Over the last couple of years, we have had the opportunity to partner with the Suicide Prevention and Pop culture podcast, “Victims and Villains.” Most recently, I had the opportunity to do a review on 1961’s Mothra for them. If you want to check out that review, please click the image below…
In preparation for this article, I watched both the Japanese version and the English Dubbed version. Both were necessary to give a fair review because the English dubbed had many scenes either cut or redubbed for an American audience. One scene that was cut that stuck to me. In the American cut, our main characters find themselves at a church and have a revelation of how to summon Mothra and deliver the Shobijin to her. The scene ends and jumps to the next scene. The Japanese version, however, has a little bit longer conversation that goes as follows:
Fukuda: I’m no priest, but we’ll just have to leave it all to the grace of God.
Michi clasps her hands in prayer and Fukuda makes the sign of the cross.
Chujo: Let’s get to the airport.
Having such an explicit Christian expression cut from the film for the English dub aside, I find this expression to be interesting. These characters have found themselves in a dire situation. They’ve run themselves ragged trying to find the Shobijin to both save them and save the world. Now that they’ve found them, they are unsure how to finish the task at hand. Now suddenly, a potential solution has appeared in what appears to be in a divine-like moment. Even though they have a plan and they have a way of putting into work, they still don’t know if it will work. All they can truly do is leave the situation in the hands and Grace of God.
I want to encourage you in this; you may have a plan, and you may have the ability to execute that plan, but don’t let doubt and anxiety stop you from moving forward. Put your plans and trust in the hands of God. Trust in His grace and let Him work it out.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord, And your plans will be established.” Even if things don’t work out exactly as you thought they would, trust that He will do as His word says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that [God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I now it can be discouraging at times, but put your trust in the Lord and allow Him to do a miracle in your life.