Deleted Scene

1 Chronicles 20:1

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.

One thing I miss from my pre-mommy days is going out for movies. With more or less P200 per tix, it’s now too costly for a family of four to indulge in this kind of weekend bonding. To date, we only had one in the last 3 years, and yes, only because it was our child’s birthday, hahaha :>  Good thing the DVDs and Blu Rays came into being. Still not cheap, but at least one has the luxury of repeats for a lifetime. Another plus with these discs are the inclusion of interviews, production peeks, alternate endings, and deleted or extended scenes.  It’s the full story which every director wants the world to see, but due to either running time, censorship, ratings or added cash in, producers would hold. Regardless, those hidden clips brought depth to the whole watching experience. It moved films even closer to life.

With chapter 19 as another repeat account from 2 Samuel, it all the more highlighted why at the first verse of the next page, where we expect a controversial story to surface, we found none but a passing clue. I’m talking about the adulterous affair of David to Bathsheba. No producer would ever cut such a pivotal clip. Compared to David’s battle with the Ammonites and the Arameans, or his mighty men’s feats with Rapha’s giants, his downfall was definitely more appealing to the masses. So why would the chronicler not retell the story to the remnants? Surely it was not for the purpose of hiding the sin. For why leave the puzzle piece ‘at the time when kings go off to war.. David remained in Jerusalem’ if he wanted it completed forgotten? But why not talk about it? It has a moral story, right? OR, maybe the moral of the story is why God deleted the scene. Better yet, His grace in deleting the sin. One account is enough for us to learn from David’s mistakes. God saw no more need to dig up rotten filths, especially those dearest to Him. His love saw no purpose in keeping records of wrong, especially those who humbly sought to make it right with Him. And in case you missed it, it’s His call as the Producer.

There was a time in my life when I wished my testimony was more dramatic like those ultra-sinners turned Christians. I felt my experiences being in church all my life can pull no soul to see His grace abounding. One time in college, after hearing big stories of God’s provision and healing, one young lady praised God that although her experiences were seemingly simple, it was enough proof of God’s grace. Because while other were rescued amidst difficulty, God saw it fit that she was not at the scene at all. And that for her, was a miracle.  The point is, we are not the main characters here. Not our sins, not our repentance, not our moving on. God is the story here. If all we talk about is Pacman’s sin and sudden lifechange, we might as well delete it.  It should be God and His salvation hitting headlines. Sure, people will ask how we were in our past life, but the question is, do we have more to share now that God is in our lives? The beauty in Jesus’ film is because those scenes were nailed on the cross. All done and deleted. I love how Aslan declared it:  ‘Here is your brother, and there is no need to talk to him about what is past’. So instead of asking what’s been deleted, know WHY it was deleted. It’s the full story God wants the world to see.