A deed for a deed...makes you clean?

“Life usually takes more than it gives, but not today. Today life is giving us a chance.”

“To do what?”

“To give a @#$%!”

This exchange takes place between an anthropomorphic raccoon named Rocket, and a human bounty hunter named Star-Lord in the film Guardians of the Galaxy, which I was able to view a few weeks ago. Having learned my lesson from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I came into the theater expecting action and adventure, but I also looked for a deeper message amidst the impressive visuals and snappy dialogue. I was not disappointed. Guardians of the Galaxy may not be the deepest or the most moralistic film to hit the cinema, but it did raise one question and challenge one theme that plagues most films today: does one good deed cancel out a lifehood of wrong?

This post will not be a review of the film, but I will be discussing key plot points, so spoilers are to be expected. The guardians themselves (Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot) are flawed. Each member has his or her own twisted sense of moral justice and narcissistic ambitions. Rocket is cynical and selfish, Drax is bellicose and homicidal, Gamora is uncaring and deceptive, Star-Lord is cocky and coarse, and Groot is passive and stoic. Not all of the characters are happy with where they are at, but they are content enough where they do not wish to change their lifestyle. One would never find this bunch of characters hanging with one another.

From left to right: Gamora, Rocket, Star-Lord, Groot, and Drax
Image credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

However, circumstances thrust “a thief, two thugs, an assassin, and a maniac” together to save the planet Xandar from utter annihilation. All of these characters have lived their lives by their own selfish intentions but now, they have the opportunity to stop a villain and make a positive impact on the universe. Though all of the guardians came from tragic backgrounds, they were able to push their differences aside and unite as a team. With wit, the backing up of the police, and a very large gun, Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot are able to defeat their enemy and (rightfully?) earn their title as Guardians of the Galaxy.

At the end of the film, Corpsman Dey (a member of the intergalactic police force) tells the Guardians that he will wipe all of the guardians’ criminal records clean, but any crime they commit after that day will be punishable by jail time. Drax and Rocket humorously comment on whether “removing someone’s spine” or “stealing” is illegal, to which a horrified Dey states that those are heinous crimes. Though the scene is meant to evoke laughter, what struck me was whether or not these guardians really learned their lesson from what they went through. Did one act of goodwill make them changed? To quote Paul Asay from Plugged In, have the guardians been redeemed or reformed? Yes they did something heroic by sacrificing themselves and putting their lives on the line to save the world, but have they truly changed? Do those subtle comments by Drax and Rocket reflect the underbelly of the problem: that the guardians are still struggling with their inner demons? Did their one good deed wash their sins away?

Ultimately, God’s action of sending his son to die for us redeems our life of sin. As far as the east is from the west, God forgives us and has forgotten our sin. Though we are redeemed, we must live reformed lives. Now that we have been liberated by a gracious God, we must continually battle with our sinful nature and our new nature. It is our responsibility and duty not to succumb to the temptations of the world. I felt that at the end of the movie, the guardians still had their problems sticking to their sides like urchins. This notion is further supported when Gamora asks Star-Lord what they are to do now that they are free and clean. His answer? “Something good. Something bad. A bit of both?”

In many ways, that quote (as well as the one in the beginning of the post) reflect the film. The guardians have overcome a low point in their lives, but they must be wary that their old nature does not come back to haunt them. As Christians, we too must constantly battle to make sure our old and sinful nature does not overtake our new Godly nature, and even when the battle gets tough, to call upon God. We must take ownership of the responsibility God has placed on us. But at the same time, we must acknowledge that it is hard for people to change. It is only God who can fully transform and change the most wicked of souls. That is the power of the gospel. Our effort to fight the good fight and to finish the race is the response to what God is doing in our lives.