The Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – Jesus Christ, John 10:11.

In the Bible, the image of the good shepherd captures the extraordinary sacrifice of Jesus – the Son of God – who willingly laid down his life so we could have perfect relationship with the Father. Christ’s sacrifice is all the more worthwhile because of its eternal value.

In The Good Shepherd directed by Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, the birth of the CIA is told through the story of Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), the ‘good shepherd’ who lays down his life for his country. Not through dying, mind you. Wilson’s commitment to his job leads him to sacrifice his ideals and neglect the well-being of his family.

It is undoubtedly a powerful witness when an individual lays down their life for a cause, but only if that cause is worthwhile. The question The Good Shepherd raises is whether Wilson’s cause and the questionable methods he uses to defend it warrant his sacrifice.

Although Wilson’s character is a conglomeration of several historical figures including James Angleton, long-serving chief of the CIA’s counter-intelligence staff, the historical and emotional truth of the events and characters depicted in the film’s events are reportedly spot-on.

Covering the years from the beginning of World War II in 1939 to the failed mission at the Bay of Pigs in 1961, we follow the patriotic Wilson who understands the value of secrecy and discretion and has an unflinching commitment to honour.

Working in the CIA where duplicity is mandatory, Wilson’s idealism is steadily eroded by his growing suspicious nature. His steely dedication to his country comes at an ever-escalating price.

Not even the growing concern of his wife, Clover (Angelina Jolie), and his beloved son, Edward Jr, can divert Wilson from the path forcing him to sacrifice everything for his job and country. Indeed, Wilson spends increasingly little time with Clover or Edward Jr because of his work.

The growing emotional distance leads him into several affairs. Edward Jr grows up in a culture of secrecy, the tense atmosphere causing him to wet himself and burst into tears during his boyhood years.

Screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Ali, Munich) once again displays his ability to vividly evoke specific historical periods while never losing the emotional core and motivations of the characters. As the Cold War dictates the geopolitical climate and communism becomes the USA’s greatest enemy, the culture of suspicion in the CIA increases. In one disturbing scene an innocent Russian man, who has a wife and children, is tortured and killed under suspicion of being a KGB spy.  Both American and foreign families are affected by the prevalent fear and distrust.

Throughout the film the utilitarian ‘for the good of the country’ ethic the CIA uses to justify their actions causes unjustifiable death. While they aim to protect American families and their values, the very same family units are broken up because the fathers are embroiled in a dangerous world of espionage. The focus on the big picture causes these men to lose sight of the many important small ones.

The Good Shepherd shows the inevitable outcome of replacing or adding to the values God has given us with value systems built up by men. The life lived by the one, true good shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ – is obscured as new ways of life are superimposed.

As Christians, we need to constantly examine ourselves and the church structures we operate in to make sure what we are living for – even laying our lives down for – is the way that the Lord Jesus Christ showed us as recorded in the Bible. As soon as Christians begin fighting to protect their own positions of power and comfortable lifestyles then what we are defending is no gospel at all.

The Good Shepherd is a powerful account of utilitarianism’s dangers. One man with good intentions can cause great damage if he gains hold of power but loses sight of what he was fighting for in the first place. 

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