Reflections from Chuck

So I finally gave in and watched the last 7 or so episodes of NBC's Chuck last night, as in February I decided to stop following Chuck and 24 during the school year, as it was eating into my life too much.  I probably should have just gave them up for good...but this past week I caught up on both of them - at least now they won't take any more of my time this summer...(sigh)

Anyway, I must say that I enjoyed the last episodes of Chuck's second season - the plot was exhillerating & suspensful. However, I was appaled by the sexual content of this season, such that I almost did (and probably should have) stop watching the show for good. Despite that, I was still able to take something meaningful from the show to apply to my life. [DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT SEASON 2 SPOILED!]

But first I should probably give a basic background to the show: Chuck is a normal guy in his 20's living with his sister & working at the Buy More (think of Best Buy's geek squad). He hasn't been applying himself since college, and is stuck in his mundand day-to-day life. But then his old college buddy Brice sent him something that changed everything. He was sent CIA's 'intersect' before Brice was killed, which is a visual program that 'downloads' all of the CIA's data into his brain through a series of encrypted pictures, such that whenever he sees something that relates to that data, he "flashes" and it is brought into his recollection. Needless to say, the CIA needs to keep tabs on Chuck, as he is now their "asset". They assign a CIA (Sara) and an NSA (Casey) agent as his "handlers" to protect him. He has to live a double life, since if anyone knew it'd only put them in danger. Every episode features a different plot where his 'intersect' allows Chuck to help them catch the bad guys. But it is a constant burden on Chuck, because it frequently puts his life in danger, and he just wants to live a normal life again, so desparately wants it to be removed from him.

Anyway, near the end of the second season, Chuck is able to actually have the intersect removed from him, and he feels instantly freed from its responsbilities - and consequently the CIA allows him to return to his old life. But then he realizes that he has no clue what he's going to do: his best friend is moving away, his sister is getting married, and he quit his BuyMore job to move on. Though he could have done anything, perhaps even with Sara leaving everything to be with him, in the last minutes of the season he is on his 'last' mission, saving his friends from the bad guys, who are about to intercept the new 'intersect'. When the person who was supposed to become the new 'intersect' dies, he realizes that only he can do it, and willingly 'downloads' the new intersect back into him before destroying the device, which give him back his old abilities, and also amazing abilities that he never dreamed of having, for this was the "intercept v2.0"! Chuck now realizes that this was his calling all along - how ironic that he spent the past 2 seasons trying to run away from the very thing he now embraced.

OK you may think: What application can this possibly have to my life? Well before my faith meant much to me (and also in low times in recent years), the cost of following Christ seems like a great burden, such that sometimes I wish it could all go away, that I could go back to my 'old' life. And when I throw off my 'cross' and stop fighting against sin, it does feel good indeed! I'm free! What a relief! But then after a while, I realize that apart from Christ I have no purpose, and that this 'freedom' really isn't so free at all. I realize that my calling is to embrace my cross and that the cost of following Christ is worth it - it is not a burden because only in Christ can I find true purpose and joy. It is also not a burden because I don't have to do it (nor can I) alone: When I am walking with God, I am not walking in my own strength: I have power through the fruits and gifts of the Spirit that I never could have dreamed of before! I now realize that this was my calling all along - how ironic that I have spent so much time trying to run away from the very thing life I now embrace.

So yeah, it's not all that profound, but it was really cool when God made this connection for me last night when I was lying in bed. It led to an amazing time of prayer & conversation with God about my life. Praise God that he's able to use all things, even a questionably inapropriate show, for His glory! Nevertheless, I realize that the ends don't justify the means - I must still be very discerning as to what I allow myself to absorb through the TV and other media...