Dead Man Walking is an American crime drama film that was released in 1995. In an Oscar-winning role, Susan Sarandon is Sister Helen Prejean, a spiritual woman who embarks on a dangerous quest with a convicted killer, who is waiting on death row. This movie portrays the profound changes it makes in her life as she interacts with the death row inmate and his victim’s family.
This may be a Hollywood film that was written and produced for the public’s entertainment, yet it does offer some Lenten Season teachings within its story line. Maybe it was not intentionally meant to do so within this movie, but certainly there can be something rather profound taken away from this feature and more so the title itself.
As sinful human beings living within this world, we are all “Dead People Walking”. Because of sin and the consequences which come from it, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), we are all living as individuals whose eventual destiny is death itself. Yes, as sinners we are living in the valley of the shadow of death. This is not a recent storyline folks, but it is one that has been playing out since our first parents succumbed to the devil’s temptation in the Garden of Eden.
God does not want us to be as “dead men/women walking”. No, He wants us to live as those who are alive! And to be able to do that our loving Father sent His Son Jesus, into this sin-filled and dying world, to bring the forgiveness of our sins and abundant life, both now and unto eternity. In Christ, you and I can live in the newness of life at the present time, as well as look forward to the glorious life which has been won for us by our blessed Savior.
The Apostle Paul writes in Romans about the victory we can enjoy in Jesus. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lenten Season causes us to look at our sins with a penitent heart. And as we confess those sins and turn them over to our Lord, we can then enjoy the forgiveness of those sins and the triumph Jesus claimed over those sins, death, and the devil himself, who wants to keep us walking as dead people. This is not the title of a movie we want to see played out in our lives. Jesus is alive and in Him so are you and I!!!!!!!
Pastor McCarty