About Rod D. Martin
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Faith & Cultureby Rod D. Martin
February 24, 2014
Who knew Mark Burnett — creator of Survivor, The Apprentice and seemingly half of everything else on TV — was a Christian?
Well, he is. Last year, he and his wife Roma Downey brought you The Bible, the History Channel’s all-time highest rated miniseries, with over 100 million cumulative views. Burnett and Downey said their “greatest hope” in making the series was that it would “affect a new generation of viewers and draw them back to the Bible.”
This February 28, they do it again, with Son of God. (Trailer online here.)
Son of God — which Sherri and I privately screened last night at National Religious Broadcasters — is the first portrayal of the Gospel on the big screen in a decade, when Mel Gibson’smasterpiece The Passion of the Christ shocked the world by grossing over $600 million despite being a religious movie filmed entirely in languages no one speaks. But unlike The Passion, Son of God tells the entire story of the life of Christ, literally beginning with Creation, working its way to Bethlehem, depicting His entire Earthly ministry and finishing with His Ascension.
There are areas where you could quibble. Diogo Morgado’s Jesus can’t resist affected dramatic pauses: there’s no way you could have a decent conversation with this guy. He’s also got flowing locks to match any Sunday School artwork, but oddly out of sync with the people around him in the movie: apparently the view that everyone in First Century Judea was some kind of hippie flower child only extends this time to the Messiah Himself (I would question whether it should extend that far). Some reviewers might point out that parts of the story seem clipped, some of the teachings truncated (there might have been more time to get this stuff in if there’d been fewer of those dramatic pauses), and the whole narrative a bit difficult to follow if you don’t already know it pretty well.
These are all valid points, and I’ll be sure to do better when I make my own Jesus movie.
But until then, Son of God is an outstanding, faithful presentation of the life of Jesus and of the Gospel message. You should see it, whether or not you’re a believer: all of Western civilization turns on this narrative, and you’re not doing yourself any favors by missing Burnett and Downey’s quite impressive take on it.
But if you are a believer, you should drag everyone you know — and certainly everyone from your church — to a theatre on February 28 and the several days subsequent: the fate of movies today is determined by their box office take in their first week, which really boils down to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to see more and better programming on the big and small screens, you have to support it when it appears. Studios don’t make more of stuff that flops.
Son of God: out February 28. Go see the Savior glorified upon the silver screen.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
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