Groundhog Day...Exodus...Communion. These have been on my mind lately.
My Bible Study devotional issue, Encounter With God, is currently going through part of the Book of Exodus. With the Israelites wandering through the wilderness encountering challenge after challenge, it can seem like deja vu all over again. One aspect of the Exodus, particularly the Passover, that modern Jews retain is that God is still performing the Exodus today, it is our story. "On this day you shall explain to your son, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'" [Ex 13, 8].
An audio lecture that I listened to a while back about the Sacrament of the Eucharist has stuck in my mind because it presented a different and striking perspective that I had never heard before: that the Eucharist is a real time way for us to experience the Passion of Jesus, it is timeless and current. This got me thinking about the movie, Groundhog Day.
I saw the movie when it originally came out in 1993. At the time, it seemed like a quirky, warm, magical romantic comedy. So with the above thoughts in my head, and the calendar approaching Groundhog Day (February 2nd - also special because of my sister Carol's birthday), I borrowed the DVD from the library and watched it.
When I went to the Wikipedia article (above) for the movie, I was surprised to find reference to purgatory and the described as "the most spiritual film of our time." Wow! Lots to ponder. In the movie, Bill Murray uses his time initially for selfish purposes but becomes despondent. He then uses the time to improve himself and help others. Through this process, he learns to love others and ends up receiving far more benefits (i.e., love).
I think this is something for Christians to ponder as they participate in "Holy Communion"- what is the meaning of this act and where is it taking you?