Percy Jackson and Distractions

I have wanted to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief ever since it came out. Not necessarily because I had heard it was a great movie, but because I studied Classical Literature my junior year of high school, and couldn't pass up the chance to make fun of the cantankerous gods and goddesses that had tormented me for an entire school year. Well today, I got my wish.

Now, you must understand that this post is not a movie review. I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this movie-- in fact I would not recommend taking the whole family to see it unless a parent had seen it first. There are some pretty sketch references and some disturbing images.

But, with that qualifier out of the way, this movie really left me thinking. It's cultural critiques were both interesting and at times surprisingly accurate. Perhaps this is mostly because I studied Greek literature, but there are some parallels that just cannot be overlooked. (Such as the fact that the door to Hades was in Hollywood and the door to Mount Olympus on the Empire State Building.) There was one part in particular that really hit home for me, and I think has some real-life application for us.

But first, some background.

Percy, son of Poseidon (god of the sea) and his two friends, Grover, the Satyr (or faun, for those of you more familiar with CS Lewis than Greek myths) and Annabeth, daughter of Athena (goddess of wisdom and war strategy) are searching for Persephone's three pearls so they can travel to Hades and save Percy's mom. The map has taken them from Medusa's lair, to the Parthenon - in Nashville, and now it has brought them to the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for the last pearl. They have only ten days to complete their quest.

The three adventurers enter the casino with one purpose only-- find the pearl and get out. The casino is full of the usual Las Vegas party scene, but for the moment, they are able to avoid the persistent stewards and stay on track.

Then, a drop-dead gorgeous waitress offers the three of them a lotus flower to eat.

In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus lands on an island where the natives give his sailors lotus petals to eat. These petals contain magical properties that make one content, care-free, and wish to stay on the island forever. They removed any thought of home and responsibilities.

Well, sure enough, these are the same flowers. Unfortunately, Percy and his friends are unaware of this and, in a moment of weakness, accept the flower.

Percy, Grover, and Annabeth lose focus almost immediately upon eating the flowers. They forget why they are there, what they are doing, and can think of nothing except for the entertainment going on around them.

I found a certain moment particularly striking. In the middle of the confusion, ever-focused Annabeth pipes up.

"I think I know why we are here!" she exclaims.

For a moment, I had hoped she would straighten the boys out and get them back on their way. But that hope was immediately dashed.

"To have fun!"

It is almost painful to watch the heroes get distracted from their mission as they are immersed in the fun, amusement, and party life of the Casino.

Finally (due to some "heavenly" intervention), Percy begins to realize what is going on. He stops eating the flowers and starts noticing that something isn't right. Take, for example, the man he runs into who believes it's still the 1900's. This man doesn't realize that he has spent literally years playing the games at the casino. He's lost track of time.

When Percy and his friends finally "wake up" and escape the clutches of the casino owners, they realize that they have not only spent a few hours here. Rather, they've spent five precious days partying, wasting time, and drawing them closer to their deadline.

I heard once that to make you ineffective, the enemy doesn't have to destroy you. He only has to distract you.

We are engaged in a spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of the people around us. We have been put on this earth for one purpose only. Our captain has given us the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Often we view this spiritual battle as always being fought on the obvious battle fields. But often, the enemy's most effective tactics are not to destroy, but to distract.

Percy and his friends found this out first hand. Between their own training and the special powers they had inherited from their Olympian parents, they could deal with the monstrous minotaur, the snake-bedecked Medusa, and the three-headed hydra. They could overcome all attempts by the enemy to stop them as long as their heads were in the game. What lost them the most of their short time was not swords, fire, and snakes, but their own lack of focus when they gave in to the enemy's distractions.

Our time here is short. Our quest is clear. And we can overcome all the obvious attacks made by the enemy to slow us down or destroy us. What we cannot do is allow the enemy to distract us by the attractions, entertainment, and amusement the world has to offer. We are made more ineffective by simply tasting of the world's temptations than by any obstacle or physical ailment the enemy can throw at us. Don't let the enemy waste your time with mindless distractions.

Annabeth best summed up this warning in the very last line of the movie.

"First rule of battle strategy. Don't ever let your opponent distract you."