So...I was watching this movie Keeping the Faith, with Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Gwynith Paltrow. The plot is quite interesting. Stiller plays a playboy Rabbi, Edward Norton plays a Catholic priest, and Paltrow a successfull workaholic. All of them were childhood friends. Paltrow left for fifteen years working and returned to work in New York and hang out with her rabbi and priest buddies. The movie starts with them picking her up at the airport where they quickly realize that while she was gone she grew up into this incredible bombshell of a lady. Then her and Jake fall in love but keep it secret, while Norton has also secretly fallen in love with her. In short the movie is full of great akward scenes.
There was a scene thought that jumped out at me. Norton, after very poorly confessing his love to the lady, is talking with his mentor priest about almost leaving the priesthood. the priest makes a cute little speech but drops the line that "some choices are not just singular choices that are long lasting. Sometimes a choice amounts to deciding to make the same choice for the rest of your life." He was saying that this applies to being a priest or being married.
Well this may be apparent to some of you but I've never really looked at anything that way. Come to think about it there are probably days in some married couples lives in which they spend the whole day not really being married, maybe even longer. I know that there have been days when I haven't been a good son, or brother, or friend; definitley never a good boyfriend. but I'm still a son, brother, and friend to many people by title. I can choose though to ignore the spirit of being anyone of those things. I've never been a good boyfriend because I've never decided to make decision to be on over and over again. The other decisions have come and gone and come again.
So there is an observation. I liked it so I thought that I would share it.
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3 comments:
I love that movie... not to be a smart ass, but it is Jenna Elfman (not Paltrow) from Dharma & Gregg... anyway, not my point.
On the marriage thing, as a now 5 year married girl, I can definitely say it is a daily decision to be hear. Everything about me and Joel has changed (some for better some for worse) in this amount of time. And everyday, I re-evaluate how to relate to this person sleeping next to me, and decide I will honor and love him still. It is the same with my relationship to Christ...
My favorite scene from the movie is the Bridge seen when Jenna & Edward are discussing sex, and he explains how being a celibate priest isn't about the sacrifice, but about the love of the one you are committing to (my paraphrase). It is a great way to explain why we chose to honor God - not to be righteous through some rule, but because we trust the Ruler more than anyone else.
true, true it is jenna elfman. i was guessing on the gwynith thing. i think i may understand a little bit more about marriage. but i'm sure i still know next to nothing. with christ i agree, i feel more though that it's me giving in to His encouragment rather than "girding my loins" and deciding on my own. i appreciate your speedy comments. i thought i would surely be writing to myself after such a long repose. thank you.
do you hear the sound of fingers tapping on a table? i do. oh, they're mine. they do that when they patiently wait for new posts from notable bloggers. just checking in to see what is happening.
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