Ever since its release in 2003, Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code has stirred up public attention. The book garnered a myriad of reactions from different people but mostly negative reviews from the Catholic and Christian communities, as well as academic scholars and historians which catapulted this book not only to the New York Times best seller list but also to world wide fame resulting to 60.5 million copies and translated into 44 languages as of May 2006. It has even inspired a movie adaptation (garnering $200 million at the box office and counting) that has sensationalized this controversial topic more than ever before.
Undeniably, The Da Vinci Code is a hot topic nowadays. I recall a time when every ten minutes, someone would bring upon something directly or indirectly related to the book or its characters. Everyone talks about it, to the point where some are talking about being burnt out on talking about it. In my twenty years of existence, I haven’t seen this much media hype over a work of fiction. Dan Brown’s claims that “all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,” makes the book more intriguing and enticing to read. I must admit that I am one of those people whose interests have been piqued by these controversial claims.
As much as I found myself curious and fascinated with these “truths” he presented, I personally didn’t find any reason to be upset or threatened with these allegations. Ironically, there are some who thought that this could be Dan Brown’s gift to the Church and I am one of them. With this, I am by no means undermining the “blasphemous” contentions that this book suggests. It is just that I do not see this controversy as a threat but more of a challenge.
May it be good or bad, publicity is still publicity. It gets people to be aware of things they otherwise wouldn’t be aware of. The attention that this controversial subject has generated is tremendously overwhelming. Some have even taken extreme measures, I know of some instances where a school would expel a student if they were caught in possession of the Da Vinci Code or any of Dan Brown’s novels as if the book was now equated to grounds for expulsion while some cinemas are refusing to show Da Vinci Code movie. I acknowledge their reasons, but to me it seems a tad extreme. I do not see the logic behind sheltering people from these controversies. The more curiosity is repressed, the more it grows. With this I say, let them read the book and watch the movie! Besides, if books and movies suffice to shake the foundations of your personal beliefs, then you should ask yourself: how firmly rooted are my beliefs? Sadly, not so much.
As Matthew 7:7 would tell you, “ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” It’s high time for those who are doubtful to seek the answers. Most of us, are born Catholics. It is the religion that our parents chose for us, the religion that we grew into. We reach a point when we begin to question things and also struggle to find ourselves in the process. This is the great transition from the so-called “blind” faith to a personal conviction, when we have discovered the verities of our beliefs and discerned it for ourselves; it gradually develops and becomes more profound and meaningful.
I do not wish to seem sanctimonious here. Just like you, I do not know everything, I don’t have all the answers…I don’t even hear mass regularly nor am I religious. I just know that whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene or not has no bearing on my personal beliefs. I am a Catholic because I believe that Jesus is my Savior and not because He was single. The minor details do not matter anymore when you can already see the big picture.
How we choose to view this issue is our own prerogative, hence the freewill. How we will come out of this spiritual quest is our own choice. Dan Brown gives us the chance to know ourselves better and an opportunity to confirm our beliefs whatever that maybe. Because in the end, it doesn’t matter if this fictional book’s “facts” are true or not. The real question is, as Da Vinci Code’s Robert Langdon puts it, “What do we really believe in?”
