Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
July 24, 2016
Spiritual Ponderings
Faith & Film: Transformers IV: Age of Extinction
 
"Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere." — G.K. Chesterton.  Perhaps that is why televisions shows and movies are so powerful.  Let us take a look now at some spiritual insights from the last Transformers movie.
 
This Transformer movie takes place five years after the Battle of Chicago (the end of the third movie where the Decipticons and Autobots fought it out in the middle of Chicago killing many and pretty much destroying the whole city).  The remaining Decipticons have gone into hiding not knowing what to do without Megatron their leader.  The Autobots have also gone into hiding despite having been given amnesty as a reward for saving the earth.  Unfortunately a secret CIA group called “Cemetery Winds” and a transformer bounty hunter named Lockdown have begun hunting down the Autobots especially Optimus Prime.  Eventually it is discovered that a group of scientists have been able to create their own transformers and unfortunately these new transformers fall under the control of Galvatron (an updated version of Megatron). 
 
The first major spiritual insight is the simple warning that just because we can do some scientifically does not mean that it is good or moral for us to do so.  Science is great, but not everything we can do should be done for example splitting the atom, cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, etc.  Sometimes our ambition and pride as a race can get us into trouble.  In the Terminator movies, we create a robot named Sky-net that tries to wipe out humanity.  Here in this episode of the Transformers, we create an army of robots that fall under the command of an evil enemy.  On a more personal level just because I can bully someone does not mean I should or just because I can eat as much as I want does not mean that I should.  We need to use our gift of reason to help create moderation and prudence in our lives.
 
The following piece of dialogue demonstrates the next spiritual insight:
Cade Yeager : When you said you were done fighting for humans, you didn't mean that, did you?
Optimus Prime : How many more of my kind must be sacrificed, to atone for YOUR mistakes?
Cade Yeager : What do you think being human means? That's what we do. We make mistakes. Sometimes, out of those mistakes come the most amazing things... When I fixed you, it was for a reward. That was it. That was why. The money. And it was me making a mistake. Without it, you wouldn't be here. So even if you got no faith in us, I'm asking you to do what I do. I'm asking you to look at all the junk and see the treasure. You gotta have faith, Prime, in who we can be.
 
Yeager reminds Optimus Prime that human beings are not the sum of the mistakes but rather are something more.  Another way of looking at is it is because Optimus is the stronger that he has a duty to protect the more misguided human beings.
 
One last quote:
Optimus Prime: After all we've done, humans are hunting us. 
Optimus and the other Autobots quickly learn that they do what they do not because of what they get in return but because of who they are.  As Catholics we help others out not because we gain anything from it but because we are Catholics.  The following Mother Teresa quote sumerizes this teaching:
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.  What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.