The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens... For everyone, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all their labor is a gift of God." Eccl. 3:1 & 13

In a recent interview, David Fincher, the director of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, said of his film, "It's a movie about death." But when seen through the lens of faith, this movie is actually more about life.

This is a tale, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, about a man named Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who is born old, but as he ages, he physically gets younger.

What I found most captivating was the great chapters in Benjamin's life. He grew up in the bustling 20s and the challenging 30s. He came of age just before and during the Second World War. He learned about want and loss during the 50s, and finally experienced true love (with his beloved Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett) in the excitement of the 1960s. After the birth of his child, he escaped to India during the 70s, only to return home to say his last goodbye's in the 80s and to finally lose his identity and memory in the 90s.

Each chapter, just like each decade, was unique. Benjamin always seemed ready to take on the next new challenge or take advantage of the next great opportunity - while being completely conscious of the present moment, exemplified by the scenes when he sees a gentle hummingbird buzz around the ocean in the midst of World War II or when he and Daisy take in the launch of an Apollo spacecraft as they drift away in a boat on a quiet Florida lake.

While the director David Fincher did focus a bit much on death and loss, he also knew that his movie went beyond that, saying "It's a grand love story that's steeped in death, in the things that we put so much effort into ignoring on a daily basis."

In our world, our own lives are often lived going forward, but always looking backward - asking ourselves "what might have been" or "what should have happened." Sometimes we focus obsessively on this past, so much so that we ignore the opportunities that lie ahead of us (and once we realize what we have missed in that moment, ironically we spend more time living in the past and regretting that mistake, too).

Benjamin's story is a great lesson for all of us. While he lives going backward, he always looks forward - to the next great chapter in his life. His love story is not just with Daisy, but with his life and everyone he had met along the way.

What if each of us lived our lives that way?

Sure we can't reverse the aging process like Benjamin Button, but we can learn to look forward to our next grand chapter while absorbing and appreciating the present moment. That's not to say we don't look back ever. But what if we looked back on our past with the goal of using that to improve our future.

So what chapter of your life are you living in right now? Are you taking in what it means to be alive in the first decade of the 21st Century? And are you ready to make your mark on the world in the next great chapter of your life?

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the eclectic book of Ecclesiastes is unique. In some aspects, the author Qoheleth sounds like the first quote from David Fincher saying that it's all about death, and all our work is in vain since it does not last. But in other aspects, Qoheleth also realizes that no matter our belief - whether a humistist notion that this is the only world we'll ever know or a Christian belief in eternal life - we need to experience and relish the life we have now.

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens," says Qoheleth, "A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot..." (Eccl. 3:1-2). Similarly, every one of us will have great chapters in our lives - times for different occasions in our life. The question is how we will take them in.

After reviewing all the opportunities that life presents us, Qoheleth concludes by saying "I recognize that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well in this life. For everyone, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of their labor is a gift of God." (Eccl. 3:12-13).

Perhaps Benjamin Button lived his life according to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. He knew there was an appointed time for everything and he savored it and excitedly anticipated the next experience, right around the corner. I would like to think that I might live my life this way, and I pray in the New Year, you might also start living your life going forward, never backward.

Yes Man

"So let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more or less is sinful." (Matt. 5:37)

Around Chicago, December has been quite gloomy. We have had rain, sleet, snow, fog, ice, floods, extreme cold, extreme heat, and yes, even a tornado warning. Most days lately, though, have been overcast - a veil of grey has seeped across the Midwest landscape. Blah.

This melancholy weather is similar to the way that Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) begins the movie Yes Man. He lives a miserable life doing the same, mundane tasks over and over again, with little joy to show for it. In a sense, this gloominess makes Carl draw inward, avoiding people and saying "no" to any invitation and opportunity that comes his way. He just wants to crawl into his December-like hole and coast through the rest of his life.

That is until he learns to say "yes" (thanks to a Tony Robbins-like motivational speaker played by Terrance Stamp).

With the urging of an overzealous friend, he tries saying "yes" just a little more often - and finds that it ends with some good results (such as getting a midnight kiss from a kind stranger named Allison, played by Zooey Deschanel).

He continues his "yes" trend, and finds himself pulling himself out of his overcast rut. He learns to do things he never thought he'd ever do (bungey jumping, reuniting with old friends, helping the homeless, approving wild loans for poor, kindhearted souls at the bank he works for, and so much more), and he starts to love every minute of it.

