The Shawshank Redemption with Paul McDonald, Britt Mooney, Patrick Creehan, and Ricky Furr (part 2 of 2)
Paul McDonald, Britt Mooney, Patrick Creehan, and Ricky Furr Jr. continue the conversation on the Shawshank Redemption. We watch how Andy was redeeming the prison the whole time. Freedom doesn’t come freely, and transformation takes pressure and time. Andy invites Red into his story, and God is doing the same thing for us. But as we see how God is preparing our escape plan and our destination, we have to hold on to our hope. Let’s jump back into part 2 of this discussion.
Quotes
Andy played music over the same PA used to deliver tyranny.
We don’t resist just to rebel. We resist to show hope.
I’m living in this system, but I’m not a part of the system.
The power of beauty to capture our hearts.
We’re called to have hope in a world that’s fairly hopeless.
Religion can be a prison by telling us that jumping through the hoops will make a difference.
Andy’s plan (and Jesus’) all along was to take people with him.
Andy is redeeming the prison the whole time. You’re not prisoners, you’re men. You aren’t guards, you’re men.
God doesn’t ask us to get to the ocean, He invites us to just take a step first.
Freedom doesn’t come freely. Transformation takes pressure and time.
We don’t appreciate the things that take time.
Andy had to “die” so that Randall Stevens could live. Our old self has to die so that we can become who we are meant to be.
Themes
The patience and persistence to build a place to offer hope (the library).
Resistance against the authority isn’t to create chaos or rebellion. It’s to offer hope.
Hope as a dangerous thing. We put walls up to keep others out, but it ends up imprisoning us. Hope is hard to hold on to, especially when something happens and all that we hold dear is lost.
The law condemns, tells you that nothing will ever change, hope is futile, is a prison, and has no power to save.
Andy’s escape plan was decades in the making, planned ahead of time. He waited to escape to help Tommy.
Conversation with Red: Andy tells Red I’m going to prepare a place for you, where I’m going you can’t come, but will you follow me? I’m going to give you a deposit to help you get to where you need to go.
There’s a difference between rehabilitation (our striving to follow the law) and repentance (a radical change of heart).
Victor Frankl: Hope is built on finding purpose in the moment, in the suffering—Andy keeps finding purpose (building the library, helping Tommy).
Andy is redeeming the prison all along: What was his name? To the oppressed and the oppressors, reminding them they are still men. He even offers the warden an opportunity for redemption, to do something human.
God is always working and preparing and inviting us to break free of our prison and join Him.
The cost of freedom and transformation
The enemy keeps bringing up our past, but repentance puts it all behind us. It doesn’t keep us in prison anymore.
Red thought he wanted to break parole to go back to prison, but he broke parole to find freedom.
Andy invites Red into his story, and God does the same thing for us.
Resources
“Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.” - I Peter 3:15 (CEV)
“For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure.” - Hebrews 6:16-19 (HCSB)
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” - 2 Peter 3:9
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” - Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” - Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)
Questions
Who is being redeemed, and who is doing the redeeming in this movie?
How is your hope doing these days?
What do you hope for?
Why does hope feel like a dangerous thing?
What makes hope hard to hold on to?
How can laws become a prison?
What sewage pipe have you had to crawl through?
What does it look like to be free on the inside?