Tonight I started watching a movie called “To Save a Life.” I’ve seen this movie before a few times, but it just really hit me tonight how personal the message is. The movie is set around the suicide of a teenage boy, and it tells the story of his former best friend, Jake. Jake and Roger (the suicide victim) were best friends until freshman year of high school when Jake ditched Roger to chase after this girl. Well three years later, during their senior year, Roger feels alone, rejected by everyone (including the youth group he visited), and hopeless. That’s the end for him. Throughout the movie, Jake realizes that if he had just reached out to Roger earlier and not been a jerk, Roger might have lived. Jake then decides to change his act, starts following Jesus (wholeheartedly), and reaches out to other seemingly “rejected” teens in his school. Now Jake’s life isn’t perfect after this change- his girlfriend dumps him for his supposed best friend, his friends reject him, and his parents split. It’s a tough movie to watch, but I highly recommend it.
My part: While watching this tonight I started to think about how I treat people. I am not the type of person to bully someone, but is it really any different when I watch someone sit alone and don’t reach out? What about the times I pass someone I am acquainted with and I avoid eye contact simply because I don’t want to reach out? Isn’t it the least I can do to smile and say hey? And yet I keep walking.
One particular thought provoking statement made by the youth pastor in the film was: “But at some point you gotta ask yourself what you want your life to be about.” Yep. The question playing in my mind is, how could I impact someone by simply being a little more friendly? What if I slowed down just a little bit and took time to notice people a bit more? What if I stepped out of my comfort zone to reach out to someone outside of my friend zone? Could such a small action really save a life?
Thoughts?
Just About Write 