Life Lessons with Jack Sparrow

“This is the day you will always remember…”

If you’ve seen any Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you’re probably familiar with this quote. It’s one of Captain Jack Sparrow‘s most memorable lines.

Now I must ask, what is it that draws us to this character in particular from the Pirates movie series? Is it the humour he brings, the quirkiness he possesses, or the fact that we never know whose side he’s on? Maybe a bit of all three.

And yet, Jack Sparrow – the most loved character – is also a crook, a git, and a drunkard. He’s a scammer, a double-crosser, and a pirate. He makes mistakes, swindles others, and messes up a lot of stuff.

So what draws us flawed characters?

Captain Jack isn’t the only one who experiences this kind of “flawed devotion”. Many people feel the same about Haymitch, from The Hunger Games, Hagrid, from Harry Potter, and Tony Stark, from Iron Man. All of them have their own issues, whether it’s drinking, pride, or not being able to hold their tongue.

So why are we drawn to these characters? What makes them take a place in our hearts more than any other?

I’m going to throw out a wild idea.

Flawed characters remind us of ourselves.

Moreover, humanity as a whole.

They remind us of a people who are fatally flawed, sinful, and in desperate need of help. I think we see a flicker of what God sees in us when we look at these characters.

I believe that’s part of the reason we like them. Why we want to know them better. Because in all honesty, we’re the same.

Everyone in this world is flawed.

Yes, even our favourite characters from the cinemas. Everyone needs a saviour.

In the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), both the Levite and the Priest passed by the man in need.

That man (or woman) was us. It was the Samaritan, the one we were supposed to be despised by, who rescued us. He – God – saw something in the man. In us.

He had no reason to help us, broken and hurting as we were. Like the Levite and the Priest, He could’ve just left us as is.

Yet God saw something worth saving.

You may not know what that something is, but I assure you, He knows. So remember, next time someone says something mean to you, or you get overlooked, or somebody makes you feel worthless, that you’re not.

You were saved for a reason, even if you don’t know what it is yet. In God’s eyes, you are as special as anyone else in this world. You are His child, created on purpose for a purpose.

Even though you’re flawed, like Captain Jack, God loves you nonetheless. He’s always there, waiting for you to accept Him. He doesn’t care about your mistakes, or what you’ve done in the past. He loves you in spite of it all.

Will you make this the day you’ll always remember as the day you chose to listen to Him?

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, or how many mistakes you’ve made. God wants a relationship with you. And all you have to do is say yes.

Savvy?