So back to the overriding question of the film: how do you convince a skeptical, rational-minded person of a truth when the messenger is tainted? It's an interesting question. Maybe it's one that more Christians might want to ponder. For Michael Clayton, it was the memo and the case that Arthur had built against the company. For Thomas, the only one who could break through was Jesus himself. All attempts by his flawed, religious peers failed. Maybe that points us today more in the direction of prayer and living out our faith in kindness, than debating with resolute skeptics.

It's also interesting to me that the movie is titled after Michael Clayton, the character who is called to belief and to action. It's not entitled "Arthur Edens," after the flawed messenger, or "U North" after the company at the center of the conflict. As the credits roll at the end of the film and Michael sits in a cab, downloading all that had happened, I imagine that he is pondering the decision he has made. Earlier in the film, Michael told Arthur, "I'm not the enemy." Arthur called him to action when he replied, "Then who are you?"

The story is about waking up and taking sides, not existing in blissful ignorance or denial of the truth. It's about deciding who you really work for: the truth or the enemy of the truth. Michael did ultimately discover the truth, and though that was a step in the right direction, he still had to decide what to DO with the information. He could sell out and hide the information conveniently to his benefit, or he could risk his life for the good of others. I love that the story has so many applications to us spiritually. What will it take for us to believe? Will we condemn the message because the messenger is flawed? What will we do if we get the proof we asked for? Will we sit idly on the information or take action?

As far as I'm concerned, the movie might just have well been titled, "Thomas, Jesus' Disciple," or "Melinda Ledman."

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