The Difference One Number Makes
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
There are two types of people in this world: people who love the movie Rudy, and people who are indifferent. I definitely fall into the first category.
There are way too many profound moments in the film to even begin to write about. I just want to spend a minute talking about passion.
Rudy's passion was obvious. He wanted more than anything to play football for the University of Notre Dame. And let's be honest, who wouldn't? I've never played competitive football in my life, and I would love to run out of that tunnel just like Rudy did. Rudy did everything that he possibly could to make his passion come true. He made sacrifices and he worked hard. He did what he had to. He even took his case to a Higher Court (the scene of him kneeling in front of the candles praying), as the priest instructed him to.
Being the product of Calvin College that I am, I can hardly watch a movie now without taking the time to discern what I had watched. Like I have already said, the movie made me (and is still making me) consider what my passions are in life. Unlike Rudy, I don't feel like I even know what I am specifically passionate about. This makes it difficult to engage my passions with all that I have.
I feel that the character that I resonate more with than Rudy is number 44. Although he is only one number away from Rudy (Rudy was 45), the two characters could not be more different. Rudy hits 44 hard during one scene, and 44 goes ballistic screaming at Rudy. He yells that Rudy treats practice like its the Super Bowl. Coach Parseghian gets up in 44's face and lays into him saying that if he had one tenth the heart of Rudy, he would have been an All-American. Ouch.
I feel like I (and many other people might feel the same) live my life one number off. Instead of pursuing my passions like #45 Rudy, I live as #44 with no heart.
If every Christian had one tenth of the heart of Rudy, imagine what this world would be like?
Posted byMike Fennema posted 10:39 PM
Oooh. Good post, friend.
you have more heart than you give yourself credit for...
I don't know about this anonymous stuff...I think I should make that a misdemeanor, just like not changing your address on your registration within 20 days of moving. Did you know you could get hauled of to jail because of that? Crazy...
Honestly, if there was such an award, I'd vote this entry for Blog Entry of the Year. Well said. Great stuff! God IS using you right now, if for no other reason to encourage your blog fan base.