Las Vegas, "Unbroken" & the Arrival of 2015

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We spent several days in Las Vegas during the Christmas holidays. Being there helped me reflect on a couple things that are relevant as we turn the page from 2014 to 2015.

Outside the glitz and the slots and the sleaze, Las Vegas is actually a lot like Fresno. It’s the same hardscrabble town in an arid landscape. Both have a major university, thousands of immigrants, a large homeless population, and many success stories built on the back of the local economy. Las Vegas is the country’s 30th largest city, Fresno the 34th. They both face serious social, economic and environmental challenges.

Yet unlike Fresno, Las Vegas has crafted a profitable niche for itself that draws millions of visitors a year. Fresno’s airport served 700,000 passengers in 2013, Las Vegas’ airport 42,000,000 (not a misprint!). Fresno markets itself as being CLOSE to major attractions. Las Vegas is close to major sites as well, but it is a destination in and of itself. It’s a fascinating contrast between two otherwise similar cities.

During our stay in Vegas, we didn’t gamble, didn’t go drinking, and did nothing even close to provocative or immoral. But we did tour Hoover Dam. We enjoyed some good food, did some shopping and watched the movie Unbroken.

Are you familiar with Unbroken, the true story of Louis Zamperini? I knew nothing about it. And I had no idea what movie my family was dragging me to see. Here’s a link to the movie trailer.

Louis Zamperini grew up in Torrance in Los Angeles County. He was a troubled kid, the son of Italian immigrants, until he discovered his gift for running. As a high school senior, he ran the fastest high school time ever in the mile. As a student at USC, he landed a spot in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. He finished eighth in the 5,000 meters.

The movie mostly depicts his time as a prisoner of war in Japan. Watching his horrific experiences is one of the most gut-wrenching things I’ve ever seen. And the movie apparently leaves out some of the worst details. I now recall that many Japanese right-wing groups strongly protested the movie, calling director Angelina Jolie’s film “racist” and based on “pure fabrication” (read about it here.) For those like myself who know a little about history and yet find it hard to understand how brutal the War of the Pacific truly was, this movie was an eye-opener. It helps me appreciate and be thankful for the wonderful men I’ve gotten to know here in Fresno who fought, flew and sailed the Pacific during World War II. Unbroken opens a small window into that world, and I’m grateful to have seen it.

Director Jolie got to know her neighbor Zamperini before he died in July of this year. She listened to his story, showed him love, and helped tell his story of brutality and redemption. After many years of self-abuse and addiction following his terrible war experiences, Zamperini found Jesus through the perseverance and loving patience of his wife. A Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles helped turn his life around and find the healing that only God can provide. Jolie and many others found Zamperini to be a surprising source of hope and blessing.

As 2015 arrives, I pray that God will use you in surprising ways for surprisingly good purposes. All around you are people in need of a little love, a listening ear, and guidance to find the God who longs to nourish them and make them whole. Won’t you be part of God’s redemptive work in 2015?

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