What I Learned Form Forrest Gump

What I learned from Forest Gump

Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ

February 17, 2002

A few years ago a movie came out that swept this nation by storm. It was a movie that spanned more than 20 years of us history. It was a movie about someone named Forest Gump. That movie did incredibly well and even received some awards. The reason that the movie did so well was that people felt like they could identify with the main character. Not only that they really liked the main character.

Who wouldn’t like this guy. He wasn’t the smartest Kid, He wasn’t the most popular kid, and in the beginning he even had some physical handicaps. But people really liked this guy. Chances are you sat there in the movie theater just liking the Character and you didn’t even know why. Perhaps it was because he seemed to be the underdog through all of his life and Good things just kept happening to him.

Or perhaps it was his integrity that drew you to Gump. He was the kind of guy who was a promise keeper. He always kept his commitments. Whatever it was people just seemed to be drawn to him.

Yes, the time has come and Forest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. When he gets to the pearly gates he is stopped by St. Peter.

"I’m sorry, but we have had so many entrants to Heaven lately that we have had to institute a test for admission." St. Peter informs Forest Gump.

"I’m not very good on tests," Forest Gump responds.

"Well, everyone has to take our test. First, What days of the week begin with the letter "T". Second, how many seconds are there in a year. And third, what is God’s first name?" St. Peter lays out the questions on the test. "I’ll give you an extra day to prepare."

With that Forest Gump leaves to ponder the answers to the questions.

The next day Forest Gump returns.

"Are you ready for your test?" St. Peter asks.

"I guess so," Forest Gump replies. "First, what days of the week begin with the letter "T"?"

"Well that would be today and tomorrow" Forest answers the question.

"That’s not quite what we were looking for, but I’ll give it to you." St. Peter responds to the curious answer. "Second, how many seconds are there in a year?"

"Well, That would be twelve." Forest Gump replies.

"TWELVE, where do you come up with twelve?" St. Peter responds in surprise.

"Well there’s the second of January, the second of February, the second of March, the second..."

"O.K., O.K., very original. I’ll give that one to you as well. Now the third question, what is God’s first name?"

"Well that would be Howard," Forest Gump answers matter of factly.

"HOWARD, now where did you come up with Howard?" St. Peter replies.

"In the Bible. It says ’Our Father, who art in Heaven, Howard be thy name...."

But there were some life lessons that were scattered throughout that movie. I came away from that movie with a few words of wisdom. I learned “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” I also learned “Stupid is a stupid does” and that doesn’t have anything to do with IQ but has everything to do with decisions. Then I learned that no longer an I going to spend hours on the conclusion of my message. When I come to the end I’m just going to say “That’s all I have to say about that” Then it will be over

That pretty much describes the Character that we were all drawn to in the movie. And during his whole life forest just seems to keep his commitments and generally good things happen to him. That pretty much sums up his life. We all watched as he came to the end of that movie and he was standing at the grave of his wife Jenny. And he said “I still don’t know weather momma, or Lieutenant Dan was right. Do we just float through life like a feather on a breeze, or do we have a destiny.

Friends I would suggest that is the question that people are asking today. Do we just float around accidental like a feather on a breeze or do our lives have meaning and purpose.

I also believe that if you asked most people they would tell you that we just kinda float around accidental like a feather on a breeze.

They would say that we just kind of float around accidental that there are no morals no absolute truth that anything goes.

Henry David Thoreau said “that Most men live lives of quiet desperation”

I would suggest that sums up how a lot of people feel about life most people would agree with John Lennon when he said "Life is what happens while you are making other plans."