Into the Wild with Paul McDonald and Grayson Foster
Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, I talk about Into the Wild with Grayson Foster. On first glance, this movie appears to be a tragedy—but what if the tragedy would have been Chris giving up on his dream? How can we kill the false being within and victoriously conclude our spiritual pilgrimage? This will require planning, community, and most of all, perseverance. Let’s go climb that hill, and discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
This isn’t a tragedy. The tragedy would be if Chris never pursued his passion.
They had more than enough money for their kids and their kids’ kids, but it was never enough for them.
I would be doing my parents a disservice to just take the easy rout and not pursue something I really wanted to do, because that’s why they worked so hard.
You have to be strategic in pursuing your adventure.
You’re only getting better if you’re being challenged.
Failure is the greatest teacher.
The biggest negative outcome we can have is never going in the first place.
Themes
Alex (true self) vs Chris (false being)
Alex: who he became, the one who rejected the norms of society, characteristic immoderation
Chris: went to school, got his degree, who he was born has, who he was for other people, mask to appease his parents
Following your dreams/passion/adventure requires:
Strategic: requires planning and preparation
Community: requires others to help you get to where you’re going
Self-care: when you feel overwhelmed, you need to find space to breathe
Perseverance: have to fight through obstacles, beatings, hardships
The tragedy is not to die, but never to live our life, to give up.
Resources
How to find Grayson Foster
YouTube: @graysonfoster
“Above all, value truth.”
“Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
“Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow?
Gonna rise up
Burning black holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
Suddenly swallowed by signs
Lo and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole” - Pearl Jam, Rise“Every man dies, not every man truly lives.” - William Wallace, Braveheart
Questions
Where do you feel most like Chris? Where do you feel like Alex?
If money and family were not an issue, what would you love to do?
What dreams have you given up?
Where have you stopped climbing?
What makes your heart come alive? When was the last time you did that thing?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock
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