Locomotion

I travelled to New York for the first time in late August/early September. When A and I were there, we saw a fantastic show called Sweeney Todd. After that fantastic experience at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, we made a decision to check out more live stage plays once we got home.

On Saturday, we saw a brilliant stage adaptation of the Douglas Coupland book Life After God. It showed at the classic Vancouver East Cultural Centre. The theatre chairs are red velvet with wood arms replete with battered, bronze name plates - to recognize financial contributors to the theatre - on the top of the seat. We scored great seats about 5 rows back from the front of the modern and boxy stage. The play was well-executed and extremely raw.

The story follows Scout, who is about my age, and opens the play with a compelling dilemma. Scout states that while growing up in North Vancouver, he and his friends had every need and want met and so, there was no need for God - meaning he grew up in a generation post-God. As a result, life was lived freely albeit aimless. Moved out of the house and on his own, Scout recognizes a deep void entreched deeply within himself. With the impending fifteen year reunion, Scout checks himself with the questions we all ask ourselves: Am I successful? Am I happy? What do I believe in? Who am I?. In all of that soul-searching, Scout ends up emotionally worn and with the conviction that without God, no love, compassion or conviction can exist within himself.

Life After God concisely addresses the issues that my generation is dealing with. It synopsizes the empty place in our heart that freedom has created. A spoiled generation we are, seeking individual desires at whim, almost above the Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs model. My grandparents and parents worked hard to provide me with this freedom, freedom that they longed for. I think it's my responsibility to step up to take the freedom we have to the next level - instead of living reactively as they were forced to, live proactively. I'm too fortunate to do otherwise. I think it's fair to say that it's my generation's responsibility to own the freedom with conviction and gratefulness. The alternative is to grapple with and accept the thought of the next generation of life after godlessness.