The phrase “Groundhog Day” entered the English lexicon following the release of the fantasy-comedy movie of the same name back in 1993. Nearly everyone has seen the movie with Bill Murray playing cynical TV weatherman, Phil Connors, covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Connors, for some inexplicable reason, becomes trapped in a time loop in which he is forced to relive the same day over and over again. It is a very funny movie and one of my all-time favourites.
The movie, though funny, tries to incorporate some philosophical elements. As Connors comes to grips with his same day everyday new existence, and becomes more desperate, he is forced to face who he really is – including his appalling attitude towards others. He begins an almost unconscious, at first, journey towards getting his act together and becoming a better person. He doesn’t know when the journey will end – or if it ever will. On the way, though, he makes new choices and he learns to appreciate other people so much more than he ever did - and he finds love, too. And then he awakes one morning and it’s February 3rd – no more Groundhog Day, he is finally free.
The movie has had quite an impact on popular culture and, as I said, the very phrase “Groundhog Day” is part of everyday language now – even though most wouldn’t even know what the Groundhog Day event in the USA is all about – and it describes a monotonous, unpleasant, and repetitive situation of stuckness that never seems to end.
Welcome to COVID DAY, 2021! This is our own Groundhog Day we’ve been living for so long. I won’t suggest that we all have to improve our attitude and try to be better people before we are somehow released from all this as several Buddhist leaders have done, using the movie as an allegory to explain how karma works. That’s not how life works at all.
However, I will suggest that with our COVID Groundhog Day experience still going on we do have some choices. The first is to stay focused on ourselves in ways that increase our sense of gloom and frustration at the “unfairness” of it all – and our stuckness. Second, we can choose to focus on others much more and seek their welfare and appreciate the relationships around us so much more. That’s good for everyone – including ourselves. The third choice is to remain focused on the Lord and draw from Him the peace, reassurance and life we need each day – our daily bread! The last two choices will probably have no effect on how soon our Groundhog Day experience may end – but they go a long way in keeping us from becoming cynical, bitter, angry people, rather than salt and light in the world. It comes down to choices.
As I said on Sunday morning, where and how we focus is so vital as the people of God. The world is depending on us more than they realise!
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace”.
That’s a choice – Groundhog Day, or not.
Selah!
Ps Milton