Blood Diamond

I recently watched a film called Blood Diamond with a few of my friends. At first I did not think I was going to like this movie because it seemed historical and “educational,” and I usually just like to enjoy funny or love movies. But, this ended up being a spectacular movie; definitely on the top of my list of favorite movies and one I would recommend to anybody.

The basic plot of the movie is about a man named Solomon who gets captured by the RUF and gets put to work as a miner, looking for diamonds (which will be smuggled into other countries for profit). While this is happening, his son, Dia, along with hundreds of other young children, are taken in by the RUF and brainwashed to be a part of their army. One horrific scene shows these little kids, around 13 years old, shooting prisoners as if it’s nothing. One day while Solomon is mining, he finds a very large pink diamond and tries to hide it, but a guard sees him, but before he can do anything about it, the mining field gets attacked. Solomon ends up in jail, and the guard that saw him burry the diamond yells out deliriously about it, while Danny Archer, a man who smuggles diamonds from Africa to other countries, overhears this. Danny gets himself and Solomon out of jail, and Danny’s boss demands that he gets some of the pink diamond money, once Danny finds it. Danny finds Solomon and tells him that if he helps him find the diamond, he will help Solomon find his family. Along the way, the pair is joined by an American journalist named Madi, who is trying to tell the secret of this illegal diamond exchange, the “blood diamonds.” The rest of the movie is about these three fighting to find the diamond and help end this horrible situation, where many Africans are being forced to work as miners and not getting any of the profit because the diamonds are smuggled into other countries.

This movie has clear examples of both the empire and the Kingdom of God. First off, the horrible and unethical treatment of these Africans is clearly the work of the empire. The sole purpose of this diamond industry is to make money, at the expense of others. The “good life” portrayed in this movie is buying big diamond rings and necklaces, while the Africans finding these
diamonds are treated so horribly and do not getting any of the profit. The army and guards are so willing and easily able to shoot and kill anyone who goes against their demands even slightly. But while all of the fighting and exploitation is occurring, there are glimpses of the Kingdom of God as well. At first when Danny asks Solomon for his help to find the pink diamond in exchange for the help to find his family, this is all out of the selfish desire of Danny. But at the end, when Danny gives the diamond to Solomon and his son, is a shining example of him thinking about others rather than himself, an admirable quality of people living in the Kingdom of God. I got shivers throughout my body thinking about how selfless Danny was at this moment. He had spent so much time looking for this diamond, hoping that the profit would get him out of this country and this business, but he so gladly gives it up to a newfound friend and someone truly in need of it. This encourages me to really stop and take a look at my life and see what things I actually need and what things I think I need but I do not, and how giving away some of these things or time or money or resources could really help someone in dire need. This film also demonstrates to me that there really can be beauty amidst all of the ugly in this world, which is apocalyptic- glimpses of the Kingdom of God breaking through into the here and now. I think, in this situation, we as Christians first need to educate ourselves about this issue and not ignore it simply because it is halfway around the world and we think we cannot do anything about it. We cannot grow numb to these things because that is what the empire wants to happen, so it can continue doing its evil work.

1. Why should we as Christians care about what is happening half way around the world in a different country?
2. Is there anything we can do that would help a situation such as this one?
3. What are some little ways that we as Christians can shine the light of the Kingdom of God in this dark empire?