Wait just a second there Professor: What I love about Office Space

I often ask our blog authors to write about what it means to love the things they love and to be a Christian. I think it has been a helpful and difficult question for us. I remember the day I asked Jason, and I was struck by my own lack of answer as we talked about jazz. My wife and I watch Mad Men on Sunday Nights. I can go on and on about the acting, the conversations between Jon Hamm and John Slattery, etc. But, I had no idea what my affections with it have to do with faith in Jesus.

Fast Forward to this evening. I had a long day, and recently I have been piecing together one of my old favorite movies, Office Space, after everyone is in bed. The first time I watched Office Space I thought it was funny, but knew that I immediately wanted to watch it again and pay attention to things like body language and tone. I did; it was twice as funny. Please take three minutes to watch the Bobs and their faces (the corresponding scene with Bill Lumbergh is even funnier, "I'll handle this..."). I hope you laugh.

Tonight it dawned on me. As the hilarious scenes roll by, I realize I love watching because the actors in every scene are acknowledging the sheer absurdity of life. Someone owns it in every scene.

As a Christian I am daily struck by life as it is, life as it can get (bad), and life as I dream of it being/becoming. I feel powerless, but I am not. Some days I wish I were! In my conversations I wish I could be free like Peter Gibbons. But, his freedom is a kind of prison. The reason I know that is because I believe the Bible to be true, Jesus who he says he is, and the explanations of what it means to be human valuable, credible, and satisfying to my deepest being. And, because Peter and Michael forget to put the decimals in the right places.

Office Space is about many things - like most stories it is very much about character transformation. But, it is also an obnoxiously accurate commentary on many things about white middle class America. I don't want to think too much about that - I want to watch Office Space and laugh. But, I am aware that it reminds me of desires I have for myself, anxiety I have about the way the world and relationships work, and the incredible call of the Gospel to go into this world and affect reconciliation and peace. Some days I am like Peter - bumbling through my own character growth, some days like Tom Symkowski - "I had an idea once", and I'm sure some days I am like Michael Bolton, "Why should I change, he's the one who sucks".

Have a good Wednesday.

-Matt Blazer