“The Transporter”

If a movie was made of your life, what would it say? What story would your life tell?

It seems like the stories in the Bible are all blockbusters: The 10 Commandments, One Night with the King, David & Goliath, The Passion of the Christ, The Robe, etc. They’re all flash and drama, life & death, lions and soldiers and bears (Elisha calling bears out of the woods to maul teenagers, “Final Destination”-style, anyone?)

If a movie was made of my life, it would look exactly like The Transporter. Except without the action and clever driving, without the stunts and the madeleines and without a shirtless Jason Statham.

But there would be rules. Be good. Be patient. Stop talking so much. Clean the house. Stuff I beat myself up over. And a lot of boring sameness day-to-day. Drive to work. Come home. Fix dinner. Do some laundry. Read/watch TV/bathe the cats. Feed the goats, knit, think about vacuuming but decide against it. Doesn’t sound too interesting, or important. It seems like, basically, what I do doesn’t matter.

Have you ever noticed that, in a movie, everything matters? Even the “boring” stuff tells us something the filmmaker thinks we need to know about the character, about the story that’s being told with their life.

What story is your life telling? When you drive to work, what do others see? While you’re at work, what story is being told? Is there meaning in the mundane? Think about the people you interact with over the course of the week … how many of those people would you invite to church, after you’ve crossed paths with them? The store clerk? The guy who cut you off? Your annoying co-worker? Does your life tell a story that would make such an invitation awkward or easy?

When you work at a church, you think of these things. There’s a lot of pressure to not have a bad day, or moment, because people know who you are and may or may not come to church based on the way they see you behave. “And this is the final proof to the world that I exist: that you love one another.” Jesus lays it on thick for the disciples in John 13:35.

My sister and I joke about this.

At the store, when they cannot get our purchase right and then overcharge us, we have to be patient and sweet (and let’s face it, people know when you’re faking) because otherwise we can’t invite that person to church. Or their brother. Or their friend, because they will advise them against us. So we joke about it instead, and look out for each other, to diffuse each other and take a breath before we ruin our opportunity for love.

Why is it so hard to live in the grace and peace and joy God has freely offered to us? “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with all people.” (Romans 12:18) Are you kidding me? Listen to what else he says: Be sincere. Honor one another above yourselves. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Bless, and do not curse, those who annoy you or persecute you. Live in harmony. Do not be proud. Do not be conceited. Be friends with those who are lowly. Feed your enemies good food, and give them fresh water when they are thirsty. Etc., etc.

Unfortunately, this is not always the story my life tells. What story does your life tell? What story do you want it to tell?