Senna

Once upon a Thursday night, I went to Signs and Wonders. We watched a movie called "Senna". At first I was a little apprehensive about how it was filmed--it was some sort of spinoff a documentary which proved to be very good. 

Anyway, format aside, Senna, in short is about a Brazilian Formula One driver, Ayrton Senna, who's incredible dedication, passion and perseverance lead him to be an international sensation as he became one of the number one driver's in the history of Formula One. 

There are two things I've been kind of chewing on after seeing the movie: one is Senna's fear for driving, and the second is how he discovered his love for God.

Formula One driving looks awesome, but after watching some pretty horrific crashes on screen (at over 200 mph), I think I'll pass. Well, those types of crashes didn't just effect the audience. Drivers watched some of their rivals but friends in racing die. It was more than just watching a companion die for many drivers; it was the reality that, if there was one small problem with the car or track, they could be that guy having to be resuscitated to no avail on the track. This hit Senna pretty hard, and many times those who loved him asked him to stop racing.


These things bring you to reality as to how fragile you are; at the same moment you are doing something that nobody else is able to do. The same moment that you are seen as the best, the fastest and somebody that cannot be touched, you are enormously fragile."  Ayrton Senna

I feel like I could relate this to how we should fear God. Okay, so maybe I'm over analyzing, but the Bible repeatedly talks about fearing God. Throughout my life I've taken this several different ways; fearing God out of reverence, fearing God simply because "if I do good things God will give me good things", or thinking I have to walk around on broken glass when it comes to God. But after watching Senna, I think it's different. Senna was doing what God gave him a talent, love and drive to do, and while it was scary, Senna still loved it enough to never stop racing. He knew how to fear racing and respect it all the while loving it.

Fear is thrilling, but at the same time it makes us constantly question why we're feeling it or if it's worth feeling it. It's easy to take God for granted and entrust that no matter what we do God's up there and He'll forgive us if we ask blah, blah, blah. But doesn't it make sense that a true faith would be one with plenty of fear? Maybe God is scary, maybe that's the only way to really sync with God, to be afraid and realize that this love from Him, no matter what kind of speeds we're forced to go or what walls we might hit is worth it.

The second point is just a little observation I made but thought was pretty cool. In the beginning of the movie, Senna said nothing about God. He was born into a Catholic family, like most Brazilian children of his time. But it was at this one race (a pretty important one, but I forget which one, there were so many) when Senna was about to cross the finish line, he said he felt a sort of powerful presence and envisioned God.

 "...his mechanics heard a kind of crying and laughter, they heard screaming and singing -- language that they could not describe -- and Ayrton, after he stopped the car, calmly admitted to seeing a vision of God as he took the championship." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/manish-pandey/ayrton-senna_b_909096.html)

After that race, Ayrton spoke more freely about God; he began to talk about God after victories, and his genuineness and calm in the face of a storm seemed to attest to some inner peace given to Ayrton by an assurance that God was with him and that he was not only racing for himself, but for God.

'When you talk about religion, it's a touching point, very easy to be misunderstood ... But I try hard -- as hard as I can to understand life through God. And that means everyday of my life -- not only when I'm home but when I'm doing my work too" -Ayrton Senna

And yet, even with God at work in this film, it wasn't what I would call a Christian film. In fact, I speculate that non-Christians could see this movie and still walk away with an appreciation for the hero for a poverty stricken and oppressed Brazil.

"Ayrton's spirituality, his faith, and his religion brought people together -- as faith and religions should." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/manish-pandey/ayrton-senna_b_909096.html)

Another pretty cool thing about the film is that the director is a Muslim, one producer is a Christian, the other producer is a Jew, and the executive producer is Hindu.

And the last cool thing I have to say about it is, the morning of his death, Ayrton said he'd woken up and read from the Bible that he would receive the greatest gift of all, God. I feel as though he did receive that gift that race. He went home.