As Nick and I watched TMNT yesterday, (an average kid movie with a couple of laughs), I realized something existential as the movie progressed.

The 4 Super Turtles- Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael- were truly never in any danger whatsoever.  There was no “real” risk of them dying, or really even being “hurt” too much at all.  Bullet proof, self healing, mutagenic reptiles of good, much less Ninjas of dexterity.

In 2 of the final scenes, one with a super elongated slide/fall down an icy mountain with a cliff at the end in an 18 wheeler, and one a top a skyscraper in NYC, with all the flipping and falling and jumping and crashing, there was no doubt, not even a fleeting tiny temporary thought that any of these lovable teenage turtles would actually be hurt, much less killed.  Not possible.

It really dulled “life” it seemed.  Now… I can’t take this too far, like to the Garden nor to Heaven, where there was nor will be death or pain or tears.

Yet, in this life,… the saving of the city, the girl, the Sensei rat Splinter – really lacked a strong “saving”… like say in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”.  It made me really contemplate- without the real ability to be lost – or die – then saving seemed dulled, maybe redefined, or totally deconstructed completely,.?!

If you can jump from the Golden Gate Bridge with no bungee and be ok… is there truly a sensation of falling, are counseling phones needed every 100ft?
If a fireman can save a cat from a tree… that wouldn’t truly die, is he really just wasting good card playing time by showing up to “save”?
If a band of soldiers risks everything, for a mother of 5 who has lost 4, but one still remains… somewhere out there… isn’t it much more of an actual “saving” when he is found though Captain John Miller is “lost”?

It makes me contemplate whether the risk of love and freedom and life and happiness is worth it here in this real world – with all the hate and enslavement and death and suffering – but without the later – how much of the former would there be?

Hmmmm, and it took a silly movie about Turtles for me to contemplate Kierkegaard’s thoughts and existentialism and a Savior again.

Whatever my thoughts on the movie and this existence… here I am… here I sit… in this reality that I am forced to confront, like it or not,… and I see the lost… and I’m thrilled there is One who seeks to find them!

Praise God to be found!