Last night I watched again the movie, The Count of Monte Cristo. The 2002 film features Mt. Vernon, Washington native, Jim Caviezel who plays Edmond Dantes. Edmond is a virtuous young man who is betrayed by his best friend and ends up exiled in a prison on an island, a sort of French Alcatraz.For years Edmond is imprisoned in solitary confinement and tortured with regularity until one day he is surprised by another prisoner who mistakenly has dug a tunnel into Edmond’s cell rather than out of the prison. The other prisoner is a priest who befriends and mentors Edmond.
It’s a great story of redemption that is told well in the movie. I draw your attention to one line for reflection.
On a day when the priest is about to die Edmond speaks of his desire for revenge on his betrayers. The old priest exhorts that he must not pursue revenge because, “Revenge is Mine says the Lord.” Edmond declares, “I don’t believe in God.” The old priest replies, “You may not believe in God, but God believes in you.”
God believes in you. God daily pursues you. Edmond later discovered how real and redemptive God is. Perhaps today would be a good day to pray a prayer; “God, would You show Yourself to me in some way that I can get it?”
4 comments:
Hello Scott-
I read your blog tonight for the 1st time and you happen to be talking about one of my favorite movies of all time. It has been a while since I seen the movie but I can still remember parts of the Dinner Toast that Edmond gives to his son about becoming a Man (I believe it was his son's birthday,.. Albert). If you still have the movie maybe you could refresh my memory but it seem to go something like this,....
,.... One moment you will be basking in glory,... the next dashed upon the rocks. What makes you a man is what you do when you are dashed upon the rocks.
What did he actually say in Toast?
Larry Santi
Larry:
Good memory. That's the quote almost verbatim.
You've faced some stormy times and I appreciate the way your character has come through.
This is also one of my favorite movies. I've watched it many times. One of the things that always strikes me is the peace the old priest seems to have. Even when he tunneled through to what he thought would be his freedom only to end up in another cell, he was accepting of his situation. Where did that come from? Was it God's peace? Does he rely on the knowledge that God has a plan for his life and this was simply another detail that God would handle. I'd like to think so. I hope the next time I "tunnel through" and don't find what I expect to find - I hope that I will rest in God's peace.
Jill:
Good to hear from you.
I find your thoughts about the priest interesting because I've also seen you "tunnel" through to unexpected places and face it with faith.
I'm glad that I know you.
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