You Can Always Go Back Home

The cable network that we subscribe to has a program titled “On Demand” which allows you to watch recently released or old movies for a price, and some for free. With that said, the other day I punched up a movie for ninety nine cents titled “Antwone Fisher”

It’s the story of a troubled young man who reacts to the world around him, violently, because he does not know what else to do. Based on the true-life story, Antwone, a Navy Petty Officer, has a hair-trigger temper, and is sent to see Navy psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport. Here, Fisher begins to open up about his troubled past.

Antwone's narrative, aided by flashbacks, which reveal a horrific physically, and sexually abusive childhood. His father was murdered two months before his birth, in prison, to a mother who abandoned him after her release. Rev. Tate, who with his wife adopts Fisher, is a charismatic minister, and while he is marginal to the story, he is emblematic of a religion long on charisma and condemnation, but short on mercy.

Life with the Tate’s revolves around church activities. On Sundays, Rev. Tate conjures Jesus to provoke ecstatic worship. Mrs. Tate rewards the boys with vanilla wafers if they "catch the Holy Ghost." Away from church, she sadistically tortures and berates the boys for the smallest infractions. Antwone develops the ability to discern her moods based on smells in the air, to determine what kind of day it will be for himself and his two foster brothers, Dwight and Keith. Eventually, as a teenager, Antwone is kicked out of the home and bounces around institutions until he lands on the streets. Upon witnessing the tragic death of his only friend, during a failed robbery attempt, he seeks refuge in the Navy, with emotional baggage in full tow.

Eventually he finds in Dr. Davenport, a father figure, and begins to let go of his shame. He finds a first love in Cheryl, who is also in the Navy. Their courtship is tender and innocent. These new relationships pacify the hunger in Antwone, but he still needs to deal with his past.

 Antwone returns to Ohio to find his biological father's family. He meets relatives who lead him to the birth mother he never knew. Antwone shares with his mother a litany of his life, chronicling his longings for her, his growth as a person, his decency. He wants her to know, in sum, that he is a good man. The film concludes with Antwone returning to his aunts' house to find a reunion in his honor. He is greeted by this extended family, and summoned by the elders to a banquet table, where he is given a place of honor and welcomed. The movie was a real tear jerker.

In some way it reminded me of a parable in the Bible, (ref. Luke 15:11-25) about a young man who went to his father and asked for his half of his dad’s inheritance. Surprisingly enough, the father agrees to divide the inheritance between his two sons. The younger takes his share and leaves home for a far-off land where he immediately begins to squander his inheritance on riotous living. After his money is gone, so too are his newly found friends. Hungry and poor the young man takes a job feeding pigs for next to nothing. His life becomes so hard and difficult that he even contemplates eating the garbage that he uses to feed the pigs.

Much like the younger son, we once lived outside of the grace of God; making our lives very difficult. We sometimes made decisions that went against the grain of his word and all that we were taught. We abused our mortal bodies by living according to ways of this sinful world, reveling in explicit sexual activities, while abusing addictive substances and surrounded ourselves with the pigs of life. Speaking for myself, I lived as if God was not always present to see what I was doing. “But He Was There All The Time” patiently waiting for me to return to him.

One day, the young man in the parable finally came to his senses, and said to himself: “even the servants in my father’s house are living better than this; I think I’ll go back home to my father”. Unknown to the younger son was the fact that everyday since he’d been gone, his father would walk to the end of the road which led up to his house, looking for his long lost son’s return. (get a tissue handy)…as the story continues, the son finally returns home, and while he was still a long way off; his father spotted him, filled with love and compassion, the father ran to his younger son, embraced him and kissed him. The young man said; father, I have sinned against heaven and you; therefore I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.

 But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,  for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the feast began.

If this same story applies to you, know that it’s never too late to return to the Father, (Christ). No matter what you’ve done in life up till now, He’s standing at the end of your road with open arms. Patiently waiting to embrace you, with forgiveness, agape love, and compassion.

Someone once said; “you can never go home again”. Well Antwone Fisher did, and so can you.

Footnotes: Luke 15:11-22 (NLT)

                     Biblegateway.com

                     JR & F film review