Jaws: Lessons of Faith and Golden Anniversary of Its Cinematic Release

In June 1975, Steven Spielberg made a name for himself as he made his mark in Hollywood with the summer blockbuster, Jaws. The movie was a blockbuster success that propelled Spielberg to a successful movie career. 

Based on a novel written by Peter Benchley, it tells the story of a shark that attacks vacationers in a shore destination off Long Island, NY. There would be sequels that would follow, yet they couldn’t match the success of the original film.

Martin Brody responds to the body that washes ashore of a missing person, eaten by a shark. After more victims had similar causes of death, Brody decides to go after the shark. He defied the mayor of the town and even his staff to move ahead, pursuing the shark. Hooper and Quint help him. They kill the shark, and Brody becomes the hero.

While the film has no explicit religious themes, it can communicate lessons of faith through its characters and plot.

Intuition and Trust

For Martin Brody, a police officer, he knew that something didn’t fit right with the victims. He believed that it was no coincidence. Rather, he acted on a gut feeling that a predatory shark was lurking in the ocean, and he had to confront it.

The film also shows how Brody trusts in the expertise of Hooper and Quint. Without their help, he wouldn’t know how to locate the man-eating shark. Brody learns that he is never alone, just as we are on our faith journey.

Engagement of the World

The film can teach us that active engagement with the world goes a long way beyond passive observation. We do this with courage to confront fear.

Courage Trumps Fear

In a situation like the one in the film, it can be easy to run away from the danger. Instead, Brody confronted it. It reminds us that we must be courageous in adversity and fear. Fear can dictate our decisions. For Brody, he confronted the fear and did it with courage.

Jaws teaches us to always confront fear with courage, trust in God, and stand united with those who want to help us accomplish our faith journey.