Taking a child [Jesus] placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me."

A person studying the movie "Taken" will first of all be moved by the action and prowess of James Bond-like ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills, and no doubt such is the reason for its popularity. But a person studying the movie from the point of view of a life situation must be struck by the exploitation of young women for sexual purposes that is presented in the movie. Sex is a powerful force in our society. Men and women are often ruled by sexual desire, and women especially are "used" by people who sacrifice morality for money and pleasure. The very thought of the movie--capturing unassuming young women, drugging them, and then selling them to the highest bidder is abhorrent to sophisticated thought, but it actually happens. 

What must be spoken by a committed Christian as one views the evil that is portrayed in the movie is the sanctity of sexuality. Our God has made us people with natural sexual desires and feelings. It is great sin to take what was created for mutual love and make it something evil.  

Children were important to Jesus. No other religious leader was as present to children as Jesus was. He called them to him, he worked with them as if they were teachers, and most significant of all, he said that if a person treats a child well, he has eternal life with his Father. How detestable would Jesus find the sexual abuse of children, teenagers, and young adults in the twenty-first century! Jesus wished that young people especially should be treated with the utmost care.

The evil part of our society has discovered how vulnerable young people are, especially young women who possess the beauty of being young and vibrant. The young themselves even play into the game by making themselves as attractive as possible, and at times bringing on sexual abuse that they had never even thought about. Such is the naivety of Kim Mills and her friend Amanda in the movie "Taken." The immorality of evil people may be most evident when it comes to the use of our sexual abilities.

We can learn much from a movie like "Taken." Not only should we learn how cautious the young must be as they grow. But we must learn the beauty of our sexuality. As the Catholic Catechism states, "Each of the two sexes is an image of the power and tenderness of God." God is the ultimate source of our sexuality, and every sin involving a misuse of our sexual power is a sin against the goodness of God. We must recognize that pornography, Internet solicitation, prostitution, sexual intercourse without commitment, and explicit sexual displays on personal Internet sites are sins and not what God wants. Somehow, we must return the word "holiness" to our sexuality.                 

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have made us people who are blessed with sexuality. Through your Son, you invite all of us, especially the young, to be aware of the holiness of that gift. Give us the strength to always treat it with holiness. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America