Motifs of greed, grief, grace in Ugochukwu’s film, ‘The Last Offering’
By Deborah Chinonyerem Uzoma
A work of art is best sustained by a motif or the underlying theme. Greed, grief, and grace are three powerful attributes that can transform a man’s existence or the narrative of a person’s life. The movie is set in a Christian home where the head of the family, who also serves as the head pastor of Heavenly Bible Church, dies. His death creates a vacuum and sparks a conflict. His assistant, Pastor Felix, desires to become the head pastor, but the late pastor’s wish is for his son, Daniel (Stephen Dimgbe)—a prodigal—to take over the church leadership. This leads to numerous actions and consequences affecting both Pastor Felix’s family and Daniel.
The scriptwriter did justice to the title, knowing fully well that Christians are embodiments of Christ on earth; hence, the title, The Last Offering. The cinematography and actions are well captured, making one remain intrigued by the movie until the end. The opening of the film strikes a sense of suspense as well as serves as a reflection on our Christian values. The script writer beautiful recreates memories of acquisition of positions and titles – past and present longing, and negotiation of emotions especially in the body of Christ. This aligns with what Michel Foucault refers in “Discourse and Truth: The Problematization of Parrhesia”, as the “Parrhesiastes”, who is the teller or speaker who says “what he knows to be true and he is affected by the coincidence of belief and truth and uses the most direct words and forms of expression he can find.” Hence, this implies that the script writer writes what is known to be true and is affected by such belief and truth as seen in the motif of greed, grief and grace.
Greed is defined as an insatiable desire/quest for a position or a material gain. Grief responds to deep sorrow, a pain, an occurrence of a loss and in most cases , an irreplaceable loss ; while Grace is God’s unmerited favour extended to mankind that makes men live a holy life after being born again. Strikingly, the consequences of greed are not immediately apparent at the initial conception of a thought or action but emerge later. Greed causes Pastor Felix to disregard his daughter, Patricia’s feelings—first, when he notices her looking at Daniel talking to a lady after a church service, and again when his wife expresses concerns about his ability to lead the church due to age and the late pastor’s final wish. He might have sensed something was amiss, given Patricia’s suspicious reactions, but his quest for headship, coupled with greed, blinds him.
Shan George as Pastor Rebekah in The Last Offering
Pastor Felix exemplifies the motif of greed, leading to disastrous outcomes as a preacher of the gospel. He coerces his only child, Patricia, into having an abortion to save his reputation and facilitate his assumption of the head pastor position. He approaches the head elder to argue his case for succeeding the late pastor. He discusses this with his wife, who goes to bribe the elder with N500,000 in a brown envelope to sway his opinion. Tragically, Patricia loses her life due to the abortion. Consequently, Pastor Felix and his wife are relieved of their leadership positions in the church and suspended indefinitely.
It is crucial to note that grief reveals aspects of people that others might never know. When people grieve, the pain and discomfort can lead to transformative directions. This is evident in Daniel, the protagonist. Daniel, the late Pastor Emmanuel’s son, is initially portrayed as a prodigal son, a flirt, and a drug addict. However, at the point of profound pain and a turning point in his life, he makes a U-turn. The news of Patricia’s death deeply affects him. He drives recklessly, contemplating life, and ends up in a ghastly accident. He falls into a coma, struggling for life and pleading for a last chance with the Angel of the Lord, who appears in the form of his father.
A maxim states that a part of a person dies when they can not express themselves. Daniel’s old life dies at the point of grief, giving birth to a new life. Daniel blames himself for Patricia’s pregnancy and denial. Seeing his potential demise, he pleads for a second chance to dedicate himself to the gospel as his “last offering.”
Patricia dies and the church grieves. The council of elders rise up and appoint Pastor Rebekah (Shan George), the late Pastor Emmanuel’s wife, as interim head pastor, temporarily filling the vacuum.
Some schools of thought define grace as ‘God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense,’ meaning Christ paid for our sins. For Christians, grace is a profound spiritual concept. It signifies that human existence should be utilized to fulfil the purpose for which one was created. It reveals who we are, whose we are, and the purpose driving our lives. After Daniel’s encounter and recovery, he transforms his life. He stops using drugs, removes the disturbing pictures from his wall, and starts preaching the gospel on the streets with a megaphone. He reaches out to smokers’ hideouts, shares the gospel, and invites them to church. This exemplifies the life of grace, akin to the biblical Apostle Paul, who transformed from Saul, a persecutor of Christians, to Paul, a missionary and preacher.
Additionally, grace is sustained by prayers, support, and admonition. Pastor Rebekah, Daniel’s mother, stands in the gap through prayers and support. She continually believes and prays for Daniel’s restoration. She encourages him to confess the truth about Patricia’s pregnancy. Similarly, in Exodus 17:1-13, Hur and Joshua support Moses as the Israelites battle enemies.
The support Pastor Rebekah offers to Daniel her son is essential for his calling, as seen in the movie. Daniel later turns over a new leaf and assumes the headship of the church, thus fulfilling his late father’s wish.
It is essential to state that legacies are not about perfection but purpose. As Christians, we are Christ’s legacies and should live worthy lives—this encapsulates the essence of The Last Offering. It is a movie every Christian family should see. It comes highly recommended for the body of Christ, ministers, and church workers.
