MIKE’S MOVIE MEDITATIONS:

TOTAL RECALL

By:  Michael J. Sullivan

One could take all kinds of philosophical rabit trails with the movie, but I prefer to stick with the basics.  To a certain degree every Christian can relate to this movie, and perhaps a particular biblical character comes to mind when the double agent and fighting for freedom motif is meditated upon?  I know I was thinking of Saul/the Apostle Paul.  Douglas Quaid goes through an identity crisis of sorts as to who he is — what is the meaning of his life, is there more out there than just going to work and doing the same old same old in our lives etc…?    

Saul was once a persecutor of the Church putting many to death – including Stephen (Acts 7).  It’s no fun being a “slave to sin” or being religious and having a zeal not according to knowledge fighting for the wrong side.  But the Apostle Paul’s testimony is that “when it pleased God to reveal His Son in him,” he was granted the gift of faith and responded (cf. Gal. 1:11ff.; Phil. 1:12ff.; Acts 9; Ephs. 2:8-10).  There is something bigger than you and I and yes even our alleged “free wills.” If you are a Christian, God has planned you walking through the gates of His city and knowing Him long before you were even born so that His sovereign purposes and grace might be demonstrated and magnified through you (John 10/Romans 9/Ephs. 1-2). 

You may not be a spy, have fighting skills, be a outwardly beautiful person, etc…, but the humblest Christian has a much higher calling and meaning in life than those outside the gates of the City even if those outside the city believe they have gained the whole world and can somehow take their riches with them.  Having personal peace, love, contentment and boldness greater than a lion in preaching the gospel to lost sinners trumps ANYTHING this world can offer.  Many lost souls turn to drugs and alcohol to try and make sense of their lives and live a brief moment of bliss.  We might liken this to recall.  But by the grace of God, He intervenes and gives us REAL meaning and purpose in serving Him and He gives us the ability to cast down vain imaginations that seek to exalt themselves above Christ. 

There will be times in your journey where you get confused and be tempted to go back to the other side and watch other “disciples” walk away from the .  He will show you things in His word that are spirit and life (not flesh) that will challenge your immediate circle or comfort zone of fellowship (John 6).  But let everyman be considered a liar and God’s Word to be true.  Stay true to your mission and don’t sell-out.  God will honor you if you honor Him.  Quaid had an opportunity at one point to go back to who he once was and be on the apparent “winning side” so to speak, but in the “moment” (not meditating on the past or future) he found his true identity and couldn’t.  Peter fell and was restored on a couple of occasions, but in the end God’s people continue to persevere (1 John 3:9).  This is good news!  It’s never too late to do what is right and fight for the freedom and victory that comes through Christ. He has brought us the vicory (Rom. 8:1-2/1 Cor. 15:56-57).