If you don’t know about the movie, JUGNU you definitely weren’t of age in 1973. It was a monster hit. You see, in those days there were hardly English movies in cinemas. There were some on TV but Indian and Chinese movies dominated the cinemas. Bruce Lee films were top draw.
But most Chinese movies had shallow plots. It was all about Kung fu, and anything could trigger a fight including not saying good morning to someone. Indian movies were deeper but long, so long they had interlude. These were mainly love and revenge stories, and the biggest stars were Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and the beautiful Hema Malini. What I could never connect in Indian movies was the dance. Right in the middle of a fight scene the lead actress can just burst into a love song! Indian movies no go kii person!
Jugnu is the story of Ashok, an orphan. He is a highly intelligent fraudster but has a golden heart. And that’s the contradiction, the type many of us face. We’re good sinners. We keep a moral code, don’t steal, don’t drink, don’t mess around. Why won’t we go to heaven?
But let’s think about that for a second. If all that goodness could get us into heaven we really don’t need Jesus. Yet he came. And that’s because he came to deal with the fundamental stuff – our genetic wiring. The sin nature is genetically embedded in us. Haven’t you seen babies biting their mother’s nipple?
Jesus said we need to get born again. It means being spiritually reborn. We’re genetically corrupt.
Another way to put it is that we’re slaves to sin, sold to sin. For God to buy us back he needed spiritual currency. Blood is spiritual currency. It’s why Jesus shed his blood. It’s a stable currency, unlike the Naira.
A good sinner is still a sinner. Why don’t you just ask God to save you. The blood of Jesus will wipe away your sin record. That robber on the right hand of Jesus got into paradise by the skin of his teeth. Don’t leave things that late. It may be too late. That thief was lucky. Approach the coming year on a different note.
Aphorism CITY 