Life's Lesson from the Life of Pi

2 Corinthians 4:8-15New InternationalVersion (NIV)

⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in ourbody. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work inyou.¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[a] Since we have that same spirit of^[b] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Last Tuesday, I had the chance to watch the greatest movie I have ever seen in my entire life…the best movie for me, I supposed. It was God’s answer to me-reminding me of the response that He is expecting from me as I face the NEW YEAR. It is the movie entitled the “Life of Pi.”

The start of my new year- 2013 was stressful, full of pressures and struggling people around me. I’ve got friends who were broken from different walks of their lives and not to mention the death of my grand mother and my cousin, and currently my mom is confined in the hospital. I could tell I have been hard pressed, strucked and hunted down… How could I start my new year when all things are falling and crushing down on me?

This is the question, I have been consequently asking my God. Is my Lord testing me on how long I could stand and be strong for him? Is heworking on my obedience and patience to love him more deeply amidst all that is happening to me and to my loved ones ? Is my God leaving me now? Is He pressingthe 'PAUSE' button of hearing my cries? But my Lord, I want to run and finish the race strong for You. Be with me… reveal yourself to me.

Pi and Richard Parker in the Life Boat- a perfect picture  of being cornered with storms and trials in life. We might see this as a tragedy in our life but a perfect place and perfect time to know the sovereign God.

Our struggles and trials is like the Tiger named Richard Parker. It is our thermostat of how far we can fight and stand and wait for God to move and reveal himself to us. Though Richard Parker’s silence was relevant in the life boat, he hid himself under the tarpaulin and suddenly comes out attacking Pi and the other animals. Isn’t it the very nature of the trials that we encounter every now and then? When everything seems to be fine and good, Our Richard Parker unexpectedly strikes at us and wounds us to the very core of our soul. It attacks and pins us down and leaving us helpless and defeated if we let it. However, if we claimed the victory in us brought by our Christ,then trials are just a mere flavor in our lives that keeps the balance and keeps us alive.

Richard Parker on the boat ready to devour Pi.

On the other hand, Pi is the metaphor of our mere human nature. At the start of the movie, Pi was searching for answers about the true God from different religions… Hindu, Roman Catholic and Islam. He had been visiting and working on varieties of religious practices to help him understand of who God is. One day, God invited Pi to know him- it was when the ship sunk and left Pi alone with Richard Parker in a life boat, he then realized that the true God is taking care of him, providing him what he needs to live and survive. Having Richard Parker in the life boat is very essential for his survival since it keeps him alive and active. Soon enough, Pi wrestled with God and he learned to surrender everything to his Lord. Moreover, he settled the need of having his space in the life boat together with Richard Parker without crossing their boundaries. He disciplined Richard Parker and he was victorious. He then was the master of the life boat.Similar to us, we have to make sure that we keep ourselves in control over all else. We must understand that we are no longer slaves of the trials that come our way. In fact, we are already in the winning side. We are victorious because it is all done and finished by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pi struggling with the rain and the waves as he is in the lifeboat with Mr. Richard Parker. Feeling cornered and  nowhere to run, he shouted and surrendered himself to GOD.

Pi mastering the moves of Richard Parker - ready to win over him, he learned  how to discipline  his Richard Parker.

Furthermore, the Island in the movie is the representation of the world…everything was so great at the start. It seemed right and perfect. It yields us nearer to the pleasures and temptations of the world, unknowingly, keeping us away from God. But if we keep ourselves open, and still knows how to listen to our God, we will hear his message and we will be saved from falling.

Pi clinging on the branch, watching every creature swallowed by the fresh water turned into acid .

For me, the movie’s message is the answer to my question, it is vividly emblazoned with metaphors and a lot of figures of speech… but the answer is so clear to me, Trials are not to knock us down but to keep us alert and learning to be still amidst the darkness in our lives…It is a door opened for us to let God in in our lives and to continue trusting Him for His plans are perfect!

Let me then leave you with this verse from 2 Corinthians16-18:

^16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on theoutside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside,where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye.The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’tsee now will last forever.