"Seeing is Believing" (especially in 3D)
Today, I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Seriously.
I am a true fan of good movies, but had never been to any sort of 3D movie until today. Nikki, Benny, and I took 8 street kids to see The Polar Express in IMAX 3D. Not only did we look totally rad in our 3D glasses, but the experience was unreal.
I liked the movie. It was good. But I had a hard time paying attention to the words, themes, characters, blah, blah, blah because I was so amazed at the objects jumping out at me. If you've been to a 3D movie, you know what I'm talking about. At the end of the movie, my neck was a little sore from constantly looking left, right, up, down, and occasionally ducking. I loved every minute of it even though my stomach did get a bit queezy whenever the train sped out of control - which was most of the movie.
It's not entirely true that I missed all of the themes. What themes I did pick up on, I won't forget. The major theme of faith and belief is very well expressed. I couldn't help but wonder what my friends sitting next to me were thinking throughout the movie. Did they realize that the movie ultimately wasn't really about Santa Clause?
The story asks the question - Can we believe in something that is beyond the natural and that we can not see? The movie then expresses childlike faith beautifully and challenges us to possess it.
I watched as one or two young people around me slinked down into their chairs when the character, Billy, said, "Christmas just never works out for me." Billy comes from a poor home and has learned not to expect much out of life. Most of the kids on the streets hate the Holidays. It just reminds them of crummy families and lack thereof.
In the end, the kids choose to "get on the train" and ultimately believe. Even Billy's life is forever changed.
The conductor says, "The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on." The kids jump into a mystery and discover belief. The most exciting thing about genuine faith is that God continues to be a mystery. Step into the mystery. Belief begins. The mystery reveals itself as being much bigger. Further and further in, faith grows deeper. Mystery becomes adventure, excitment, often dangerous; definitely in 3D.
That cycle never ends. . . . . . . . . I'm alright with that.
