So I caught 2/3 of the movie Eat, Pray, Love. I feel like the movie's been on the tips of everyone's tongue lately. I was intrigued by it a few years ago when I think Oprah made a big deal about the book, and you know me-- I never care what Oprah has to say. Haha! So... I never read the book. Intrigued by its title though, but never spent the money on it. But today, as I had nothing to do today in Sigonella, I went to the other post and got to watch Eat, Pray, Love for a mere $3.
This isn't a movie review, because I'm just me. What do you care what I thought about the movie? Haha, these are simply my thoughts. && I have to be honest, I had preconcieved notions before ever stepping in the theater. The only reason I went to go watch it was to make sure I was right. Haha!!
So, Ms. Elizabeth Gilbert. No offense, I couldn't stand her. Wait, I correct myself: I didn't understand her. Let me tell you why Oprah loved the book, and why so many people read it. This is what that book tells you about American society and culture: We are a country, a people who wants more. Never satisfied. Always searching. Constantly let down by our expectations. This is what America does to people.
EAT | FULLFILLMENT
I don't know why but the scene in which Gilbert is talking to her Publisher about why she needs to take a year off, why she needs to get away sticks in my mind. She talked about how her appitite for life, her passion everything inside her felt empty, there was nothing there.
It made me sad.
&& A little mad.
It made me sad because to feel empty like that sounds scary. It isn't truly something that I can relate to. I know in my senior year of high school I was searching for something, a "Why? What for?" And I was introduced to the idea that I needed Jesus to live the life I am supposed to. It was an interesting new concept, I took it and ran with it... and man do I have stories to tell.
&& It made me mad because in the divorce proceedings, her husband asked her, "I know you want to find yourself, but why not find yourself in our marriage?" My heart broke for him. And I was angry with her because she didn't really answer.
(Ugh, if this movie's latent cause is an influx in divorces, I am going to be so pissed.)
Fullfillment doesn't come from anything other than GOD: the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The voids we feel are the gaps in our relationship, or lack thereof, with God.
PRAY | FAITH
1) God doesn't like divorce. (Just saying. That was the one scene I saw her pray to God and then she gets up in the same scene and divorces her husband.)
2) Crying out to God in tears--great start. But it's not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am kind of thing. When you ask a question, don't you expect an answer? Where do your answers come from? Self-help books? Oprah? Friends? Dr. Phil? I've been told this and have used this example a lot: our prayers to God are like voice mails. And He texts us back answers through His Word. Why ask God a question and look EVERYWHERE else for the answer!?
As I waited for an hour for a bus to arrive to take me to Dover AFB a woman walked up for a few minutes and sat down. She was very friendly. Talkative. She handed me a business card and it had a website on it, I didn't pay much attention to it because I was trying to listen to her talk. I glanced at the tagline on the card, "Buddhism for Modern Living." She talked about their goals, how invovled she and her kids are in the movement, etc. Then she explained that they were all about attaining peace. And she noticed that her bus had arrived. She asked me where I was going and I told her, "Italy. Home." She got excited, started gushing about how she's always wanted to see Italy. And she said as she got her umbrella out and up, "I'll have to chant about that one." And said goodbye and left.
I wished that I had more time to converse with her. Probe. Ask questions. I wanted to know her story and see why she felt like she needed so much peace. I digress. To me it was strange that she said, "I'm going to have to chant about that one." Sounds so strange to me. Mantras and spells are chanted to free your mind of thoughts. How does that get you to Italy? (If you know, tell me, I just want to understand.)
I have thought a lot about what my prayer means to me, and to God. How intimately I can be with God. How much truth there is in a total surrender to His plans and what He wants. In my brokenness, I know that He will provide, heal, and teach. Prayer is that relationship lived out. It is a child speaking to a father, whose intent is to teach, raise, and provide for. (I can go on for days, but I don't want to, this post is getting long enough.)
LOVE | GOD
The word "God" is used quite a few times in this movie. I kept asking myself, "Who are they talking about!?" Then I did some Google-reserach, just reading reviews of the book here and there and I came across this, "Let me explain why I use the word God, when I could easily use the words Jehovah, Allah, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu or Zeus. Alternatively I could call God 'that'...God is the name that feels the most warm to me, so thats what I use (page 13)." So she answers my question in the begining of her book.
Again, the society that we live in today is looking for SOMETHING. We are a culture full of broken hearts, missing peices, etc. To me this notion is dangerous. It is dangerous because of John 14:6, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
So when you are talking about GOD. Make sure you know who you are talking about. When you talk about a higher being, make sure it's THE One.
All in all, the movie confirmed what I thought this book was all about. A journey of a woman who set out to "find herself." Do I think she did it? Sure. For now. But what will her next book be about? And the next?
