And so it goes with God

I saw Life of Pi for the first time a week or two weeks ago. I still can't get it out of my head - especially this exchange between the writer and Pi:

Pi: Can I ask you something? I've told you two stories about what happened out on the ocean. Neither explains what caused the sinking of the ship, and no one can prove which story is true and which is not. In both stories, the ship sinks, my family dies, and I suffer.

Writer: True.

Pi: So which story do you prefer?

Writer: The one with the tiger. That's the better story.

Pi: Thank you. And so it goes with God.

 

If you have not seen the movie yet, Gregory Stephens offers a very brief summary of it (as mentioned in Wikipedia): "(it is) about a sixteen year-old polytheist who survives 227 days on a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger." And if I may just add, the story also involved a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan. In Pi's alternate story, the animals are people - making the story "unbelievable" because it would be gruesome. So it is no wonder that the writer chose the version with the animals. While it is incredible in itself because of the characters involved, it is the better story because it was the one filled with hope.

I am in awe that this film can be used as an illustration of what faith is or how we should choose what we believe in. Weeks before I saw Life of Pi, my mother asked me about the difference between our faith. Why did I choose this faith? I have not given her a reply yet (I'm a little scared that I would screw up). Of course, I can't ignore her question forever (God help me with my answer. I have a lot of answers but I want to give the best one.)

I think I would give an answer that goes something like this: 

"I knew about God before but I did not know Him. I've heard of his hand, of what he can do. But I have not met him face to face, I have not spoken to him personally because I have been weighed down by the things that I must do in order to be right with him. I have memories of him being close but these memories are fleeting. With the faith that I have now, I have come to know God. I have learned that there is nothing that I can do that can make me right with him. That made me sad at first but then I learned that I should not despair. Because He made a way. And He did it all.

That is something that I must accept. That is where my faith comes in. I am making new memories of who God is and these are memories I want to hold on to."

I guess the short version of that (assuming that my mother has seen or will see Life of Pi) would be this: I am like the writer in the movie who was in search of a story. I've heard different versions of who God is. And I choose the better story. I choose the version where God sent His one and only Son to die for my sins - the one where he died saying "It is finished" and then rose from the grave giving me a chance to live life to the full.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

-John 3:16

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

-Ephesians 2: 8, 9

Pi: What has Mamaji already told you?

Writer: He said you had a story that would make me believe in God.

Pi: He would say that about a nice meal. As for God, I can only tell you my story — you'll then decide for yourself what you believe.

Writer: Fair enough.

- Life of Pi (film)