“Secretariat”, Book of Job, and Being Open to Love and Life

Before I had seen the movie "Secretariat" I read, then wrote about, a review of the movie here. In it, the reviewer dredged up buckets of hateful gunk. Racism, hatred, anti-traditional American values, inferred rejection of the Christian message of faith and grace. It was just horrible. I remember when I was a Marxist, I had that same sense of the futility of life; of the exceptionalism of America. I had that nihilist view of life that you're born, you suffer, you die.

I was uplifted by this story. It's more about a woman that has strength of character and is willing to take the risks and consequences of that risk, good or bad. She taught and elevated others with that strength. The narration of the story opens quoting from the Book of Job. It's about suffering setback and loss, and how we deal with them. 

It's sad the reviewer only saw lies and hatred in this story, that he was moved to experience hatred instead of exaltation. He's of the same mindset that the people that control the "culture", movies, theater, music, news media have, along with the dominate political party. They are blinded by hatred of self and the essence of life. They are cynical about everything, and see this as Truth. The Truth is, life is tough; but there is redemption and grace. When you don't believe in redemption and grace, then you see wonderful uplifting movies as lies and hate. 

They see moral people fall short of how they say they want to live and call them hypocrites, while they have only whatever standards are convenient to the moment. People that believe in grace, forgiveness and redemption understand the why of those shortcomings. We are separated from God, and reach out and help one another with that understanding. People that don’t have that reject that message and seem to think there’s a few people or person that have the answers. So they submit to charismatic people, gurus, and politicians. It ends in disaster. The answer is where Job found it, and why Job was the narration at the beginning and end of this movie.

God reveals his omnipotence to Job, and about the horse:

 “Have you given the horse strength?
      Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

  Can you frighten him like a locust?
      His majestic snorting strikes terror.

  He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
      He gallops into the clash of arms.

  He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
      Nor does he turn back from the sword.

  The quiver rattles against him,
      The glittering spear and javelin.

  He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
      Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

  At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
      He smells the battle from afar,
      The thunder of captains and shouting.

We people can’t do that. There’s no small group of people, no one person that can measure up to that. If you do believe that persons or government can do all things, you are doomed to fail. I'm reminded of the story of some scientists calling out God, saying they can create a man just like He did. God says go ahead and show Me. The scientists get some clay, mold it, and energize it, and it becomes a man. God says to them, that's okay, but do it with your own mud. 

God asked Job:

“Who is this who darkens counsel
      By words without knowledge?

  Now prepare yourself like a man;
      I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

  “ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
      Tell Me, if you have understanding.

  Who determined its measurements?
      Surely you know!
      Or who stretched the line upon it?

  To what were its foundations fastened?
      Or who laid its cornerstone,

  When the morning stars sang together,
      And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

  “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
      When it burst forth and issued from the womb;

  When I made the clouds its garment,
      And thick darkness its swaddling band;

  When I fixed My limit for it,
      And set bars and doors;

  When I said,

     ‘This far you may come, but no farther,
      And here your proud waves must stop!’

  “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
      And caused the dawn to know its place,

  That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
      And the wicked be shaken out of it?

  It takes on form like clay under a seal,
      And stands out like a garment.

  From the wicked their light is withheld,
      And the upraised arm is broken.

  “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
      Or have you walked in search of the depths?

  Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
      Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?

  Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
      Tell Me, if you know all this.

  “ Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
      And darkness, where is its place,

  That you may take it to its territory,
      That you may know the paths to its home?

  Do you know it, because you were born then,
      Or because the number of your days is great?

We gain wisdom and knowledge, an appreciation of life, when we recognize that they do not come from ourselves or others. They are God’s gift. That gift sustains us. If we don’t recognize that, then we become the nihilist that doesn’t find joy in the message from a movie like “Secretariat” or “Blind Side”. It’s not real to them. They can only see and experience the dark. Without Faith there’s only destruction and sadness.

I took joy in this movie, its message of character, faith, determination, understanding, patience, love and honesty. All these come from God.

That reviewer and others like him are missing out on something incredible. He's missing out on who he is.