October of 2016 was the 12 years anniversary since Pulp Fiction was released to theaters. I do not know if you have seen it, but according to the American Film Institute, it is one of the best movies ever made. I have to agree with them. Though it is not a personal favorite, I do agree it is one of the best films ever. It was great in its writing and in its acting.

However, I am especially impressed with the questions that the film asks. I think this because those questions are still questions asked today and questions that we will still be asking 1000 years from now. One of the main questions that the film asks is, what should one do with a second chance?

I often wonder if Mr. Tarantino has had a major second-chance experience in his life. Maybe his personal response is reflected in the film, I am not sure. However, as this is a very spiritual question, many of the vignettes have spiritual implications. Samuel L. Jackson’s character even quotes the Bible (sort of). I think the best movies do have some spiritual questions because both the Bible and great works of art make someone reflect on and question and maybe even want to change their lives. I realize that the film was very gritty, dirty, jarring, and violent but oftentimes, life is and may need to be to get our attention.

The film shows many people being offered second chances: Mia Wallace and Ringo/Hunny Bunny and Vincent Vega and of course, Jules Winnfield. Some learn from their experiences and others do not. The story which ties the film together is the interaction between Jules (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta). They are both given a huge second chance after having someone shoot a gun at them at close range and mysteriously they are not hit by any of the bullets. After the experience, they go back and forth and debate whether or not it was a miracle. Jules says that it was and Vincent argues that it was just a freak occurrence. In the midst of Jules’ spiritual crisis, he decides to leave the life of a gangster and makes a cameo under another name, in Kill Bill Vol.2 as a wanderer. I think that it was also part of the message that afterwards, Vincent is killed in a barrage of bullets by Bruce Willis’ character. And due to having his eyes opened, Jules’ character is able to offer a second chance to Ringo and Hunny Bunny. The miracle he saw opened his eyes to the idea that there was an alternative way of living and he took it.

Then there is the boxer, played by Bruce Willis. He definitely can be seen as a prodigal son, with a twist. Marsellus Wallace tells him that if he (Bruce Willis) takes a fall in the boxing match that everything will be good for him just like the Prodigal Son was probably told to stay home. However, Butch wins the match and plans to leave town with his girlfriend and would have succeeded if he did not return for his watch. He goes through a lot of unfortunate stuff he could have avoided and ends up with the decision to save Marsellus Wallace’s life or not. He takes the second chance to do the, “right” thing and saves Wallace’s life. He is not exactly welcomed back into the fold as the Prodigal Son was but he is granted a second chance, the opportunity to have a clean slate (almost).

The Bible is full of stories of horrible men and women who were given second and third and even fourth chances: Peter, Mary Magdalen, David, the woman caught in adultery, and others. The one that was most like Jules Winnfield was obviously Paul. Paul was sent on killing missions and so was Jules. Jules looked down his nose at the young kids in the beginning of the film who he shot and so did Paul look down at those he captured and imprisoned and killed. Paul quoted the Bible when was doing his dirty work and so did Jules. Now Jules did not know what he was saying to his victims while he read it to them. According to Jules,

…Now… I been sayin’ that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, that meant your ass. You’d be dead right now. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass.

But I would say that even Paul did not know what he was saying to himself when he quoted scripture to himself when doing his dirty work since he did not realize that Jesus was the Messiah and he definitely not treating others the way he would have wanted to be treated. However, he listened. When the Lord met him on the road, he had his own moment of clarity and his eyes were opened.

I would hope that I would listen if the Lord sends me a miracle and he helps me to see the little miracles around me everyday. If I do not see them, then I am afraid that I will end up like Vincent Vega, gunned down after getting off the toilet. I definitely hope that despite the sins in my own life, if given a moment of clarity, a second chance if you will, that I would listen. What should I do to keep my heart sensitive to the Lord’s will, to His leading, to avoid the need for second chances? Spend time with Him, fellowship, pray, study His word!

John 21:15-19 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

——————————————————————-W.