The Gospel in 'The Iron Claw'

Dear reader, 

As you know I love stories, this one was heartbreaking. 

I figured I would warn you ahead of time in case you get upset with me later on. 

(Spoilers ahead.)

The True Story of the Von Erich Family is filled with tragedy. You can see that from the beginning all the way to the ending credits. 

The story opens with Fritz Von Erich as he wrestles in front of a large arena of people. He is beaten time and time again, but in the end, he uses his signature move the ‘Iron Claw’ and he grabs his opponent’s head squeezing it as hard as possible until he submits. 

After the match, Fritz and his wife Doris fight about how this line of work isn’t going to support their growing family.

With two boys, and a third on the way she had brought up a very good point. But Fritz assures her “We will get everything we ever wanted If I continue down this road, you’ll see.” 

Fritz continues to wrestle but never makes it into the big leagues like he wants to. So he puts all the weight of ‘making it’ onto his four sons. 

One by one each of his sons enters the ring of extreme wrestling, and one by one they all meet grisly ends as the lifestyles of an extreme wrestler take their toll. 

One dies from internal bleeding. 

The other loses his foot, and after pushing through the pain he self-destructs, committing suicide. 

The youngest tears his shoulder, and while in surgery goes into a coma. After waking the pressure to perform overwhelmed him so much that he overdosed on medication. 

The last brother Kevin could see the strain his father was creating, he pushed back on it time and time again, and in the end, he was the last brother standing. 

I must admit the glimpse of the gospel was hard to see in this story, it was just filled with hurt, abuse, and heartache. 

The Mother made sure the whole family grew up in church and was constantly assuring them God would protect them as they went, but it was clear that God didn’t enjoy the sins they were active in. 

Not to say God doesn’t protect sinners, for I am for sure one of the Presidents of the Cool Sinners Club, and I know His hand is over me. But I could see full well the cause and effect of the father’s actions in this family, and how negatively it trickled down through the bloodline. 

But I think what stuck out to me the most was the heartache I felt for this family I’m sure God felt too. I don’t believe he enjoyed the pain and agony each of these boys went through, and through it all Jesus paid for each one of their sins, just as He did mine. 

There was little to no redemption in this movie, the father never apologized and made amends, but Kevin (the remaining son) was shown at the end of the movie playing with his kids and being the exact opposite of the father that he had. 

He saw what a father shouldn’t be, and he was convinced he wouldn’t be the same way. His family turned out to have four kids and 13 grandkids, so there was some bountiful multiplication there for sure, but I hope The Holy Spirit showed him the light to be a truly good father. 

For apart from Christ’s work in your life no one can truly love as they need to. 

Sincerely, 

Your Fellow Wrestler of God and Man

-Mitchell