Americans have a rather complex society.  We are full of culture differences with a common bond of Hollywood.  Think about it.  People from all over the country who share experiences through the cinema, both large and small screen.  We all know who the actors are.  We all know the television series.  We all have our hearts tugged and our spirits lifted in laughter through the common factor of imagination.

I believe this is neither a good nor a bad thing.  Good or bad are in the choices of viewing, the hours spent on entertainment, the perception that creative fantasy is identical to reality.  But good or bad, Americans have a powerful bond with each other.  We enjoy surprises which happen less often because we’ve seen the story theme played thousands of times.  We enjoy the comfortable familiarity and pure entertainment because life has enough surprises on its own.  Some movies cause us to think long after the show has ended.  This series is on those movies.  Not the think pieces but fun stuff!  Science fiction, romance, action...delightful shows that linger in our homes and conversation.  And maybe from time to time touch something deep.

Vertical Limit is one such movie.  I sat in the theater hardly able to breathe at times.  My husband could barely keep from climbing into my lap, big strong man that he is.  I was transported to that mountain to the point that I grabbed my huge snow coat and buried myself in its folds.  I reached into the pockets and slipped my soft gloves over my hands.  And I began to wring my hands, unconscious of the action.  By the time the movie had ended I had red fuzz all over my black shirt from the abuse I had forced my gloves through.

With the excitement over we went home.  But my mind wouldn’t stop thinking.  Pondering.  Contemplating.  Wondering at meanings far beyond any the author probably intended.

Such as life and motivation.  Is it good to give your life for another?  Pondering it helps me to find the answer.

Read no further if you haven't seen the movie.  I have not written a preview to excite your interest but a review for those who have already joined the common experience of this particular movie.  Pause here and return later after you've lived on the edge of that mountain for a couple of hours.

Breathing room...giving the curious eye a moment to not read further before I begin.  Breathing room, something that means space and time to pause and gather forces. Certainly there wasn’t enough breathing room in Vertical Limit!

In the movie the very first scene shows a happy family climbing a mountain and through a series of accidents an instant decision needs to be made to save lives.  One child obeyed his father's order to protect his sister and so the father died.  The other child believed that they should never have given up on the possibility of all surviving.  The understanding of their father’s skill in climbing soothed the decision of the obedient son.  The understanding that their father loved them and would give his life for them flamed the perception of the daughter.

Who was right?  Our hearts are torn in two directions before the movie has barely begun.

Later because of stupid and prideful decisions the girl is trapped on a mountain and her brother comes to her rescue.  Told from the very beginning that any rescue attempt would be suicide he proceeds to recruit a handful of willing climbers. The brother obviously climbed for love.  The others were less obvious.  One climbed out of revenge, another out of need for the reward money, one climbed as an expression of faith and respect, and two brothers climbed out of boredom and a quiet suggestion of personal courage.  Six climbers to save three lives.  Immediately our thoughts jump to the value of a single life.

The sister pleads over the radio for them all to turn back.  She insists that it is wrong to attempt to save them. They knew the risks and she did not want anyone to die because of her error in judgment.  The brother was focused on only one thing and that was to do whatever it took to reach his sister’s side.  One by one the rescue numbers lessen.  Minute by minute your heart cries, “Stop!  Go Back!” and simultaneously it screams, “Go on, you’re almost there, she lives!”

At the height of the movie the opening scene is repeated.  Sacrifices are made to save the lives of a few.  And the disturbing question remains in the air.  Was it worth it?

The value in the sacrifice first comes from the giver.  He knows within himself if what he is giving is worth it.  The second value comes from the receiver but sometimes that value is swept away, unnoticed or dismissed.  Still, the giver knows what it cost and it is his right to understand the value of his action.  Sacrifice is an eternal act.  The ripples of selfless giving travel beyond our vision.  Each act of sacrifice is recorded in the heart and measured by the soul.

Vertical Limit is full of sacrifice and selfishness.  It breathes courage and stupidity.  Where each action and motivation fits is left for us to ponder.  At first glance I agree with my husband who simply says, "Everybody dies because of stupid and prideful decisions made contrary to wise counsel."  But my pondering brings me to my spiritual perception.  The Lord chose to give his life for us in spite of our embracing spiritual danger.  He did it because he knew the value of bringing us away from the edge of spiritual danger.  He knew something just beyond our current comprehension and he determined that it was worth it.

At last we come to the second and much quieter question of the movie.  What do we do with the life we have been given?  And in the end, for me, that is the most important question.  How will I live from this moment and forever?