So, the other night, we had a free Redbox coupon, so Steve and I decided to rent the movie Pompeii. We're both kind of history buffs, and I remembered the story of Mount Vesuvius as well as the town fated to be destroyed directly under its shadow, so when Steve suggested it, I thought, "Sure, might as well!"
We usually do at least some research before picking a movie to watch, but this one was free, and it had a few big-name actors we recognized in it, so we thought, what the heck.
Ummmm. For those of you who like two-dimensional characters, Gladiator-style soap operas, and completely predictable plot lines with lots of unnecessary violence, you'll love it.
For anyone interested in an actual good story or interesting characters, you're out of luck.
Spoiler alert for anyone who doesn't know anything about ancient Roman history: the volcano (the part we were most interested in seeing) didn't even start to blow until maybe the last ten minutes of the movie, and even that was ruined by way-too-overused CGI. (I miss pre-CGI movies sometimes).
However, as the two main characters were running from their imminent demise, I had an interesting thought that I posed to Steve: "If you were in a situation like that--you knew that you and your family were going to die--what would you do? Would you fight to survive (Leo and Kate, Titanic-style?), or would you try to make peace with your death as it came?"
He thought about it, said, "I don't know--probably depends on the situation, I guess," and left it at that as we continued to mock the oh-so-predictable ending, but my question stayed with me long after the movie was over and into the night--I even had a hard time sleeping because the thought stayed with me in my consciousness after I had gone to bed.
What would you do in a situation like that?
I think for me, I would probably do everything I could do within reason to save my children--but once all avenues of safety had been exhausted, I know what I would want to do.
I would take my children--my sweet Maggie:
and my spunky Clark:
into my arms. Steve and I would wrap ourselves around them as much as we could, and then I would start to tell them stories. I would tell them about the people I knew would be greeting us on the other side--Grandma and Grandpa Beecroft, Grandpa Flake, my uncles and aunts who have already passed on, and their sweet cousin Alma, and try to let them know that what was coming might be scary and painful for a bit, but after a brief moment, we would find the joy.
And then I would talk to them about my Savior. I would tell them how much I love Him, and how I know that He loves me, and then I would picture just how He would greet each of my perfect children--He would hold Jack's face in His hands, and Jack would get his sweet "reverent" smile that I know means he's thinking about something very special. He would pick Clark up and Clark would wrap his arms and legs about His neck in one of Clark's oh-so-spectacular hugs. And He would hold Maggie so tenderly in his arms, and she would have no fear in smiling up at Him and talking to Him.
And when it would be my turn, I can't say what I might do, but I hope to kneel in front of Him, kiss His hands and feet, and feel Him wipe away my tears, as it promises in Revelations 21:4: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain..."
Isn't it interesting how, with a gospel perspective, even death doesn't seem so terrible, after all?
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