“R” Rated Lives

Last week I received a notification from Netflix of a newly released film I might enjoy based on my viewing history. The film was entitled Father Stu and is the story of Father Stuart Long, a Catholic priest, who took the long road to the priesthood. It becomes apparent early in the film that Father Stu had less than an idea childhood or home life. He certainly wasn’t raised in the Christian faith. He was one of those kids that came from a hard place and grew up experiencing a lot of disadvantages that most of us who grew up in a two-parent family take for granted.

The movie reminded me of the concept to lyrics from Johnny Cash’s song, “A Boy Named Sue”. Do you remember the song?

“Well, my daddy left home when I was three
Didn’t leave very much to my mom and me
Except this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don’t blame him ’cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that my daddy ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me Sue

He must’ve thought that it was quite a joke
And I got a lot of laughs from a lots of folk
Seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle and I’d turn red
And some guy’d laugh and I’d bust his head
I tell you, life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue”

I am not a sports enthusiast and have little appreciation for boxing. Seriously, who wants to make a living getting hit in the face and head? I know there will be a number of folks who read my blog that think I’m narrow minded and not looking at the big picture.

I am not one of those people who deprives any kind of pleasure or a sense of accomplishment from pain. That being said, I get the gist of “no pain/no gain”. I also understand the concept that many things are difficult to accomplish until they become easy. Hence – practice makes perfect. That being said, at no time will I ever desire to punch you in the face or be punched in the face to prove a point.

Father Stu eventually turns from boxing to pursuing being an actor. Hence he leaves home and makes his way to Los Angeles. A career in acting was mostly beyond his grasp, but in the pursuit of life, he sees a girl, and from his perspective, it was love at first sight.

The girl, a devout Catholic, knows her family will never approve of Stu without his being baptized into the Catholic church. In the concept of pursuing the girl, he has an experience with God that changes his life.

I’m not recommending the movie because it is rated “R” and the language is more than a little rough around the edges. I wouldn’t describe it as a feel-good movie, but it was one of the most impactful Christian movies that I’ve seen.

I may be soft around the edges, but the movie moved me to tears. It dramatically underscores the dynamic difference God can make in a person’s life. I will even say the film is immensely thought-provoking and moved me closer to God.

As I side note, I had the thought that many of us are in the midst of “R” rated lives. Life isn’t easy, and the difficulties and complexities that come with it can be overwhelming. For example, walk through the waiting room outside the intensive care unit of a hospital, and you’ll have a better understanding of what I’m talking about.

I will even say my life was positively impacted by learning about Father Stu’s faith-walk and devotion to God.

All My Best!
Don