While the method has its flaws (such as saying "yes" to a mail order Iranian wife or letting his friend trash his car), it teaches Carl an important lesson: make your life colorful.

It made me wonder, and it might make you wonder, if we have fallen into patterns, bad habits, introversion, or a general negative outlook on life. I know I have, and it's those times I find myself asking "Why are things going so bad?" - when the answer is staring me in the mirror.

What if we lived a life where we were more positive? Not a ooey-gooey smile-all-the-time giddiness, but really being positive about the situations presented to us? What if we first looked at the opportunities to any risk rather than the fears and concerns? What if we approached our problems with eagerness rather than anxiety? What if we looked to help others rather than helping only ourselves?

Perhaps every now and then, we need to be "yes men" - when a poor man asks for our help, when a friend asks to talk, or when an risky opportunity comes our way.

Like the parable of the talents in the Scriptures (Matt. 25:14-30), it was the servant who took the risk and said "yes" that reaped the greatest reward. Or like the disciples themselves who risked and sacrificed their livelihoods to follow Jesus - who said "yes" to His "follow me" - that had their lives forever changed.

Saying "yes" to new and bold opportunities, to those in need, and to exciting directions in our lives can make our world a lot more colorful - not bleak and frigid like a Chicago winter.

But saying "yes" isn't some kind of game, as Carl Allen was playing it in the movie. As Zooey Deschanel's character reminds him (not to mention other characters who try to get it into Carl's head), our "yes" must be a thought-out, genuine embrace of the new (even scary) world that awaits us on the other side of the word "yes."

Jesus warned his followers that saying an honest "yes" was a major sign of one's integrity. "So let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more or less is sinful" (Matt. 5:37) said Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. Being open and then embracing a positive outlook on life will surely have incredible results in our lives... so much so that Jesus wanted to make sure we were all aware of the power of that word.

We are called to say "yes" to the opportunities God puts before us: the chance to help the poor and suffering, the ability to grow friendships and relationships with all those we meet, the risk of making fools of ourselves for the sake of something greater, the fun and exciting ways that God has made this world colorful for His people, and a life of living the gospel always. It's these "yes" moments that will make us all forever blessed.

Quantum of Solace

"No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Reign of God." Luke 9:62

In Quantum of Solace, we see a new James Bond like never before. In most of the previous 007 films, it seems Bond either has recurrring amnesia or is just a cold-hearted man who moves on way too easily after tragedy and loss in each episode. But this Bond is different.

Picking up an hour or so after the last film (Casino Royale), Quantum has James Bond (Daniel Craig) still brooding over the loss of Vesper, whom he loved all too briefly. While he doesn't admit it to anyone, Bond has forgiven neither himself nor the people who trapped Vesper and sent her to her death. This is where this 007 is different - more human, more real.

But real or not, Bond has a hard time forgiving. Not that we would want him to forget what happened, as the earlier Bonds seem to have done (when one Bond girl dies and a few scenes later, the British secret agent is bedding another one). Rather, James Bond needs to forgive and allow that forgiveness to make him a better bearer of justice in the world.

Sadly, throughout the film, Bond becomes, as M (Judi Dench) puts it, "a blunt instrument" whose only thoughts are of vengence, not justice. By thinking back on the hurt he felt, he allows anger and retribution ("an eye for an eye") to fill his head - and becomes a killing machine in the name of the law.

But once he looks ahead rather than behind, he learns that true justice does not require equal punishment, but rather righteous justice where killing criminals is not the answer. By mentoring a young woman Camille (Olga Kurylenko) on her own need for vengence, Bond is able to see the error of his own ways.

Jesus once said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Reign of God." (Luke 9:62) At first, this seems harsh, but what he was getting at was that those who live and brood in the past cannot see clearly for what lies ahead. If we constantly look back, we won't be ready to go forward (and the Reign of God is all about transforming our world today in hope for a better tomorrow).

James Bond is called to be a bearer of justice in the world as a secret spy. He is called to protect the innocent and stand up against those who oppress the defenseless and hurt the weak. He is called to set the captives free and make this world a safer, more peaceful place. There is much responsibility in this, and if he dwells in his anger and hatred, he is no better than the criminals he hunts down.

