In the movie "Forrest Gump" there is a scene in which Lieutenant Dan played by Gary Sinise is standing in the crow's nest imploring God to increase the power of the hurricane force storm that is nearly destroying their vessel. Dan's life has not played out as he wanted and he boils over with emotion in apparent displeasure toward God. The scene undoubtedly makes reverent religious folk cringe.
Sometimes our "reverence" is a neat outer shell as we keep things like underlying anger locked away in a separate compartment and throw away the key. It seems to me that real reverence toward God is laying ourselves open before a loving God who can help us. After all God is not intimidated by our humanity. He embraces it. He affirms it. We pray and study the Bible for years to learn about God and still somehow convince ourselves that God will be disappointed or shocked if we were to fully express anger or disappointment. How can God be disappointed in you if he has no false ideas about you? He already knows all.
For my money, the trip to that crow's nest better resembles a real relationship with God than the church "back-biter" or the church gossip ever did. I think about something Jesus said; "He who has ears let him hear". Who is "hearing" in these two scenarios? Is it the one who has heard hundreds of sermons and is still the same or the one who has come to the end of himself? You already know the answer. The end of ourselves is where God really begins a work in us. As I write I can hear Forrest Gump's voice in my head saying "He made his peace with God that day." Perhaps more of us should follow the example of Lieutenant Dan - "make our peace" and get real with God.
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