Pirate Grace

Its not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is living with yourself, forever.

Captain Teague, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

A few years ago my oldest daughter and I went to see an IMAX movie. One of the previews was for the Rolling Stones concert film, Shine A Light. There, in six story glory, were the aging rock icons. I have always had something of a love/hate relationship with the Stones (I am sure they feel the same way about me). I really like some of their music, but even the thought of seeing them play Start Me Up live was not enough to overcome my fear, and I do mean fear, of seeing a 60 foot high Keith Richards. There are some images that no amount of psychotherapy can help you overcome.

How Keith is alive is beyond me and most medical science. All those years of hard living did, however, prove helpful in landing the part of the grizzly Captain Teague in the last installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Turns out that Johnny Depp patterned his character, Jack Sparrow (sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow) off of Keith Richards. So who better to play Captain Jack's brother than the battled scarred guitar god. Even though he had a cameo role the writers gave Keith one of the best lines of the movie (see above). Jack is always worried with saving his own life. Throughout the three films the pirate is willing to make any deal or turn on any friend in order to survive. But, as Captain Teague reminds his brother, survival means very little if you can't live with yourself. That these words come out of the mouth of one of the most notorious partiers in rock history just adds to their meaning.

There are some religious traditions that believe that this life is all you get. There are others faith communities that teach reincarnation, though in each incarnation you come back as a different person or thing. The Christian faith affirms that through Jesus Christ we have access to eternal life. In general this sounds like a good thing, especially when I think about spending eternity with all the people I care about and with God. Then I remember that I also have to spend forever and ever, without end, with myself. Suddenly reincarnation sounds like a brilliant idea.

Learning to live with ourselves is not easy. I have found that it is much easier to forgive someone else than it is myself. I carry around with me all of my mistakes and mess-ups. I can't seem to get rid of them. Or, is it more accurate to say that deep down inside I don't want to let them go? In a weird sort of way hanging onto all of my mistakes and misdeeds is a last act of control in my struggle with God. Sure, God can say I am forgiven, but not until I say so.

Grace may well be the most difficult thing in the world to grasp. It is so easy to understand yet so extremely hard to accept. God is not shy about extending grace to us. The problem is getting over ourselves long enough to receive it. If we do have all of eternity ahead of us, perhaps, maybe, possibly we might need to learn to live with the person we see in the mirror. Grace can help us do that if we just let go. Don't believe me? Just go ask the 60 foot high Keith Richards...if you dare.