(The Lion) — Margaret is a talented and ambitious meteorologist whose face is familiar throughout the Kansas City community she calls home.

But she’s not exactly satisfied with life in front of the weather green screen. She longs to move beyond forecasting and sit behind the anchor desk, covering what she thinks is more important: politics, crime and major breaking news.

Unfortunately for Margaret, her career plans are about to be upended.

It begins one day when she suddenly starts speaking Russian. Then, during her drive to work, she’s pulled over for speeding – only to discover she can somehow read the officer’s thoughts. Startled by the encounter, the officer lets her go.

But the mystery escalates to an entirely new level when Margaret goes live on air and unexpectedly begins speaking in a language no one can identify.

A clip of the bizarre broadcast quickly goes viral. Before long, she’s on the run from government agents who seem to know exactly what’s happening to her – and are determined to find her before she uncovers the truth for herself.

That’s the setup for Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day (PG-13), a film that follows Margaret (Emily Blunt) as her story intersects with that of Daniel, a government whistleblower determined to reveal what may be the secret of the century: that the U.S. government has concealed evidence of extraterrestrial visitation for decades.

It’s a two-plus-hour thrill ride that’s enjoyable for sci-fi buffs, even if it’s not fully family-friendly (coarse language and a child-abduction scene prevent that).

Of course, Spielberg has maintained a lifelong fascination with alien life, exploring the subject in films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and even Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

But Disclosure Day pushes Spielberg’s ideas further than his previous alien films. That’s partly because he has said in interviews that he believes extraterrestrials are already living among us today – even though he has emphasized that he has seen no evidence of a cover-up. It’s also because of the film’s religious themes. At one point, an ex-nun tells Daniel: “We’ve been raised to believe in a supreme being, and now you want to show us actual supreme beings. People can’t handle both.” Yet another character, Sister Maura, remains steadfast in her faith, ultimately helping the former nun return to belief and arguing that Christianity can coexist with extraterrestrial life.

The film is landing in theaters amid renewed public interest in UFOs and alleged government transparency efforts, with the Pentagon having released videos and photos of unexplained aerial phenomena in recent years.

What are Christians to think?

Here are four points I think are important:

First, the Bible is silent on extraterrestrial life but seems to imply humanity occupies a unique place in creation, with Jesus becoming a God-Man on this planet and Romans 8 suggesting that humanity’s fall into sin affected the entire created order.

Second, Christians already believe we are not alone. We are surrounded by a supernatural realm of angels and demons and governed by a sovereign God who rules over every corner of creation.

Third, Christianity does not rise or fall on the existence of extraterrestrials – even if they are out there – but on the historical reality of Christ’s death and resurrection. (Some Christian leaders believe the Pentagon’s videos may depict demonic activity – a perspective that deserves thoughtful consideration.)

Fourth, any conspiracy theory must reckon with the sinfulness of mankind. There is no way thousands of people can keep a secret for decades, as the film posits. People boast. They betray one another. They lie.

One more point: The size of the universe is often cited as evidence for the likelihood of alien life. But what if we’re looking at it the wrong way? What if the purpose of such an immense cosmos is not to house countless civilizations – but simply to reveal the greatness, power and majesty of the God who spoke it into existence?

Maybe the universe is less about aliens … and more about awe.

Disclosure Day is rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language. Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.