“I came so they would have life” (John 10:10)
It’s a silly, hilarious, entertaining comedy; and I have never grown tired of watching it since it came out in 1963. With a large cast of well-known stars (well, they were well-known back then), it is one of my all-time favorite movies. I’m talking about the film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It all begins when a group of unsuspecting drivers witness an accident in the hills of California. Just before the victim of the accident succumbs to his injuries, he tells them about a treasure he has buried. That sets off a wild and unconventional race among the group to get to the treasure first. Meanwhile, the chief of police monitors their competition, to see where it leads so that he can reap the rewards of the treasure hunt first. I could not tell you how many times I have seen the movie, and I am in stitches each time.
I not only enjoy the movie I also ponder what it teaches about human nature. What motivates this band of jesters to go to the extreme measures they do in order to be the first to find the buried treasure. Obviously, we could say greed, and of course we would all be right. But I do believe there is something even deeper going on. I am of the opinion that what lies deeper than greed in each of this treasure seekers is – this thing called life. Life is what feeds us. Life is what motivates us. We all seek life, because it is what we crave most. What I mean is that we all search for something in our journey to give us, feed us – life. Some of us search for life in money. Some in power. Some in an occupation. Some in material things. Some in relationships. Some in simply being accepted.
But here’s the thing we need to realize, and it is the final, and I believe the most important lesson we need to learn in our journey with Christ. We will never get life out of things that are destined to die. Out of things that are not eternal. Human beings are eternal souls. God created us that way. We will all spend eternity somewhere. Therefore, we need something that is also eternal to nourish the life within us. And the only One who can do that is Jesus Christ.
So, I encourage each of you to take some time and think about what motivates you, what you are on a quest for, what you strive for the most. What feeds you? What are you searching for more than anything else? What gives you, life? What treasure are you looking for in this mad, mad, mad, mad world we live in?
Darlene