I recently watched the movie “Gran Torino” starring Clint Eastwood. The movie is about Walt Kowalski, a retired factory worker and Korean War veteran who is forced to deal with gang violence in his neighbourhood. In protecting his own property, he also makes the difficult choice to protect his next-door neighbours of Hmong descent. As time progresses, his prejudices against them are slowly whittled away, and he eventually (and triumphantly) sacrifices his life to the local gang for his neighbours’ safety. The movie has quickly become one of my all-time favourites.

One of the interesting themes throughout the movie is of life and death. As the movie progresses, the recently widowed Kowalski makes friends with the local priest, and through their conversations, Kowalski discovers that he knows much more about death than he does about life. But that begins to change as he opens his life up to his neighbours, gives of himself to them, and ultimately sacrifices himself for their protection.

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I[Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’’ Satan loves it when we live bland lives, too concerned with protecting ourselves. It means that he has stolen the joy from our lives; hi has killed any vibrancy that God has intended for us. But, as Jesus says, life is supposed to be full. It is to be filled with victories, trials, laughter, tears, sweat, fatigue, fellowship, worship, reflection, growth, and many other things. When we let God take care of our protection, we are free to live, and live fully. Giving, loving, caring, teaching. These things constitute a full life, a life like God’s, in whose image we were made. We were made for life.