Discussion Précis by Matt Davis

The Life of Pi, although a fictional story, is a reminder that everyone has a story. The Life of Matt Davis. Life of John Silverwood (Black Wave). The Life of Jeff Pratt. The Life of Rob Travis. We each have a story of growth, learning, adventure, and faith/salvation. Each story is important and includes harrowing adventures, especially for whose who lived it. We each have a story of our formative years. We each have moments of learning and development. We each face down our own tigers, especially those within. And, we each walk a journey of faith and are faced with the opportunity of salvation.

The story that Martel tells through the eyes of Patel is incredibly realistic and engaging. We are drawn into his story, being able see, taste, touch, and feel the experiences of Pi. I had to google many times “Is Life of Pi a real story?” How could someone tell a story like that and not have walked it themselves. Amazing! 

We ask ourselves, what is the point of the story? Is it the story itself, or what is our takeaway? 

For me, the takeaway is the struggle with a tiger that saved Pi’s life — the proverbial “thorn in his side” that saved his life. Is that not true in our own lives? We seek to have challenges or struggles removed from our lives, but God tells us His grace is sufficient. Through that struggle we learn to lean into the Lord, stand up with courage, and in the end, conquer through Christ. And, with hindsight, appreciate the struggle for how God used it to bring us to repentance and dependency on Him.

We are a people made for “story.” God tells His story through the greatest story of all time—pointing all towards Christ. Jesus comes and tells stories to the people during his time. We are called as God’s people to share our testimonies (share about Him unto the nations). How are we going to tell our story in a way that will bring individuals to “Believe in God” — like Patel’s story? I would suggest that Patel told the wrong version of the story if his goal was to bring us to believe in God. His animal story was a great story that was incredible. And one might say, “it’s a miracle that Pi survived—there must be a God!” Or, the the real story of human depravity, selfishness, and greed. It goes to show how great is our need for a SAVIOR!