Theological Reflection On Forrest Gump

Ken Harris & Johanna Russell, A Father/Daughter Team Presents:

LOVE NEVER FAILS

“I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17B-19 HCSB)

Johanna’s Theological Reflection on Forrest Gump: Part 1

A LOVE STORY

Have you seen the movie, Forrest Gump? All good thoughts in it show that filmmakers know what is good and what is bad. The goodness we see is God’s own, for all of it comes from Him. (James 1:17)

I like to look for ways that stories reflect the greatest story. Don and I watched Forrest Gump recently. I haven’t seen it all the way through in a long while. During this viewing the thought occurred to me, ‘What makes this story so amazing is seeing a selfless, child-like man go through a life that is often not good and innocent; but through the good, bad, and the ugly Forrest selflessly impacts the lives around him. Now, that is good! This is Christianity!

GIFT-LOVE

The major theme throughout the movie was Forrest’s relationship with Jenny from childhood and into adulthood. His unconditional love for Jenny is such an example of selflessness. He always treated her with kindness and never kept a record of wrongs. He was always seeking her good. If he thought she was being hurt or mistreated, he didn’t think twice to defend her. Time and time again she treated him pretty badly and used him. Jenny, in all of her messiness, told Forrest he didn’t know what love was, but in fact he knew it better than she did. He just kept loving her in all of her mess. I’m sure it’s not too hard to see the reflection of Christ and His love for us in this story.

ACCEPTING HIS LOVE

How many times have I mistreated Jesus? Like Jenny, getting mad at Forrest; she said, “Forrest, you can’t keep trying to rescue me all the time.” Jenny was doing what she wanted and didn’t want anyone interfering, but Forrest saw that it wasn’t good and he couldn’t just sit back, he said, “I can’t help it. I love you.” God knows what’s best and He is working everything together for good, but we stomp our feet and say, “No, God, I know better! I don’t want you coming in and rescuing me all the time.”

It breaks my heart to know that I respond to my Savior in this way. God is saying, I love you too much to let you do this or that. I love you too much to just let you sit in your mess. I’m coming in to rescue you, because I love you. Shortly after my husband and I first met, Don and I were out on a date, and Don couldn’t resist anymore to declare his love for me, he said, “ I’m going to love you whether you like it or not.” That won my heart!

NEED-LOVE

God wants your heart. He is going to love us whether we are going to like it or not and sometimes that love means that God is going to step in where we think He shouldn’t; but if we will trust that God truly loves us unconditionally and has our best in mind, we can freely say, “I love you too, and I will accept your loving rescue.” “If God is for us who can be against us….Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:31b, 35a)

Pray for this love in your own heart.