A Good Day 10-11-09
I recently saw the movie Cloverfield and was quite impressed at how well the movie achieved its aim of showing an American-version of a Godzilla-type monster movie; I also noticed something more important, which I doubt was intended by the writer. The movie, which is completely shot from the viewpoint of a portable video camera, details the experiences of a group of friends who are in New York City when a skyscraper-sized monster attacks. Interspersed with the “current” footage are snippets of a previous video that explain the recent emotional history of two of the main characters, Rob and Beth. In the “current” story Rob is taking a job in Japan, planning to leave after a breakup with Beth; the previous video is from their last date together.
For much of the world’s population, life is short and hard. Even in this country too many people meet their end in a violently abrupt manner. I thought the movie portrayed this well through the genre of a monster movie; people were going on with their lives until all of a sudden a cataclysmic occurrence impacts them, fatally in many cases. This is not limited to the realm of fiction; on September 11, 2001 all of our lives were disrupted, to one extent or another. Whether through those terrorist attacks, or through the events in 2005 when hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, or even through a simple car accident, tragedy often strikes when you are simply living your life.
In fact, the movie portrayed very well the many ways people react to disaster. Some were in shock, some took to looting and vandalism, and most tried to flee; but there were also heroic stories and expressions of love and caring during the most trying times. During most of the movie Rob is searching the city for Beth, heedless of the gigantic monster and in spite of the numerous horrors he must face. And on this, arguably the worst day of their lives, Beth and Rob are reunited and express their mutual love under a bridge in Central Park as the military bombs the city. After this is the final scene, a clip from the “previous” video in which Beth (on her last date with Rob) tells the camera, “I had a good day.”
And this is how the world sees life – good days occur, but tragedy always strikes. No matter what we do or how we live, we will all die as our bodies succumb to the ravages of age, assuming we are not cut down first by disease, war, accident, or crime. But this is not the true picture! If we desire to live for this world, we will die having had the few joys this world is willing to give us. But if we live for God, we will still have a few joys here, but we will gain so much more in the next life. In the movie (as in life), the character Beth had a good day, but ended with a horrible day. But in Christ, we may have horrible days here, but we will find a good day that never ends when we are raised with Christ!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 NIV)
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:22-27 NIV)
Do not let this world fool you into thinking that the rare “good day” that it allows you is the best you can get! There is a place prepared for you that is unimaginably wonderful, a place where there is an unending good day. Make sure to join the family of believers in Christ, so that your name will also be written in the book of life.
-Charles Peterson