SHOULD have.....

One of our favorite movies is Amistad, and we watched it again the other night. In 1839, slave traders illegally captured a group of Africans from their home villages intending to bring them to America to sell as slaves.  They stopped in Cuba to process the Africans and transferred them to a ship called La Amistad.  On the way to America the would be slaves escaped their chains, killed many of the crew and thought the remaining crew members were taking them back home, but instead they sailed the ship on to America. When they arrived in America there was a huge battle over who would own the Africans and who had the right to sell them-- or if they could even be sold as slaves.  A high profile court case ensued.  While the trial was taking place the Africans were held as prisoners and their hands and feet were shackled.  

Finally, their case was decided and a judge handed down a verdict that they could be released.  There was immediate joy and celebration.  But, due to political pressure, the president appealed the judge’s decision, so the case would now have to be retried at the Supreme Court.  The leader of the Africans name was Cenque.  

In the movie, made in 1997, there is a scene where the attorney, Baldwin, representing the Africans, goes into the prison to tell Cenque that the verdict was overturned and they now have to begin the whole trial again in a higher court. 

This scene absolutely slays me! 

The attorney, tells Cenque through an interpreter, “This should never have happened.” 

The interpreter struggles trying to explain to Cenque, but can’t find the right words and Cenque does not understand.  Finally the interpreter tells the attorney, “There is no word for should in their language!”

I remember telling a friend about that scene when I first saw the movie in 1997 (wow, that was a long time ago).  I was so struck that there was not even a word to describe almost doing something in their language......you either do, or you don't.  You can't even talk about almost!

And----isn't that how Jesus speaks to us----

He doesn't say, "You should deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me."

He says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."  Luke 9:23

He doesn't say, "If you love me, then you should obey me."

He says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  John 14:15

He doesn't say, "You should take care of my sheep."

He says, "Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep." John 21:15,16,17.  
And so on and on and on.........

And.... then I'm struck by how God should have dealt with me......He should have dealt with me as my sins deserve, He should have repaid evil for evil, He should have cast me out of His presence.

But God, by the power of His grace reached down out of heaven, heaped my sins on His Son to lift me out of that slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. -----And many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.  Psalm 40-2-3

I don't believe God likes the word should, either. :)

Amistad--- the trailer