Believers should live differently from secular American culture today. Beasts of the Southern Wild was a movie that impacted me deeply. The impact was not in its entertainment value, but it clarified the dysfunctional nature of souls who grow up in a secular culture. The movie
was set in a Bayou community with a father named Wink and his
daughter Hushpuppy who is six years old. They live in the “Bathtub.”
Hushpuppy’s mother has already died, and she and her father each
live in their own house. The houses are built behind a levee system,
and during storms, the whole area floods, so their only means of
transportation is a homemade boat fashioned from a truck.
Wink’s whole life is wrapped up in raising Hushpuppy to be
strong, but he is sick and doesn’t want to let Hushpuppy see him die.
A couple of scenes stand out. Hushpuppy tries to crack open a crab
with a knife, but Wink stops her. He grabs the crab, breaks it with
his hands, and then eats some. He tells Hushpuppy, “Beast it.” Their
hanai (adopted) family starts chanting, “Beast it, beast it,” so that
when Hushpuppy tears open the crab, cheers erupts. No one will ever
change the way Hushpuppy eats crab.
In another scene, after the whole area is flooded, local officials
come to rescue the remnants that refused to leave during the warnings
to evacuate. They rescue the motley gang and take them to a
shelter. Doctors realize Wink’s condition is serious and that he will die
if he doesn’t receive surgery. Wink’s only concern is for Hushpuppy
because he doesn’t want her to hear them talk about his death.
They eventually subdue him and do the worst thing imaginable
for Wink: they plug him into the wall with tubes. Wink organizes
an escape for the gang and eventually tells Hushpuppy he’s going to
die. He prefers to go home and die rather than stay, have an operation,
and possibly live. The cultural upbringing in which Wink raises
Hushpuppy is so powerful, and it helps me understand the difficult
challenges ahead if people change their cultural habits.
THIS HELPS ME BE PATIENT WITH PEOPLE; I LEAVE THE CHANGE TO GOD WORKING WITHIN THEM.