Act of Valor

This is a great movie, but I disagree that it is for adults only. Here’s my review of “Acts of Valor”. I wanted my son who will be 13 in two months to see it for the reasons I’ll list. Well, this caused a huge fight with my wife because a 12 yr old was going to an R movie. She did not want him seeing the violence or hearing the language—12 is too young! First let me address the language and the violence that I knew would be present with Navy SEALS. Our kids are in the world, but not of the world. I can’t help but think that the 12 yr old Jesus heard some things and saw some things that His mother probably didn’t want him to see when he wandered off to instruct the Jewish leaders, or David when he was hanging out with his brother’s killing lions, bears, and eventually Goliath, or the teenagers of the American Revolution fighting with their Dad’s for their freedom. I did tell him I don’t expect to hear those words coming out of his mouth. If we don’t lead our sons, then yes all they will do is watch Sponge Bob and play Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox. Our sons do not become men at 18 when the State says so; they start at 12-13 when their fathers lead by example. I think if our sons wait until they are 17 to see this film, it is too late. They need to see it now if they are in the 12-13 range to be that man when they are 18. What did I talk about with my son before/after the movie and what did he see modeled on the screen? Duty - always do the right thing, even if you don’t feel like it. Discipline – forming right habits everyday lead to a very effective life (and SEAL missions) Honor – seek honor not for yourself, but for God & Country Freedom – is not free. Are we Americans still willing to fight and die for our freedom? Family – Always take care of your families so the govt does not have to. US Constitution – is under attack and still worthy of our defense Liberty vs. Tyranny & Marxism – A 12 yr old can understand only so much of this but you’d be surprised how much they understand if you ask them questions. Sacrifice – It’s unnatural to give your life for someone else, but that is exactly what Jesus asks us to do. Scripture – Do we think our founding fathers just made up the constitution and liberty? No way, they are absolutely founded by Godly people who had scripture coursing through their veins. Protection & Respect for Women – As young men start noticing the opposite sex and vice versa, they need to treat the woman in their life with love & respect and not treat them as toys. Notice how the SEAL covered the woman to protect her modesty. Current threats against our country from without and within – and how he may be called on one day to fight for our freedom. I can’t help but think of Paul when he said, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child, but when I became a man, I put away the childish things.” Going from a child to a man, is not like flipping on a light switch or crossing a calendar date. It is a process that begins at 12-13. Ever wonder why the Jewish people have a bar mitzvah at 12-13? Or why Jesus went to the temple at 12? Jesus Christ – there is no greater Demonstrator of acts of valor than our Lord. My hope is that our sons are being conformed to His image. The good, by far, outweighed the language and violence which is why we went. And as soon as it’s out on DVD, I’ll have this in my home library and Amazon cloud.