Lately I've found myself more than a little addicted to the BBC sci-fi classic Doctor Who. This started as a way to fill the void that the end of SG1 left me with, but has ended up as something greater. While I am not the foremost expert on the Doctor, I am a becoming quite the die hard fan, and I think I have figured out why. The Doctor is, short of the main Man Himself, the most Christlike figure I've ever seen on the telly.
When I began watching with the ninth Doctor I had been informed by many on that wonderful database of unbiased opinion: the internet, that the 10th is far and away the best. With this in mind I actually tried to resist David Tennant's charms at first. After all, I adored Christopher Ecclestons performance, and wanted to believe he would remain my favorite steadfast. In short, I was wrong. As a note, this article will focus on the 10th Doctor, as Russell T Davies stepped down with Tennant. The show feels a bit different with Matt Smith and Steven Moffat, but that is a discussion for another day.
Many years ago I used to participate in an activity called "Jesus at the Movies" it was a past-time started by my dear friend/pastor/father-figure/allaroundgreatguy Chad. Basically what we did was watch movies and then talk about them and where within them we saw Christ-like imagery (No, not literally pictures of Jesus... Ideas, themes). This has stuck with me, it's amazing how often one can come across these "Ghosts", ideals left imprinted in the very core of art and expression. Whether you believe it is Jesus, or just good nature, they are there.
In my mind the tenth Doctor is conjured alongside some of the greatest apologists in our history. Please, allow me to indulge with my nerdy muses.
The Doctor: And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think? They can shoot me dead but the moral high ground is mine.
One of the most noticeable and admirable traits of the Doctor is his dedication to non-violent resolution. Above that, he offers mercy to those that most would say do not deserve it. When he comes across a problem he always has to give them a choice. This was incredibly clear in the episode "The Poison Sky" in which at the end *SPOILERS* the Doctor could transport an atmospheric bomb onto the Sentaren ship and save the earth, but he doesn't. He can't do that, he has to go in person so he can give them a choice.
The Doctor has traveled far and wide, but one thing that Tennant portrays perfectly is his love for humanity. He has seen so much of us, literally the darkest we can be, but he still loves us. The Doctor will always go on about how magnificent the human race is. *MAJOR SPOILERS* In the episode "The End of Time pt.2" the Doctor is placed to finally "die" and he has to make the decision whether or not to sacrifice himself. He doesn't want to, and even dear old Wilfred is telling him not to, that he's an old man. In a moment that resembles Christs prayer in the garden of Gethsemane the Doctor paces the room, not wanting to die, but in the end he tells Wilf that it would be his honor.
This is the only video I could find of 10's death. The only difference is that Murray Goldman's epic score is replaced by Placebo... So I apologize for that, but the power is still there. This scene breaks my heart every time I watch it. Not because I adore David Tennant (well, not entirely because...) it is something else, something beyond the face value of this incredibly powerful moment. People tend to forget that, whether or not you believe He was God aside, Jesus did exist, and He was executed in a terrible and painful way. Personally I do believe that He is who He said, and that His sacrifice saved me, and that there is nothing I could ever do to deserve that grace. As silly as it sounds, that video above reminds me of that.
There are many other small examples; the Doctor's name is significant as a healer, he always seeks to do good and loves those that follow suit, he has two hearts, oh and he fought the devil that one time. On a bit of a darker note, death follows the doctor. No one said life with Christ would be easy, and if they did they were lying... ironic I suppose. Sometimes even I can get disillusioned to who Christ is. We live in a society (Speaking here to my American readers) that the popular image of Jesus is that of a staunch conservative, with a gun in one hand and the deserving few and wealthy embraced in his other arm. This is not right. Jesus did not kill, He loved. That is my Jesus, a man of joy and a man with the weight of all the sin of the world on His shoulders. A man who time means nothing to, and who humanity means everything. My Jesus is Lord, and a bit TimeLord.
