The Da Vinci Code - A Pastoral Reflection
published: Saturday | July 8, 2006

By Steve Williams

In the Dan Brown Thriller The Da Vinci Code. It is said that the secret, which would discredit the Church and that had been hidden for many years, would now come to light.

Firstly, The Da Vinci Code must be understood as an interpreted of Leonardo Da Vinci's Artwork and his understanding of the painting of the Lord's Supper. Dan Brown has taken this and has done nothing new to the inconsistencies that already exist.
I will seek to highlight some of the message this movie is trying to convey to us. Jesus had a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene. Jesus was not celibate. Doubt about the canonization of the Bible.

Mary and Jesus Relationship

Mary Magdalene had a special love for Jesus because of what He had done for her by casting demons out of her. Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9. Every glimpse we have of her, she was acting out her appreciation for what Christ had given her. Mary's passion for Jesus came out because of what Jesus had done for her. Jesus having any form of relationship with Mary would cause Jesus to be seen in a bad light by His disciples. If so Mary would not just be a carrier of the message that Jesus is risen, He would have given her the charge to feed His lamb and sheep instead of Peter, John 21:15-17.
Dan Brow presented Jesus as someone who had a secret relationship with Mary Magdalene. And not only that but had children with her and His lineage still exists among us today. This gave Mary a special place in his movement that causes her to be sidelined because of jealousy of the other disciples.

The celibacy of Jesus

According to Luke, Jesus had no intention to do certain earthly things like having a family, but to fulfill His Father's mandates. He was anointed to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recover sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor Luke 4:17-19. For Jesus, His main objective on earth was to shine the light so the mankind who has been walking in the dark would see a new God's requirement, and gave himself as atonement for our sins. If Jesus had any children, they would have been in a privileges position and would seek to the continuation of His dynasty. There has been no such record found in any place in the history of this world. Him being sexually involved cannot be validated at any time or by any source at all, He was celibate. As the scripture says He was tempted in all areas as we are but never failed. (Hebrew 4:15)

Canonizing of the Bible

The Da Vinci Code then moved on to discredit the sacredness of the Bible, as being something constructed for the furtherance of Constantine's Empire. What the film does is that; it mixes truth with lies in order to meet its objective. Where Emperor Constantine initiated, he did not preside. The Church was just being formalized and needed some structure and form. There were many gospels, and other sacred writings at the time but they had to select the most appropriate and credible ones to create the document that guided the doctrine. It was important that Constantine lead this charge by facilitating the leaders of the Church in carrying out this important task. He could not lead it himself, because he did not have the expertise in this area. The canonization of the Bible was done with integrity and there is no reason for us to doubt it after putting our confidence in it for hundred of years.

This movie is heretic in nature and frightening to many believers, I am not shaken at all and I encourage other likewise not to be shaken. Many will do what it takes to remove the influence of the Church from within this world. Dan Brown's film has failed in carrying out this conspiracy, of discrediting the Church. The influence of the Church will remain until God has decided to sound the trumpet.

Steve Williams is a third year student at the Institute of Theological and Leadership Development ( a school within the International University of the Caribbean). The institution is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.