300 days of summer

Those are among the opening lines of the movie “500 Days of Summer.” Now this adorable little romantic comedy-drama may seem like an unlikely source to glean significant spiritual revelation, but for some reason since watching it our first week in Cambodia I’ve managed to extract a slew of unexpected observations and convictions (just ask my team, who patiently humored my analysis). Hopefully you aren’t too distraught by the lack of revelations exclusive to being on the other side of the world, but this is what’s been bouncing around in my head lately.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I don’t intend on picking apart this movie scene-by-scene, but a brief overview should suffice. The film follows Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in his romantic pursuit of Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), often painful in its all-too-familiar portrayal of Tom’s awkward paranoia, desperation, and insecurity. To begin with, Tom is immediately characterized as “believing he’d never truly be happy until the day he met the one.” This is hammered home the rest of the film, as his character is entirely consumed by this pursuit; it is without a doubt his defining characteristic. Now, I want to be open to conviction and take every necessary look at myself in light of this – what is driving my life, defining my desires, and directing my decisions? I saw too much of myself in Tom Hansen and the lengths that he went to trying to secure the affections of a girl and what he sacrificed to garner the approval of somebody else.

Tom got his degree in architecture, though for most of the film he put those dreams and gifts on the backburner, settling for a job with a greeting card company, where he meets Summer. Now, I don’t have any intention of entirely ruining the movie for you, but like any good romantic comedy-drama, things don’t always go perfectly smoothly. However, as the film claims, it was never really about the love story anyways. Summer is a simply a means to realizing an identity, a purpose, a potential that transcends this desperate, insecure pursuit. Of course, the film leaves plenty to be desired in its concluding sentiments, but I definitely picked on certain themes that can lead me into the presence of God and responding to His call on my life.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

The world doesn’t need more Tom Hansens, lost in their insecurities desperately searching for the girl of their dreams that doesn’t exist, never coming into who they were made to be. The world needs the men chasing after bigger things than imagined fairy tales and broken American dreams. You and I have a higher calling upon our lives, greater than looking towards the next cute girl or the high-paying job or the sports car or a happy family.

I ought to mention that this next month in Malaysia, the men of R Squad will be spending the month without our beloved sisters. As much as we will miss the beloved R squad women, I know that these themes have been bouncing around my head now for a reason. I’m really looking forward to exploring these thoughts over this next month, and really responding to the higher call to be men of God after His heart. It should be a good time.

“When we consider the promises of Christ, risking everything we are and everything we have for his sake is no longer a matter of sacrifice. It’s just common sense. Following Christ is not sacrificial as much as it is smart. Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.””