If you had to pick just one, would you rather be brave, honest, smart, kind or selfless? Seriously – just one of the above for the rest of your days?

In a nutshell, that’s the question the movie “Divergent” asks, based on author Veronica Roth’s best-selling trilogy.

It’s an interesting concept. The movie’s characters in this young-adult dystopian society live in the city of Chicago made of “factions” – Dauntless (bravery), Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Erudite (knowledge) and Amity (kindness/peace) – and are not allowed to cross their faction’s borders. Each faction is given a role in helping the city succeed, and – as the teenage characters are told, “faction comes before family.”

The problem arises when certain city members become “divergent,” or showing aptitude for more than one faction, where their thoughts and actions can’t be predicted by the government. Two of the main characters, Tris and Four, are divergent, to their frustration and later…danger.

As Four (see the movie if you want to know the meaning behind the name) so aptly puts it, “I don’t want to be just brave. I want to brave and smart and honest and kind.” (And coincidentally, hot.)

Maybe the parallels are obvious, but it’s hard to watch modern movies without seeing things through a Christian lens.

When I was young, we had to learn a song reciting the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. Faith is my favorite.

I couldn’t help but think, what if they had different houses or “factions” for the different fruits?

We’re not called to only be “the people who love” or “the people who have joy” – we’re called to have all of them. We’re called to be divergent.

And it’s so hard to do. In the spirit of Dauntless, I think I need these tattooed down my arm or back.

 

My overall thoughts on the movie?

Go see it – it’s great!