I can’t remember having had an emotional response to a movie like that since seeing Forest Gump. Friday 
night I watched: “We Bought a Zoo” with my sister and nieces. The content wasn’t what I was expecting at all which I’ve found is the best setup for a great movie. After the movie my oldest niece Aida made a comment about the movie being all about romance. And yet to me part of what made this movie beautiful was that it was about a lot of things: A man grieving the loss of his wife, teenage love, the stress of being a parent, letting go, being courageous, raising an adolescent boy,and trying to find your way forward when you have no clue.
This movie made me want to be a dad, to be back in student ministry and to be courageous for 20sec – especially with the opposite sex. The movie answers a question I’ve been asking for a while now: “Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?” With an exclamation point it declares it is far better to have loved and lost. Even with the huge loss of his wife there are still the memories they made, and though rough at times, the life-giving relationship with his kids.
I think one of my core issues centers on this issue of risk-taking. I tend to wait until all my ducks are in a row before making a decision. I hold back whenever I sense danger or potential hurt. While I believed in my heart this has protected me, even necessary at times it has also blocked me from so much joy in this life. As said in the movie, on the other side of that scary, gut-retching 20secs of courage is something beautiful.
The movie ends with its main character taking his kids to the cafe where he first met their mother. He tells with emotional detail what it was like to work up the courage to talk to her for the first time. The point is made without saying it verbally that none of this adventure of owning a zoo, their memories made or relationships would have happened without those 20secs of courage.
I want to be that man this year…to display radical courage if only for 20sec and step out where I would have normally held back. If you haven’t seen it yet do yourself a favor and see this wonderful film.
I want a zoo.
