September 5, 2012
Faith’s Abundance: Focusing on the Idea of God in Unbroken
QUOTATION
All throughout generations, humans have desired to know what to put their faith into when it appears that God is not there. To Louie Zamperini, he finds that if he does not put his trust in the Lord and does not ask to be saved, that he would surely be put to death. Through Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, pastor Billy Graham displays how impactful God is through maintaining faith and how to live that life through Him: “What God asks of men, said Graham, is faith. His Invisibility is the truest test of that faith. To know who sees him, God makes himself unseen.” (Hillenbrand 190)
ANALYSIS
What is it that breaks a man and creates
a man? In Unbroken, faith in God and the underlying will to survive is the true underlying motive for Louie Zamperini. This one word changes his perspective on life and develops him into the man he is still to this day. For three years Louie sat believing, waiting, and hoping for a sign that one-day he may be set free from the grievances of war. Louie had to figure out that even though when he asks God to save him, He will reveal Himself when the time is right. People too need to know that God is always there even if it seems He never will be. For Louie, God challenges his devotion to Him when He puts him through inexplicable ordeals unknown to the normal man; Louie’s faith is what shines out. Throughout his struggles, Louie knew deep down in his heart that he was going to be saved and be in God’s hands. Knowing and understanding faith is the one idea that truly tests how far people will go to dedicate their life for Him in understanding that He has the best plan for everybody. God gives Louie the will to live and the perseverance to do what he must go through because He wants to see how far Louie would go for Him. Determination in faith brakes Louie to the ground for all that he is living for and this test of unimaginable willpower truly shines though as the most important decision of his life. Opening up to God and keeping faith that He is still there and loves unconditionally is what God asks of all men.
Nevertheless, keeping faith in God is also the most difficult task that anyone could go through in this earthly life. When catastrophes occur such as war, plague-like diseases, and suffering occur, how can people put faith in knowing there is a loving God and that they could look up to something? The people question, “If God is so loving and so magnificent why does He lets wars go on? Why does He let innocent children and babies die? This is not a loving God who cares for everybody, how can somebody put faith in that?” Well, this topic of faith may be a very difficult question for some but it is a very true statement that God wants to see how far everyone will go in these types of situations knowing that He has not forgotten about them. God’s never-ending love shows that when people put faith in Him they can be saved just as Louie was.