The Knight's Gone

Yesterday I was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of actor Heath Ledger. The last time I remember feeling that way regarding the passing of a Hollywood star, was when Phil Hartman was murdered by his wife. Both circumstances were tragic.

To quote my husband, "Why am I so bummed about this?" It is not as if I knew Heath Ledger personally or even had much of a glimpse into his life aside from snapshots and write-ups in People magazine. I just really appreciated his talent as an actor.

His breakout role in The Patriot, with Mel Gibson was impressive. Though he has been acclaimed for much more recent roles (some of which I have no desire to see him portray), it is his first starring role that I love the most: William Thatcher in A Knight's Tale.

If you have not seen the film it is a good one for date night. It is an odd mix of medieval meets modern and, if you like quirky, you would probably enjoy it quite a bit. I'll probably watch it this weekend as my little tribute to Heath.

It is a story of redemption. Only by being called by the Prince can we too, be saved from the punishment we deserve, given a new name and stand forgiven with a new title, like a knight in shining armor!

I believe it is this underlying desire for redemption that rocks us to the core when we hear of the death of someone so young. Every cell in our body groans because death is not natural. Deep down we feel how wrong and tragic it truly is. Whether we acknowledge the truth or not, we were created to live forever in harmony with our Creator. As a result of the Fall, (ya know - Adam & Eve), we now must suffer the curse of death. But there is hope for us in Christ who was promised back in the garden (Genesis 3:15) to redeem us.

He is the ultimate Prince who can redeem us from the pit and do more than knight us, but declare us children of God!