Carrie and I watched the movie “The Butterfly Effect” the other week, and I am just now getting my thoughts out about it. The idea comes from “The Chaos Theory” and basically attempts to describe how small and apparently insignificant incidents can set in motion a chain of events with far reaching consequences. As this concept relates to the movie, every time the main character went back and changed his past, the future looked much different. Though some things were improved, others were affected for the worse. Anyway, decent movie. Kind of interesting.
But it got me thinking. If taken seriously, the proponents of this theory postulate that even the flap of a butterfly's wings in Central Park could ultimately cause an earthquake in China. That blew me away. Though most dismiss this concept as farfetched and without basis, I thought I would spend some time spiritualizing it. I considered how many people I ran into each day. Some I acknowledge perhaps with a nod, a smile, maybe even a word. Others I blow by uninterested in their lives. And still others I spend a large portion of my time, investing my life into theirs. And what are the consequences? It seems that my dismissal of people has more impact than my investment, at least I feel that way sometimes. I spend hours with the kids in my youth group and then find out that they are involved in things that will only lead to pain and heartache. Meanwhile, I ignore other kids and who knows if it has any impact on them.
At the football game Friday night I saw two teenage girls holding hands and kissing. My teenagers just looked with disgust. I did nothing but continued to engage them in pointless conversation. But what if, instead of focusing on these kids that I know so well and am trying to impact, I had spent that time reaching out to their classmates that are ostracized? By ignoring them, and so many other people do I perpetuate their destiny in life to be cast out? What if a simple “Hello,” or some other act of love and kindness triggered a spiritual awakening in them?
I guess in the end, I want to be the butterfly – flapping my wings, not to cause an earthquake and devastation, but bringing renewal, restoration, and reconciliation. When my wings flap, may it cause the same ripples that Jesus’ actions did: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim the release of the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
3 comments:
I personally thought that Butterfly Effect was the best time travel movie that I've seen. Personally I thought it was a little on the vaulger side, and the movie could have made the same points and have the same plot strength as it did without the vulgarity.
Good Post
PS Timeline was a close second.
I was trying to write sarcasticly. I too hated Timeline.
Marcus (Holy Observer) - insightful as always. Your words blow me away. It is bizarre to consider such things, but I enjoy doing it nonetheless. I have considered time travel and changing the course of events, but not to your extent. I also have a theory about time. I don't think it progreses at the same speed for all people at the same time. Perhaps phrases like, "The time flew by" are not just figments of our imagination. What it time does progress at different rates. Something to think about.
Anyway, I have been challanged before that instead of focusing on God healing cancer, or something else like that, to consider the fact that I take a breath a miracle. Or that I can get up every morning. Or that my brain synapses work to allow me even to write these words. God is at work in amazing ways and our appreciation for that work ought to increase our awe for our Creator.
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