"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you: Seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." -- Luke 11:9-10
My daughter and I went to see the movie "The Life of Pi" last night. I listened to the audio book version several years and ago and my daughter listened to part of it with me. We both loved the book so much that we were excited to see the movie. Let me first say that the 3-D and special effects were amazing! Flying fish that felt like they were jumping right into your lap! I am told that the tiger on the boat with Pi was computer generated. Well, that computer tiger was so real looking and sounding, it made us jump with fear several times! And the underwater scenes were extraordinary!
But what has stuck with me since watching the movie was the young Pi of the story. In 1970's India, Pi is searching...he is looking for God everywhere. He finds peace in Hinduism; he finds Christ on a dare as he runs into a church to drink the holy water and meets a priest tells him about the sacrificial life of Christ. He then finds God through Allah in the Muslim faith and finds comfort in the prayer rituals. This is a lot of searching for a young boy. His father, who believes in science instead of any god, wants Pi to choose a religion instead of going from one religion to the next. But, Pi is full of wonder. He is full of awe, admiration, fascination, suprise, astonishment, amazement and curiosity...all of those wonders of childhood.
As I sat there watching the movie, I kept thinking that some of my church friends would not like this movie because of how Pi isn't satisfied with just Christianity...he looks for more, and finds peace in other religions as well. Doesn't the Bible tell us we shouldn't look for other gods..."You will have no other gods before me." -- Exodus 20:3
Yes, that's true. But, Pi didn't have Christian parents who took him to Sunday school to learn the 10 Commandments. He wondered, and searched for this all on his own. He was seeking...he was knocking on doors. God was answering.
On that boat, in the middle of the ocean with only a dangerous tiger named Richard Parker for company, an older Pi thanks God for the fish that kept him and the tiger alive. Pi questions God as to why he has left him there alone...he surrenders his life to God out there in the middle of no where. God spares his life and allows him to tell his story many years later, and his story touches the heart of the who heard it. and makes HIM question and wonder about God.
Yes, Linda, this was just a story...it did not really happen. Why are you spending so much time contemplating the life of a fictional character??? I just think our world needs to have a little more "wonder" in it. I don't understand why there are so many religions in the world if we all came from one God, but I do wonder about those other religions. I respect them and the people who believe in them enough to wonder aloud to them and listen to their answers about why they believe what they believe. It isn't going to change my deep-set beliefs to listen and respect others. But, so many times, I think we "write people off" because we don't believe what they believe. We storm right ahead, ready to tell them why they are wrong, instead of listening to why they believe what they believe.
And...then some of us don't believe anything. Some of us have left wonder back in childhood. They just live their lives, day by day, not seeking, not looking, not knocking. The world can seem pretty grey when we are looking for meaning. Like a boring movie screen with no action, no color and nothing popping off the screen.
So, you see that this movie did stick with me. I hope to have a little of Pi in me each day...keeping my faith in my mind and heart, but continuing to search for meaning as well. It makes life more interesting and I find that God does answer when I knock. He sends me messages in books, stories, songs, movies, a note from a friend...When I seek with an open mind, I find. Then, I share what I find with others. I don't have flying fish or ferocious tigers, but I think God helps me get my point across! ;-) Be blessed today, and open your mind and start knocking!
got here by accident and I watched life of Pi on the 6ht of January,2013 and I was so touched and amazed by the film even my son was into it after the tiger seemed to Jump at us as we too watched it in 3D,we got home and my 11 years old had so may questions to ask as we are Christians and I answered the best way I could then he said well mum I think Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said love one another, he thought each time I moved from love to laws I started struggling lovely film!
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