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I Love Movies

Posted by Rick Bates on

I love movies... especially those with good stories. 

During COVID-19, I miss going into a dark theatre and being drawn into a story on the big screen through sight and sound. Stimulated by our church’s latest series, I decided to watch the movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, on my smaller screen at home.

The story is a good one and told well. One scene, in particular, held my full attention. The professional photographer, a major player in the storyline, is secluded in a high peak of the Himalayas with his camera and zoom lens to capture a view of the rarely-seen snow leopard. Walter has laboriously journeyed to join him in this remote location and is told to sit down and stay still. The photographer shares he is there to view a snow leopard, a gorgeous cat that lives in the seclusion of such altitudes. He makes the comment, “Beautiful things don’t call for attention,” and asks Walter to take a look through the lens at the gorgeous animal walking through a slender mountainous trail. Then, as the photographer looks intently through the camera, Walter asks, “When are you going to take it?” He responds, “Sometimes I don‘t. If I like the moment ... I don’t like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it. Stay right there. Right here.”

Following the rest of the movie, I sensed this scene was a metaphor for the entire story-line: There are precious things all around ... that does not call for attention. We can only fully appreciate them when we pause to connect to their simple beauty. I love this!

I am confident that ordinary people all around us, who do try to bring attention to themselves, are beautiful creations of our amazing, loving God; and that we would benefit from ceasing whatever task we have laboured so hard to do, to simply pause, appreciate the moment, remain there for a time, and connect with something precious.

I love movies ... especially those that remind me of the astonishing story of a loving creator God who gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to give us life that can be filled with many moments with beautiful people who are wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).

 

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