Monday, July 6, 2009

three seasons and life lessons...

If you've followed this blog for awhile you know that I have this thing with movies and searching out unrequited meanings in the plot. While reading zie uber fabulous book Prodigal God by Tim Keller I was reminded of a foreign film that caused me to cry rivers of tears for days after viewing. Reason number 342,457,364 why I want to grow up and be Tim Keller: he watches movies like I do. (Now if he ate popcorn with jalapenos while doing so, I'd be his indentured servant.) His comparison to the love of God in one of my favorite foreign films is genius and a perfect way to start my day.

The acclaimed foreign film Three Seasons is a series of vignettes about life in postwar Vietnam. One of the stories is about a Hai, a cyclo driver (a bicycle rickshaw), and Lan, a beautiful prostitute. Both have deep, unfulfilled desires. Hai is in love with Lan, but she is out of his price range. Lan lives in grinding poverty and longs to live in the beautiful world of the elegant hotels where she works, but in which she never spends the night. She hopes that the money she makes by prostitution will be her means of escape, but instead the work brutalizes and enslaves her. 

Then Hai enters a cycle race and wins the top prize. With the money he brings Lan to the hotel. He pays for the night and pays her fee. Then, to everyone's shock, he tells her he just wants to watch her fall asleep. Instead of using the power of his wealth to have sex with her, he spends it to purchase a place for her for one night in the normal world, to fulfill her desire to belong. Lan finds such grace deeply troubling at first, thinking Hai has done this to control her. When it becomes apparent that he is using his power to serve rather that use her, it begins to transform her, making it impossible to return to a life of prostitution.

Jesus Christ, who had all the power in the world, saw us enslaved by the very things we thought would free us. So he emptied himself of his glory and became a servant (Philippians 2). He laid aside the infinities and immensities of his being and, at the cost of his life, paid the debt for our sins, purchasing us the only place our hearts can rest, in the Father's house. Today let's live not like prostitutes trying to survive, but like children of God who were born to thrive.

10 comments:

Nay. said...

B,
I'm back from PR and have been reading all the entries that I've missed since I left. What a blessing and today's was no exception! I love that your posts cause us (me) to think... you always give me something to meditate on! Thank you! See you tomorrow. Love ya!

Diandra Ann said...

You always get to me. This one made me tear up. Beautifully written... great comparison as always :)

Anonymous said...

I have tears in y eyes and my boss is looking at me like?? what is going on??. Thanks Bianca your post have become my daily meditation to Go . Tnanks to you i have become closet to the lord and will always thank you for that!!

Melinda said...

Great word! Thanks for sharing!! We L-O-V-E movies, so i'll be sure to check this one out!!

Anonymous said...

mmm...AMEN! Great post BB!

-j

Bianca said...

@nay: welcome home! hope PR treated you well :)
@diandra: thanks for the encouragement. have a great vacay in OR :)
@anonymous: i pray for all those who read this blog. i'm amazed that people continue to come back and humbled that i'm making minor differences in lives. what an honor!!!
@melinda: okay, really?! the series is not the same without the guys! i miss them and need to think of another time for them to come out and rock the house. hope your summer is going well :)
@j: thursday it's on like donkey kong! tell theo to BRING IT! :) just kidding. maybe i should just drop it all together.

Anonymous said...

one word WOW!

Ed de Blieck said...

Hiya- Haven't read the prodigal god one yet, but am looking forward to it. I just wrote up a review of Keller's other big seller - "The reason for God" over at http://caughtnottaught.blogspot.com/

Bianca said...

@caught: i love different perspectives and i'm not afraid of hearing people out. i'm bummed you're not a Keller fan, but I'd really like to read your Prodigal God review... even though I KNOW you're going to have some beef with it :)
i'm a conservative liberal who wants to constantly push the understanding of biblical beliefs in ways we can understand. Keller does a good job, but i like that you have a different perspective.
thanks for commenting! cheers to England :)

JPBJR said...

Just to let you know, I anin't frontin when it comes to your "Conservative Liberalism" I would just like to know what one is?

Besides, isn't saying you're a "Conservative Liberal" like saying you're a "Vegetarian Butcher?"

Not frontin, just wonderin... ;-)

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