Monday, July 16, 2007

We can thank God for Bavarian Sugar Cookies


I spent the evening with Miss Hannah Clark, talking, eating pizza, and watching 'Stranger Than Fiction.' I had seen it before, but she had not, and I had no doubts that she would enjoy it. But it was the last few minutes of the film that proved especially memorable for us. The discussion that ensued was the result of one indelible quotation:

"As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick."
-Kay Eiffel, Authoress, 'Stranger Than Fiction'

If you have not seen the film, I won't spoil the exact ending. After exclaiming "this movie is classic Mellis. It defines you," Hannah proceeded to open the discussion by relating what Eiffel has to say to Van Tillian apologetics, where we discussed how non-Christians will feel thankful for something in their lives, but they do not realize *to Whom* they are thankful. How sad is that? But it is quite true. And it really is the small things that make up our lives that we need to remember to be thankful for. It is too easy to be thankful for the big things, the miracles, the major provisions and crucial outcomes of events--but what about cookies? wristwatches? hugs? And what about when we find ourselves on the path of long obedience in the same direction, and it appears that nothing will ever wake us from the stupor of the quotidienne--the everyday--what do we do then? Do we muster the energy and the willpower and the emotion to thank God for the simple things that pull us through the day, or do we slump into apathy?
I often find myself in the latter category. On the one hand, I crave the predictable and the comfortable in times of change and trial and insecurity, but when things become too unvarying for my tastes, I yearn for something--almost anything!--to break the cycle.
So what comes from all this? The fact that I...we...are never satisfied. The predictable and the unpredictable will never satisfy, because I (we) are looking for our foundation in them, instead of in the Lord. Because really, He is the only constant in life. I may desire consistency in the midst of shifting sand, but He is the origin of all things miraculous and awesome as well.

And so, Harold Crick may find himself thankful for Bavarian Sugar Cookies, but until that thankfulness leads him to the Lord, there is sadly still much to be desired.

(But this is still an excellent film)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Mellis, that was very rich and insightful...who is your friend? She seems neat. :) haha..but seriously, good thoughts...and good times...

Marco Rietveld said...

Thanks for writing down the quote! I was just writing it down and figured, "Hey, I'll bet someone else has.. "

As for non-christians, myself being one of them, I'm simply thankful -- but I can only speak for myself. I'm agnostic, so that's enough for me, which makes sense.

But I also believe that no one religion is better than another. And it upsets me that you find non-christian people "sad". It probably means that you have less respect and compassion for people who don't share your beliefs. And they just might also know how to bake Bavarian sugar cookies. :)

rebecca said...

No problem, Marco. And when in doubt, I find the imdb.com database very helpful when searching for movie quotations and the like...

As to your last comment, I think you misunderstand me. When I said "how sad is that?" I was in no way referring to non-Christians at large. I am the only Christian in my family, so the one thing I have learned is to be respectful and compassionate to others, particularly those who are in a different place than I am. What I intended to say was that I can't fathom myself what it feels like to be thankful in the general sense, and not in the specific sense. It would feel like a misplaced emotion to me, and I wouldn't know what to do with myself! But that is just me. Thank you for your interest and your comment, because it is always good to get an outside opinion of how I am (apparently poorly) communicating my thoughts.

Olivier. said...

In reference to him finding the Lord, (Second last sentence) you don't feel that the line, from your quote "...We can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies..." is making a very specific mention of something to thank God for... I feel it implies he has, indeed, found his way to the Lord.

I'm pretty agnostic. I believe in my OWN God, so maybe I'm missing the point of your comments, particularly as I only stumbled upon your blog looking for this quote :D

Haha.

Peace.

~

'Liv