Groundhog Day
Blogger ate my first post today, which had NOTHING to do with Groundhog Day. Perhaps when I get the energy to repost it we'll be able to talk about something besides buck-toothed rodents and crazy German folklore.
But until then...
Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow today. Spring comes early in 2007.
I always think of the Bill Murray movie on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day. If you've never seen it, imagine being stuck in the same day over and over and over and over and over again. Ack! There are some days I don't relish going through the FIRST time around, let alone repeat them for all of eternity.
The intruguing thing for me about the plot of Groundhog Day is to see the change it brings in Bill Murray's character. He goes from a snobby and surly womanizer, to a grumpy and put-out snobby and surly womanizer, to a little less snobby (but still grumpy and put-out, and still womanizing), to slightly less put-out (more of a resigned) and grumpy womanizer, to... eventually... could it be?... embracing his fate to always live the same day over and actually doing something good and useful with himself rather than grump, surl, snob and womanize.
Of course, "Fate" was just waiting for him to make the connection before it released him to the rest of his life.
It brings up a good point about our existence- is the monotony and repetitiveness of life
(say, doing laundry) a punishment for being snobby and surly? Or is repetition just the way things are in a fallen world- that we must daily keep entropy at bay? Or is monotony appointed as an opportunity?
But until then...
Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow today. Spring comes early in 2007.
I always think of the Bill Murray movie on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day. If you've never seen it, imagine being stuck in the same day over and over and over and over and over again. Ack! There are some days I don't relish going through the FIRST time around, let alone repeat them for all of eternity.
The intruguing thing for me about the plot of Groundhog Day is to see the change it brings in Bill Murray's character. He goes from a snobby and surly womanizer, to a grumpy and put-out snobby and surly womanizer, to a little less snobby (but still grumpy and put-out, and still womanizing), to slightly less put-out (more of a resigned) and grumpy womanizer, to... eventually... could it be?... embracing his fate to always live the same day over and actually doing something good and useful with himself rather than grump, surl, snob and womanize.
Of course, "Fate" was just waiting for him to make the connection before it released him to the rest of his life.
It brings up a good point about our existence- is the monotony and repetitiveness of life
(say, doing laundry) a punishment for being snobby and surly? Or is repetition just the way things are in a fallen world- that we must daily keep entropy at bay? Or is monotony appointed as an opportunity?
paper lantern of the day Friday, February 02, 2007
6 Comments:
Interesting analogy. I don't have anything profound to say in response, but you should read a little chapbook by Kathleen Norris called The Quotidian Mysteries. (It costs, like $5.) It's about finding God's redemption in the mundane, ordinary realities of life, and how they are a gift not to be avoided.
I agree with Christianne about the opportunity of encountering God in the mundane.
Even so, Eve and I will have words when we meet.
It reminds me of the Martin Luther sermond where he mentions a maid milking a cow and a farmer plowing his field--all to the praise of the glory of God.
Perhaps the mundane tasks exist simply because that sheer joy in existing exited the garden w/ Adam and Eve. I dunno!
But, I do know that even the most mundane task in life can become an act of worship when we focus on the grace and mercy He provides for us and respond to Him and all His glory! (1 Corinthians 10:31) It's not always easy, but it is always our choice!
As for Groundhog Day...saw the ending yesterday. Everytime I see Bill Murray I think of Campus Crusade and the time they showed What About Bob in McBryde. Baby steps...
An English major who also attended seminary spelled sermon wrong. Perhaps I can blame it on the keyboard?!?!?
Groundhog Day...I have relived that movie more times than Phil Conners lived that day!!!
It's a movie my husband pops in at the end of a long hard day of work...he kicks back and...falls asleep...in the first 20 minutes or less. And as I am crocheting or like the evening of Feb. 1st, reading my sps study, sit there to watch the whole movie. Guess what happens the next night? He says "Let's watch Groundhog Day."
"Uh, again, we just watched that last night."
"I fell asleep and missed it."
(what's to miss?)
"I watched the WHOLE thing!!"
"You did? Why didn't you take it out and put something else in?"
.....
and so it goes.
why didn't I put something else in? I guess that would require getting up and making a decision. Not something I am so keen on doing during the wind-down hours.
Anywho..Happy Early Spring! I'm glad he didn't see his shadow.
I agree with Christianne. I used to dread doing the same things each day. I still struggle with a daily routine -- sometimes I brush my teeth before I shower, sometimes after. But in the past couple of years, I have begun to see the dailyness of life more as liturgy than monotony. If I don't do at least some of the same things each day, I find it hard to remember to pray and to meditate and to see the rhythms God has woven into creation.
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