about sense - I talk about God.

khan: It's all the same.

Timehr: No, sense and God are different things.

khan: So, if I burn down Moscow, I'll be helping him? Does that make sense?

Timehr: I don't think so.

khan: Then what is it?

Timehr: I don't know. Maybe he doesn't know either, but he's trying to find out.

Wow. Sense and God are different things. You know, in a lot of ways, I think he is right. Of course, in the way that we as human beings see our circumstances.

God is beyond our understanding.

        How great is God - beyond our understanding! - Job 36:26

We cannot know the beginning from the end, as God does. 
We do not live out of the constraints of time, as God does. 

        ...I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end           from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come... - Isaiah 46: 9-10

Our ways are not his ways.

        For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9

But all this doesn't mean that we cannot know God. 

That is why we have the Bible. 

That is why Jesus came. 

To teach us about God, how he loves us, and how we can have a relationship, through Jesus, with the One, the Creator, the Alpha and Omega.

Even if we don't understand all there is to know. Even if it doesn't make a lot of sense. 

That is what faith is. 

Believing what God says to be true without understanding or proof. That is what a Christian is called to do. 

Believe first. Then comes understanding.

Make sense?

Back to the story...

Well, to wrap this up, Saint Alexius ends up catching on fire and taken outside and left to die. Here he pours out his heart to God:

Saint Alexuis: O, Lord, where are You? I can't see you. Can't see anything. Fish are in the grass...The grass is moving...it's hot...The city is on fire...No one will be saved. It's all my fault, Lord! 

You don't hear me. Fish...Fish are singing...I'm afraid!

Where are you? Heed me...Have mercy and lay his sins on me, the sins of Fyodor, the apostate. Take my life, but spare his. You are the only one without sin! Take mercy on him and on all of us.

God Almighty! Take my life, but spare his! Do not abandon your servants, Father...

At this point he collapses. 

Not to spoil the ending, but Taidula is healed by the next morning, and Alexius is sent back to Moscow. 

On his way out of town, one of the Hun escorts says,

...Everything worked out just like I thought...

Alexuis: I didn't do anything.

Escort: You worked a miracle and deny it?

Alexius: I did nothing. Nothing.

The saint got it. He knew that he did nothing in his own power. All miracles and power come from God. 

But why all the pain, suffering, and fear of failure? Maybe it was to bring his witness of enduring faith to the Huns. Who knows?

God knows.

One thing we can know is that God has a plan for us. 

        For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29: 11-13

But along the way, there will most certainly be periods in our life where we will endure suffering and persecution:

        If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. - John 15:18

Not exactly a soothing remark by Jesus, but we must remember that we are conquerors, and in the end, as long as we love God, all things work together for good. 

        And we know that is all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

        ...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that  neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:37-39

It won't always be easy to live your life as a follower of Jesus. A lot of times the circumstances we are in may not make much sense to us, but in those times I rely on this magnificent promise from Deuteronomy 31:6,

        Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.