Sobering reminders of being “Here”

A few weeks ago I took some time to watch the film “Here” with Tom Hanks as the main actor. The film, made by Robert Zemekis. I have been wanting to see it for some time and while it was a good movie overall. However, it left me looking at the sobering reality of life in this present age.

The movie follows a fixed place on Earth that would eventually be a home in a New England town. Starting with a Native American family living in the woods to a modern family in recent years it shows bits and parts of what took place in that location over time. A lot of drama that included triumph and sadness along the way. Scenes included family high points and low points. This included large family gatherings for Thanksgiving which I could relate to. It also showed how they tend to fade away in the end.

I was left sobered by the film in many ways as we own an old home here in Pennsylvania going on 10 years. We learned a few things about past owners. We also learned that over the past 500 to 1000 years our home location was under Lake Erie and at times was beachfront property! Even in the time we have been here so many things have come and gone in our lives and we are inevitably hurling to what lies ahead. We are getting older now so those days ahead in this life are not as exciting as they once were. Oftentimes I am looking back and wondering what happened to all those years before and why they went so fast.

One scripture that kept coming up in my mind during the film was James 4:14

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

This film brings out the brevity of life over many decades and what had happened on a single piece of ground. While a Christian can take away a lot from the concept it just reminds us that over all, what we see in the bible is that “here” is only temporary. We are not “here” very long. Everything we have “here” was because of God. What we long for is what is to come and what has been promised by God in the end.

One of the greatest comforts we can have is knowing that whatever this life has been for us, good or bad. Hard or easy. Happy or sad, the Kingdom to come will be a far better place than this. While this world is only temporary the one he wants to give us is eternal and in the end as his heirs, we can share in the eternal.

While we are here we should do the best we can with what God gave us and live life to the best of our ability no matter what. In doing so we still can have the hope and promise, looking forward to the eternal Kingdom of God. A place unlike the movie where “here” always will remain.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Koenig