Fight Club

Believe it or not, this post will be similar to the "Mediocrity" one, but it happens to go with "Fight Club" which is the movie I watched yesterday afternoon. If you've never seen that movie, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. It's really disturbing. But for some reason, I also found it really intriging. I think I like movies that make you think, no matter what the content.

The main character is this movie is a real lame-o. He works as a insurance adjustor and travels around checking out insurance claims. The best thing in his life is his IKEA furniture. He loves loves loves it and generally loves all of his possessions. Right at the beginning of the movie he meets a guy named Tyler Durden who is everything he's not- cool, fun, and fearless. A relationship between them develops, and the "narrator" slowly learns the secret to having relationships and a life that matters- giving up control. He first realizes the necessity of giving up control when his condo burns down and he loses all of his possessions. Throughout the movie though it is mostly Tyler that forces him to continuously "let go" and "hit rock bottom." What I found intriging was how much this movie parallels the relationship we have in Christ. God is asking us to seek Him to fullfill our needs. He is asking us to let go and let Him be in control.

Strangely enough, the theme of today's sunday school class was similar to this. We are talking about the book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes which was written by Solomon who was a very wise and rich man. The question posed by our speaker was "How do we enjoy life without creating idols". Basically, how do we enjoy the things of this world that do make us happy and are fun, without letting them come between our relationship with Christ. That was what the IKEA furniture was to the lame-o guy, an idol, and he really was not happy or content. He never really learned in the movie how to enjoy life, and that His yearnings are actually only meant to be fullfilled in a relationship with God. He only knew the how-to-enjoy-the-things-of-this-world part. This was the main verse we talked about. This is Solomon talking:

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

He realized that nothing was ultimately gained in the seeking after of things in this world. He was happy with what he did, but it didn't ultimately fullfill Him. He needed to give up control, let his fullfillment be in Christ, and then enjoy the things of this world within the context of knowing that they are a gift from God and are not designed to give him ultimate happiness. This is how Tyler Durden put it: "It’s only after we’ve lost everything, that we’re free to do anything." ~ Fight Club

P.S. My idols are mostly TV and movies. If I had no obligations like a job or the Holy Spirit reminding me not to, I would literally watch Law and Order reruns and tons of movies all day long with a beer in one and hand and popcorn in the other. So don't assume I have this stuff figured out. But it's interesting stuff, I hope.