105 A free sample for Big Fish

Tuesday night two friends and I went to the 50 cent theater to see “Big Fish” starring Billy Crudup (Will Bloom), Albert Finney (Edward Bloom) and Jessica Lange (Sandra Bloom, Will‘s mother and Edward‘s wife). It’s quite fanciful, and my friends didn’t care much for it. But unlike a lot of movies, it stays with you and provides much to think about because it is about storytelling and symbolism in our lives.

Christianity Today thinks it is a useful vehicle for a discussion group to reexamine some of the more powerful stories in the Bible, so it has provided a study guide free download at its ChristianBibleStudies.com. Points addressed in the 5 1/2 page study are 1) The power of Story, 2) Embellishing the Truth, 3) The Power of Symbolism, and 4) Fearlessness.

The scene that will stay with me is the reconciliation scene, when son Will takes over the storytelling role to give his father a loving and pleasant send-off to the next life. And the funeral is what I expect when I get to heaven--seeing all the folks who’ve contributed to my life.