WORDS Michael McVeigh

Just how helpful are the lessons we learn in movies? We turn the tables on some iconic movie teachers and grade them on how well their wisdom stacks up against the teachings of Jesus.

Yoda (Star Wars)

Yoda's wisdom: ‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.'

In Jesus' words: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you... Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.' (John 14:27)

Both Jesus and Yoda teach the importance of maintaining a peaceful attitude to the world. A life consumed by fear or anger can prevent us from ever becoming the person God wishes us to be. However, we think Jesus would have had something to say to the Jedi Council about finding more compassionate ways of tackling its enemies than light sabers.

Grade: C

John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

John's wisdom: ‘Carpe Diem! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.'

In Jesus' words: ‘Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' (Matthew 20: 26-28)

Robin Williams' famous character urges his students to ‘suck the marrow' out of life. Jesus, too, urges his disciples to do great things in the name of God. The path Jesus calls them down, however, is not one we would normally consider ‘extraordinary'. He urges them to be humble servants, rather than great masters of the world.

Grade: A

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series)

Dumbledore's wisdom: ‘Do not pity the dead Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.'

In Jesus' words: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' (Mark 12: 30-31)

Love motivates both Jesus and Dumbledore, and leads both to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the world. For Dumbledore, the source of love is left a mystery. However, Jesus makes it clear that God is the source of love, and that our love for God is the beginning of all other love we might feel.

Grade: B+

Dewey Finn (School of Rock)

Dewey's wisdom: ‘The Man is everywhere... there used to be a way to stick it to the Man. It was called rock ‘n' roll. But guess what? The Man ruined that too with a little thing called MTV! So don't waste your time trying to make anything cool or pure or awesome, because the Man's just going to call you a fat, washed up loser and crush your soul.'

In Jesus' words: ‘Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.' (Luke 11:9)

While we'd love to have Jack Black as our music teacher, we prefer Jesus' more optimistic instructions for his disciples. Although Dewey does sing a different tune by the end of the film.

Grade: D

Professor Charles Xavier (X-Men: First Class)

Xavier's wisdom: ‘We have it in us to be the better men.'

In Jesus' words: ‘If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.' (Luke 6:29)

In the X-Men movies, Professor Xavier strives to create a world where humans with mutant powers can live in harmony with the rest of society. Like Jesus, he urges those who would meet aggression with aggression to instead rise above it. However, we're not sure how that sits alongside training his students into an elite fighting force.

Grade: C+

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