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MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Cars 2" -- final session

THE DENTS IN FRIENDSHIP

The Gospel

MATTHEW 16:21-23

[At that time] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Gospelthink: Peter could not understand my plan because he was not thinking as God would. Am I honestly following God's Will or my own will?

The topic of "friendship" was one of the major considerations of the first movie named "Cars." Lightning McQueen slowly discovered that the most important accomplishment in life was setting up relationships with people, relationships that can be described as "friendships." Here in "Cars 2," McQueen, once again caught up in the glamor of winning races and all that it entailed, temporarily forgets the lesson. His friend Mater seemed to be more a liability to McQueen who selfishly turns away from him. Meanwhile, Mater, in many ways the real star of the movie, teaches both McQueen and Mater's friend Holly the real meaning of friendship. Friendship must be defined in terms of working with the dents that life gives to relationships as people become closer to one another.

How does God think of human friendship? We get an idea from studying the way Jesus interacted with his friends. One of those friends was Peter, the person that he singled out to be a leader among the Apostles. As the Gospels show, Peter had a strong personality and was not afraid to share his opinions. But Jesus was able to accept him as he was, and at the same time, teach him that he would have to change some of his thinking. In terms of the movie "Cars 2," Jesus was able to accept the "dent" that was caused by Peter's words, and at the same time, give Peter a "dent" of his own.

In one of the great insights of animated films, Mater, a friend of Lightning McQueen says that there are some dents, some difficult things that have happened in a person's life that a friend has caused. Mater points out that those dents should be remembered because they are reminders of the friend, something that should always be part of a person's make-up.

Mater's reasoning revolves around the fact that even though dents hurt and sometimes hurt in a significant manner, they are still caused by a friend. Friends will work out those dents and learn how to adjust to them, and in the process, make their friendship stronger. Peter no doubt felt the pain of being "rebuked" by Jesus, but it was a dent that he came to treasure. He not only understood that Jesus felt enough about him to correct him, but he also understood how much Jesus cared for him. It was a "dent" that he would always keep with him.

Friendship can be defined in many ways, no doubt. But one of the significant ways to describe it is to say that the people who enjoy the friendship have probably been hurt by the other friend in some way, and have worked it out. They remember the pains, the "dents," but they will cherish the friendship even more because they have worked out the pain together.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, thank you for friendship, not only for your friendship toward us, but the ability to have friends in our world. May we learn to be better friends by understanding the hurts that friends cause. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: True friendship can only occur when friends have worked through the problems they have.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 50 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. A significant part of Jesus' thought as a human being in the Gospel was his approaching death. What is the best way to prepare for our own deaths?
3. From what you know of the Gospels, how would you describe the friendship of Peter and Jesus?
4. Peter obviously did not totally understand what Jesus intended to do. In the scene presented by the Gospel, what should Peter have said to Jesus?
5. Describe what you think Jesus means by "thinking as God does."
6. What is your definition of friendship?
7. The meditation says that "dents" are important to friends because friends will work out the difficulties that each causes for the other. What is the best way to work out those difficulties?
8. Some authors say that people really have only a "few" true friends. Is the statement true or false and why?
9. Scene analysis: Mater reflects on himself after Finn calls him a fool. In your opinion, do people reflect on themselves in a serious way often enough? Yes or no and why?
10. Analysis: the lemons are intent to carry out their plan in order to have more money. In your opinion, is money the greatest evil? Yes or no and why?
11. Scene analysis: McQueen trusts his crew about the fuel. In your opinion, do people show enough trust in their friends as they should? Yes or no and why?
12. Scene analysis: Mater is willing to die, but does not want to hurt McQueen. In general, do you think most friends would suffer death for one another? Yes or no and why?
13. Scene analysis: Mater chooses to stay in Radiator Springs rather than work in the intelligence service. In your opinion, what was Mater's principal motivation for staying?
14. What does the movie "Cars 2" teach young people?

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike