Chocolat
The Power of the Holy Spirit
John
15:26-27, 16:12-15
(See also Acts
2:1-13 for the story of Pentecost.)
- The film begins with the North Wind (wind is a symbol of the Spirit)
blowing through the sleepy village, disturbing things. Vianne arrives
with the wind.
- Throughout the movie, Vianne and her daughter Anouk are always wearing red
(another symbol of the Spirit). As they touch the people in their
lives, the colour spreads to the wardrobes of others.
- Vianne is described at various times as a "radical" and an
"atheist" -- words that were once used to describe the early
Christians.
- When the day of Pentecost came, the people of Jerusalem heard the apostles
each speaking in his or her own tongue. similarly, Vianne knows what
each person's favourite chocolate is (i.e., she can determine their
individual needs, their secret and true destinies).
- Vianne makes friends with the outcasts of the community (the black
delivery people, the "crazy" like Josephine, the gypsies like
Roux, etc), just as Jesus did in his time. These people are accused of
contaminating the spirit of the quiet town.
- There are twelve people around the table at Armande's last supper.
- The party on Roux's boat was wonderful and filled with table fellowship,
but were seen as debauchery by those in the village. Similarly, the
early Christians' "agape meals" (Eucharist) were seen as the same
by outsiders.
- Despite his focus on Lent and on "restoring" Josephine's wayward
husband Serge, the Mayor Comte de Reynaud doesn't truly believe in God's
forgiveness and mercy (neither for himself, nor for Serge, nor for anyone
else). Rather, he believes in bitter punishment, penance and eternal
exile. For example, when Serge confesses his actions at the
houseboats, the mayor exiles him. And when the mayor goes to the
chocolate shop at the end, it is after the Ester Vigil and therefore Lent is
over, but still he believes the chocolate to be forbidden. Instead of
seeing the "yes" and the love of his faith, the Comte sees only
the "no"s.
- Consider young Père Henri's sermon on Easter morning: "We
can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny
ourselves, by what we resist and who we exclude; I think we've got to
measure goodness by what we embrace, by what we create, and who we
include." Now think back to Jesus' description of the
Final Judgement in Matthew's gospel. What is more important to
God?
Questions:
As Christians, we are called to see God's presence in
the "signs of the time," in the world around us.
Where to you see God in your world?
Is the Holy Spirit inspiring you?
For more about the film, check out its entry at the Internet
Movie Data Base.
For another look at the film in connection with the gospel, check out the
entry at The Text This
Week.
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