By the end of the film, 007 starts to learn this gospel lesson. This Bond is on his way to becoming the best Bond of them all. He has much to learn, but give it a few more sequels, and we may see a forgiving, compassionate, and courageous champion of social justice yet. For us, when we stumble, God gives us sequels and second chances to learn to love and forgive so that we, too, might be pillars of justice in our own world.

W.

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, so they may not become discouraged." Eph. 3:21

Politics aside, the movie W. is more the tragic story of a family than a political drama about President George W. Bush.

In this biopic of the president, the events surrounding the decision to go to war with Iraq in 2002 intermix with the memories and emotions of the commander-in-chief (played by Josh Brolin). Here we see how the younger Bush grew from a disobidient frat boy at Yale to a failed businessman and eventually the leader of the free world, all while trying to cope with the demands and expectations of his father, George Bush Sr. (played by James Cromwell).

This movie is, at heart, a father-son story, analyzing both Bushes' strengths and weaknesses, especially in regards to one another. Oliver Stone, who directed W., seems to say that Bush Jr. just wanted to have his dad accept that he was successful and right, and that every decision in his life was colored by this need for his father's approval.

Meanwhile, the elder Bush struggled with being able to show his emotions or express them to his son, except the feeling of "disappointment," which he conveyed to his son quite often.

Even when W. did something successful (such as owning the Texas Rangers or becoming governor of Texas despite the odds), his father never really seemed to care - which further made W. want to try harder to prove he was a success, even to the point of engaging in a war (spurred on, the movie claims, by the advice of people like Dick Cheney, played here by Richard Dreyfuss).

This was a sad story. If only Bush Sr. had shown his son more emotion or respect, would the younger Bush have ever become president or start the Iraq war? If only Bush Jr. would have reacted less aggressively towards pleasing his father, what else could have been different?

Realizing this line of thought leads to politics rather than a movie plot, let us turn our attention to what the Scriptures tell us about family relationships. In Paul's letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, the apostle speaks about families - and their role to love one another and be patient with one another. Fitting to this story, we read: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, so they may not become discouraged." (Eph. 3:21).

We should read this passage not just as an avoidance of anger or violence, but also as a positive endorsement of love, respect, compassion, and openness in the family system. Today, Paul might tell us: "Fathers, be open with your children and speak with them about your love, so they may not become discouraged..."

How many families don't talk, leading children to an unhealthy sense that they need to prove themselves so they get noticed? How many parents discipline their children without also approving of all the successes and joys of their child? Imagine what good would come out of the family unit without all those roadblocks.

W. shows us one very prominent family's struggle with these issues, but they are just one of millions of people who endure the same things in their homes. And as this film shows us, just because we grow up does not mean these issues go away. Just because a son or daughter moves out of the house (or into the White House for that matter) does not mean these problems do not have be addressed anymore. The pains of our youth stay with us for a very long time.

Let us pray for more openness and dialogue within the family. Let us pray for more families to love one another as Christ loves each of us.

Eagle Eye

What drives you?

In Eagle Eye, Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a Stanford University dropout who was always compared to his more successful twin brother Ethan. He really has no motivation or enthusiasm, and goes through life as a corporate drone and oblivious to the infidelity of his friends. That is, until he is drawn into a major drama by an all-seeing, all-knowing computer called ARIA locked away in some government facility deep below the Pentagon.

Jerry is propelled into action only because he will either be killed or detained in prison for life if he does nothing. ARIA calls Jerry (using a very human voice) to tell him that, unlike his brother Ethan, he requires extreme circumstances to do anything.

The action and excitement of the film is great, but what caught me was this understated reason for getting Jerry into this mess in the first place: he cannot be motivated by reason, logic, or passion - but he can be motivated by dire circumstances. He needs that extra "umph" for him to get going. Otherwise, he would sit back and let the world happen to him (and complaining all the time, even though he is the only one responsible for his life's circumstances).

What is it that motivates us? Do we go through life, waiting for someone to entice us into action? Do we wait for events to unfold before we act to do something about them?

There are so many people like Jerry in this world, who wait for the world instead of going out to meet it. Are you one of those people?

So what should we be motivated by? Logic, sure. Reason, definitely. But as Christians, we ought to be motivated by the gospel message of Christ. If we believe Christ is our best hope in the universe, why do we ignore or procrastinate doing what he asks us to do? Why is it that emergencies, tragedy, or major world events are the things that motivate society to do good?

