Begin Again

I want to say a couple of things about Begin Again.

I have no reason to believe that John Carney, the writer and director of this movie, has any religious intent or motivation for his work, but for me, the movie was intensely spiritual, giving a vision of what life looks like where God rules.

Carney's movie is about two people who are "starting over" or beginning again with their lives. Two musicians, very human and confused, flawed, both loving and not, mixed motives, proud but so devastated by the consequences of their decisions that they are open to new possibilities, end up giving everything to make their music in the streets of New York.  They are on a mission: in spite of their evident failures and disappointments, they want to be original and create something beautiful that will in some way enrich others' lives.

For me, Begin Again is more than just a tale about two people "moving on" to new challenges, new loves, new locales, etc. It offers a vision of life that is worth living - worth it to both ourselves and to those with whom we interact. Here's the vision: we just give. Out of our gifts, in the middle of the messiness and confusion of our lives, we give everything we are and everything we got to our holy work. In other words, we are both true to God's creative gifting and to his mission to bless the nations, to nurture and provide the environment for all his people  to flourish.

And in the end, the music is beautiful and it is all His.