Alright, let’s continue our fun little tour of movies gone past in our reflection of Bible lessons found in pop culture. I first saw Jaws at home as a young kid many years ago; having been born a few years after its theatrical release. My fiancé and I recently went back to the theater to watch it again. We follow Chief of Police Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) as he tries to protect Amity Island (which is actually Matha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts). After a young lady is killed by a shark, he goes to shut down the beaches when Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) insists she must have been killed by a boat propeller. As the town Mayor he is more interested in seeing the town take in finances with the summer tourism than actually safeguarding against shark attacks. A young boy is killed just a week later (this time in daylight with many people on the beach) so they bring in ocean biologist Matt Hopper (Richard Dreyfus) to help the island. A shark is caught and even when Hopper tried to explain that there is no evidence to support that this shark is the exact culprit, the mayor still insists they re-open the beaches. Then another man is killed. As they investigate, they find the boat of another victim. During the hunt that does eliminate the beast a man named Quint (Robert Shaw) is killed.
This movie has impacted pop culture with its effects, its writing, and especially its music, written by John Williams. Yet this movie has an important lesson for how we approach life.
Think about this a minute. A woman is killed by a shark and the Chief tries to close down beaches. The mayor refuses and then four more people are killed. The warnings were there. The Chief knew this threat was out there, but the mayor would not listen to advice or heed the warnings. I highly doubt that the tourists who were around when the man in the estuary died chose to come back so there is a lasting financial hit to the island when those tourists find other beaches to go to. Worse, he chose to ignore warnings about danger, and it cost lives.
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Proverbs 22:3 NLV
The word above for prudence could also be translated as sensible or shrewd; even crafty. This is a choice of responding and being proactive. The word for simpleton is more directly translated as naive. This suggests a belief that danger won’t come your way. That you will go untouched by evil or disaster.
Sometimes we ignore our best judgement or the instincts of a person with more experience than we have only to find ourselves in a bad spot. It might be a warning to steer clear of something you have not yet done. It could be a warning about a current attitude at work, or a warning about a habit at home. But a choice to stay in that habit or do that new thing brings unnecessary effects on your body or unnecessary conflicts in a relationship.
Only you can decide what to do with the information given to you. You can choose your actions or inactions. Taking heed of important warnings will keep you from bad situations. Perhaps you can hear the music playing. DaaaDa. DaaDa. DA.DA.DA.DA. Will you be a mayor trying to keep money coming to town? Or will you be a police chief trying to protect yourself and those around you?