Message from the Red Planet

5/11/2026

Matthew 5:14-15 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house."

A few nights ago, our son showed us a sci-fi movie from 1952, Now if you have ever seen one of these classic B-movies, you would know they are fun, very campy, and have pretty thin plots; at least that is my experience. Earlier in the day, we had been having some robust faith conversations as we often do. This time, it was about the metaphysical on a spiritual plane. We even watched a documentary with the same topic. 

As we settled in for the 90-minute movie, we had no idea what was ahead. Our son did, however, and he was silently curious about what our reactions would be. By the time the credits were rolling, we both sat in silence just gob smacked. 

Now, even though I am fairly certain most of you who read this will never watch Red Planet Mars, I still want to give the customary spoiler alert message. Warning: please do not read any further if you plan on seeing the above titled movie, as I will be discussing details of the film. 😉

In summary, the movie is about a pair of married scientists who are trying to contact Mars. When the film begins, the couple are with a group of colleagues that have discovered there is water on the planet, and it is clearly being used for some unknown purpose. This leads them to believe there must be life on Mars, and if so, they will try to make first contact. The couple has a lab at their home in California that is outfitted with a special device for sending messages to Mars. It was based on a design by a Nazi who conducted human experimentation during the war, for which he was imprisoned. 

There is a cold war element to this film too, as the Russians have given said scientist an outpost in the Andes to use his own device for the same purpose. There is a scene where the outpost is directly under a large statue of Jesus. The only cue he has given to where his location is they must to find Christ before they can find him. Foreshadowing, you ask???

The movie then goes into the couple receiving messages from Mars about how advanced their civilization is with their resources; this causes global fear and market collapse because the communiques are being shared with the world. While the fear is at its height, new and different messages start coming through that are directly out of the Bible. These are also shared, and as fear subsides, a faith revival sweeps across the entire world, even in communist Russia. There as scenes of the Russian people being martyred for their faith. So powerful! The theme is so bold and clear: the only way to be free from fear and have peace and new life is though Christ. AMAZING! 

After processing what we had just experienced for a bit, our family had a robust conversation. Sometimes you experience something unexpected that inspires and moves you, and Red Planet Mars was certainly that for me. 

Many current reviews I looked up were very negative, however, not about the acting or the premise about alien contact, but about the heavy-handed religious message. The power of this film was, sadly, lost on these individuals. It is so unlike when I was young and most families attended church on Sunday (or at least respected those who did). Unfortunately, our culture now is so divided. People either love the Lord or don't. In our media, there are strong, angry voices of the latter group. 

So, where does that leave me and other believers who are largely timid and quiet in the world we all must maneuver in today? What am I doing to share the truth of the Gospel with my neighbors or people I encounter? Is trying to live Biblically enough in an angry, broken, and hurting world? Are actions enough? How will anyone know I am a disciple of the Most High if I do not bravely and boldly claim it to be so? Isn't that exactly what the Biblical followers of Jesus did? They were willing to die for the truth of the Gospel, and I have trouble even having someone look at me funny for doing so. But I must ask myself, my discomfort comes at what cost? It is nothing less than eternal life with Christ or eternal separation from Him. A high cost indeed.