Please note, Soul is rated PG. Most of Soul revolves around Joe teaching 22 about life and what makes it great. 22 is a soul who since the time of the ancient Greeks has had the greatest mentors of the human race to try and teach her why she should leave the Great Beyond and go and live. Every one of them failed.
Joe succeeds because, through a series of accidents, he ends up back on Earth as a cat and 22 ends up in his body. She is able to see the joys of life first-hand finally. She starts to see the joy there is in life. What makes 22's journey, and the film Soul, so powerful is the reminder that life is a gift given to us. We may not have asked for it, and it can be difficult for us sometimes, but it is meant to bring us joy and wonder. God created us to experience life and joy. Life is meant to be a gift. In the times when it is hard to remember that, films like Soul can help remind us of what God has given us. Films like Soul can remind us that God intends for us to experience joy and wonder as part of life.
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Please note, Soul is rated PG. Major Spoilers Ahead! At the start of his adventure in the Great Beyond, Joe and 22 make a deal to help Joe return to his life. However, 22 gains a desire to move beyond the Great Beyond and to finally begin her life on Earth. She remains true to the deal, though, but at the same time loses the sense of herself, becoming a lost soul. Joe realizes that he needs to help 22, so he returns to the Great Beyond and talks 22 down, reminding her about what she loved about life when she was in his body. He then sacrifices his chance at continuing life so that 22 can finally start her own. He even agrees to travel down with her as far as he can to Earth.
What Joe does is similar to what Jesus does for us. Jesus sacrificed His life so that we could have the opportunity to continue our own. Joe also emulates Christ Jesus in bringing 22 back from being lost. We all fall into times of darkness and despair when we separate ourselves from all other things that bring us joy and love. Jesus draws us back in by reminding us who we are as Christians and what that means in this world. This often starts as we read Scripture with fresh eyes and ears to see what it is that God is really saying to us. Joe is not a perfect representation of Jesus in this film. 22 becomes lost due to Joe's selfishness in wanting to return back to his life at all costs. We are often like Joe, which should give us hope because like Joe that means we can realize what we did wrong, repent, and continue to represent Christ Jesus to others in this world. When you see any lost souls in this world, look out for them. Help them regain that spark with our Lord Jesus Christ, just as Joe was able to help 22 regain her spark and help bring her, literally, into new life. Please note, Soul is rated PG. Major Spoilers Ahead!!! Soul centers around Joe Gardner. He's a music teacher who has finally broken through as a jazz musician. Out of excitement while calling everyone to give them the news, he falls into a manhole and finds himself suddenly in the "Great Beyond". For the rest of the movie, Joe is trying to return to his life. Along the way he helps a soul named 22 make the decision to finally begin her life. He even gives up his chance at life to help her. While Joe accepts his death, he is still sad that he will no longer be able to continue living, with all his dreams and plans. At that moment, one of the soul guidance counselors (angels?), who are all named Jerry, approaches Joe. She tells him that all the Jerrys were inspired by what he did and as a result: We all decided to give you another chance. Hopefully you will watch where you walk from now on. You could say that Joe earned this second chance through his helping 22 or his inspiring all the the Jerrys. But there's no rule stating any of these things would grant Joe another chance at life. In fact, one of the Jerrys has to distract Terry, the soul counter, so they can give Joe this gift. What the Jerrys give Joe is what we call Grace. It is a gift unearned and undeserved. It is the same gift Jesus gives us too. The life that Jesus gives us is not one we worked for. It's not one we deserve to have. It is a gift Jesus gives to us simply because He loves us. We are all Joe, in a way. All of us have been offered another chance. All of us have been given a gift of life. We've all been given the gift of Grace, even if we don't deserve it. |
Please note, there maybe Spoilers in the Posts below!
The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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