Job Imagined He Might Build His Nest On High That The Integrity Of His Behavior Would Protect Him Against

Job imagined he might build his nest on high – that the integrity of his behavior would protect him against misfortune. And his friends thought, mistakenly, that the Lord could only have punished him because secretly he’d done something wrong. But, no, misfortune befalls the good as well. We can’t protect ourselves against it. We can’t protect our children. We vanish as a cloud. We wither as the autumn grass, and like a tree are rooted up. Is there some fraud in the scheme of the universe? Is there nothing which is deathless? Nothing which does not pass away? There is no hiding place in all the world where trouble may not find you. No one knows when sorrow might visit his house, any more than Job did. The very moment everything was taken away from Job, he knew it was the Lord who’d taken it away. He turned from the passing shows of time. He sought that which is eternal. Does he alone see God’s hand who sees that He gives, or does not also the one see God’s hand who sees that He takes away? Does he alone see God who sees God turn His face towards him? Does not also he see God who sees God turn his back?

The Tree of Life, Malick, 2011, 1:01:17 mark

Job = Bible Cliffs Notes

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Crow catching a ride on the back of a bald eagle (c) Phoo Chan Please go here for more birds

OTHER 1 It must be very difficult. I do volunteer work with some disadvantaged women. A few of them have lost their husbands and they find it very hard. Amelia looks at Mother 1, her face darkens. CLAIRE (Changing the subject) How’s Richard’s merger going? MOTHER 1 (O.S.) Oh! Good but his workload’s ballooned. Tight on Amelia, fighting a growing anger. MOTHER 1 (O.S.) (CONT’D) I’ve got the kids 24/7 it feels like. MOTHER 2 (O.S.) Tell me about it... MOTHER 1 (O.S.) I don’t even have time to go to the gym anymore, it’s ridiculous! AMELIA (Blurting it out) That’s a real tragedy. The mothers all look at Amelia, taken aback. She stares at Mother 1, her contempt obvious. AMELIA (CONT’D) Not having time to go to the gym. How do you cope? Pause. AMELIA (CONT’D) You must have a lot to talk about with those poor disadvantaged women. Horrible silence. Claire gives her sister a death stare. Amelia looks away, defiant, refusing to meet her gaze.

“The Babadook”, 2015 screenplay by Jennifer Kent