You reach fulfillment when you acknowledge the place Jesus has in your life. And LET HIM IN. That and that alone. My MySpace (oh, such old news, right?) Bio says, "I love Jesus. Then everything else in my life falls into place." There is nothing harder to decide than to decide to follow Christ and to live the life He's called you to. (It's hard. It's challenging. BUT SO REWARDING.)
Don't settle for any alternatives, friends.
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5 comments:
*like.* :) when i heard of the book's title i thought it was quite simple yet had a touch of genius, and how can you not be intrigued to read it? but i am not an avid reader (dislike), so i never picked it up. anyway, somewhere in our room the book is laying around, since our cousin let my sister borrow it. she hasn't finished it, though i'm pretty sure it's because she, like the author, is doing her own EAT, PRAY, LOVE. but she's going after God's heart...always putting her time serving Him, and as we speak, she's on a mission's trip to Peru. while all three will be in the same place for her, she's known her pray and love for quite sometime, and that's GOD. And hopefully, the author will know that only when we have God's love, to fill us and quench our appetites to live, will everything else be purposeful and a lot less empty.
but she's just one person and there are plenty in the world who are searching. similarly, i had a convo with my co-worker...about religion. asked me mine, and vice versa. he said he was buddhist, but of a more specific kind. i forget what it's called. he asked me about heaven and what we think it's going to be like. he believes in reincarnation also, and because i'm one of the few he gets along with, he believes we knew each other in the past life. interesting isn't it? now he's obviously rebirthed into a human, which is pretty special in buddhism being that you can reach enlightenment at this point. but what's curious to me is that while he takes pride in it, he's not actively trying to reach enlightenment. if he doesn't reach it at this point, he can reincarnate into an animal or some lower state...so i wonder why he doesn't have a sense of urgency to seek this nirvana, so he doesn't have to recycle all over again?
there's a lot of convenience that takes place in between and all over our lives, much like in religion. we only call on our God or practice our faith when we need something, and toss it away when we don't. even we, as Christians, take for granted the freedom we have in our faith...same goes for everyone else i guess. if there's no sense of purpose then where's the urgency? it's sad when i hear of such emptiness too...it's like a deeper identity crisis. we can only pray that we're able to plant some seeds in these encounters, not be afraid to share our faith, and let God do the growing.
Hola Catherine. I just deleted the duplicate. Not that I don't like you. Haha!!
The interesting thing to me about Buddhism, and Hinduism, Taoism, any of the mystic religions--there is no talk of redemption or forgiveness. The movie kept telling her she had to forgive herself, etc. So far, from what I know (which is little) in Buddhism, there isn't a need for forgiveness, no teaching, no emphasis.
So--why does she keep feeling like she needs to have forgiveness from her husband, her boyfriend, herself, etc.
Why not just wait it out and try again next time. (Reincarnation?)
Buddhism is a great, self-help book. It's methods are all about harmony and removing suffering by removing want, that's admirable, but as a faith system... what are you believing in? It's a... movement of people searching for... more? Enlightenment? Knowledge? Peace?
But Buddha isn't a God. Siddartha was the first Buddha and he is esteemed, but not worshipped. (I don't think.) Buddha is a title, "The Enlightened One."
So as a faith system--not so. No "theo." No god. Just some rules and widsoms passed down to attempt a suffer-less life.
There is no urgency... to seek Nirvana because I think urgency would be 'wrong' to them. Urgency is the DESIRE to KNOW. When you desire, you suffer. Remover the desire, remove the suffering.
PS. Is Nirvana even a place? Or a state of mind? A lot of my Buddhist friends don't even know the answer, because they don't seek to know. They just associate.
My beef with any mysticism is this emphasis on yourself and how YOU can reach "GOD" or "IT." In the movie she said that godwas in her AS her. As in... she is god. (See why I was so weary at the vocabulary used?) Mysticism seeks to become whatever higher being there is.
It is all so... interesting. The Eastern religions are very inclusive, so there are so many sects and such, different beliefs because the religion/way of life is adaptable to the culture it's in.
Christianity is exclusive--there is a set standard. No additions.
Oh Darling.
You and I would get into it greatly on the subject! Haha
But, I would recommend reading the book. It is a LOT more informative than watching the movie.
However, by reading the post, I'm not very sure you'll change your opinion.
But, as you red on my blog, I absolutely loved the book, the movie, and Elizabeth Gilbert.
She's honest. She's real. She takes that leap of faith.
What's right for you, or me, or anyone else, isn't necessarily right for her. And the same for the reversed situation. I hope you do get the chance to read the book though!
=)
♥
I definitely will. I am curious to see how she summmizes her year. :)
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