Had Jerry been motivated by other things, how much trouble could he have avoided? If we become motivated by the gospel, how much more can we avoid?

Ghost Town

"Just who is my neighbor?" - Luke 10:29

Bertram Pincas (Ricky Gervais), the central character in Ghost Town, really doesn't like people. He avoids conversations with co-workers, neighbors, or anyone he meets throughout his day. Pincas would rather spend life alone than meeting or talking with anyone.

But due to a seven-second brush with death during a routine colonoscopy, he ironically becomes the only living person that dozens of ghosts in New York can actually talk to.

For the rest of the movie, these ghosts (led by a pestering, tuxedo-clad Frank, played by Greg Kinnear) become the first real relationships that Bertram Pincas has had in ages. At first he resists these new people; then he accomodates them just to get them to go away; but eventually he learns to talk to them - and through them, learns to talk to the living (including a budding love interest, played by Tea Leoni).

In a world of six billion people, some of which might annoy or frustrate us, it might be tempting to block out all but a few friends.

Building relationships with people requires work and humility, two sacrifices we may not enjoy making. We might say we're too busy in our lives to concentrate on new friendships or even have the time to develop those networks. Even with the blessings of Facebook and online social networking, many still struggle to deepen the relationships we already have.

But no matter how busy or frustrated we are, humans were created by God for one another. God would not give life to six billion people unless He wanted us to live for each other.

Let us learn the lesson that Bertram Pincas had to die for seven seconds to learn. Let us start smiling, talking to, and building relationships with those around us - from the guy in the elevator to the new person at the office, from the woman behind the counter to our own estranged family members at the holidays.

And added to that, find opportunities to meet new people: join a local sports league, get involved in your church, or become connected to your community.

When Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself," someone once asked him, "And just who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29), Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. In other words, your neighbor could be anyone. In the parable of Ghost Town, the same can be said: go and love your neighbor... a friend, an acquaintance, or the next person you meet today.

Henry Poole is Here

"Faith, hope, and love, these three remain. And the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:13

In the world today, beated down by work, pressure, and stress, many people can lose hope in the future, question their faith in God, and become isolated and individualistic, satisfied simply with a group of Facebook "friends" rather than interpersonal loving relationships.

Henry Poole (played by Luke Wilson), the central character in the film Henry Poole Is Here, is a young adult in that same rut.

And when a major health issue confronts Henry , he crumbles and retreats inward. We aren't sure what kind of health problem that Henry has, but we know that he is told he only has a little bit more to live. He didn't have much of a life before the diagnosis anyway. He went back and forth to work like a drone or a cog in a wheel. What struck me was how sad Henry was about losing his life, even through he seemed equally sad living in it all along. But God is never sad about our lives - God rejoices in our life.

And this film shows us that, no matter how far we run away or try to escape our troubles in life, God is always there, calling out to us, ready to embrace us upon our return, just as in the sotyr of the Prodigal Son in the New Testament.

Henry Poole Is Here is a heart-warming summer movie that gives a new face to Paul's infamous passage from 1st Corinthians: "Faith, hope, and love, these three remain. And the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13). Seeing this film reminds us that all of us, including poor Henry Poole, are called to live in a loving community, called to hope in our future regardless of long we have on this earth, and called to believe more than our eyes can see.

From the previews, one might say that this movie is about miracles and water stains that look like Jesus, and we only need to believe in these signs from God. But I really don't think that is what people will get out of Henry Poole is Here. The catalyst for Henry was not a miracle on the side of his wall, but how that miracle brought people into his life - and those people were the very miracle Henry needed.

Ask yourself - what is it that God has given your life that cause others to take interest? Instead of shooing them away, how can we invite them even deeper into our lives - so that we can experience "faith, hope, and love" with others around us?

And many of us are probably overburdened with life or feel like a cog in a machine with our jobs, our homes, or our problems. We can probably associate with Henry Poole at one point in our lives or several. When we find ourselves in those situations, ask God to pull you out. But don't sit around lonely waiting for the Lord to answer.

Instead, look around you at others - friends and even strangers - and see the face of God. Through them, may you find faith in something profound, hope in your own future laid out before you, and the love of others for who you are.