One of these things is not like the other thing

On the Amsterdam to Detroit leg of the return trip, our seats were fitted with personal entertainment systems: watch your own movies. I had earplugs in. I've tried to watch movies before, but you lose so much of the quiet moments thanks to engine roar that it has never been worthwhile. But, just to see what was there, I flipped through the menu and shut it off. About 4 hours later, something nagged at me: one of those was one I'd wanted to see: "Of Gods and Men." The menu offered details: French with English subtitles. That could work....

I fiddled with an earbud and started it up. 8 French monks in Algeria discover that the brutal Islamist revolt is likely to target them. Should they accept a government guard? Should they leave, "fleeing to the next town?" Should they stay and accept the same dangers their neighbors do? Martyrdom isn't high on their list of preferences, but the village needs the medic monk, and they've been part of the community for decades: invited to parties and helped out when things break down. And the government is corrupt and almost as brutal as the Islamists.

The movie takes you through their debates and worries, up to the end that we all know because we read about it, because it is a true story. It is a captivating and moving work (see it if you can--one scene is pretty graphic though).

At the end I was reflecting on the real pain and real uncertainty they and their friends endured, when I saw the title of the book one woman on the plane was reading: Things are Going Great in my Absence, How To Let Go And Let The Divine Do The Heavy Lifting; a pop-Hindu self-help book. No pain or hard decisions, just fluff... God preserve us from drowning in fluff.