The Gospel According to Gump … Forrest Gump
Twenty-four years ago last Friday, the movie, Forrest Gump, opened in theaters. It was a delightful film that has become a favorite of many and won many Academy Awards.
One of the reasons I think Forrest Gump is such a beloved film is that it continually asks the question, “What if?” What if this young man from the fictitious town of Greenbow, Alabama, really met and impacted multiple presidents? What if he did become a star college football player and ping pong champion? What if he had something to do with the development of a “fruit company”?
Perhaps another question the film dares us to ask more often is, “Why not?” Why not believe that life is like a box of chocolates? Why not sit and make conversation at a bus stop with strangers? At the heart of the film is Forrest expressing his love to Jenny with the unspoken question, “Why not me?” Why not dare to imagine and dream that people like Forrest Gump changed the course of history?
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can look back over our own history and ask those same questions of “What if?” and “Why not?” They are not questions of regret and excuse but rather invitations to imagine how great life’s box of chocolates can be. As we study Scripture, why not insert ourselves imaginatively in the stories of our spiritual history? What if we obeyed the Word as readily as Forrest obeyed Jenny’s command to run from the bullies?
In the simplicity of Forrest Gump we remember that we are already a part of something bigger than ourselves: the greatest story ever told.
all good things to each of you,
Pastor Darian