James Bond & The Will to Love
A priest or a spy. Polar opposites?
In the movie Spectre (2015), Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) questions James Bond (Daniel Craig): “Why given every other possible option does a man choose the life of a paid assassin?” Bond’s response is frank and humorous: “Well, it was either that or the priesthood!” I cannot imagine James Bond living a life of obedience, prayer and certainly not celibacy! Yet as a spy for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, as soon as he detects a threat or danger, he is decisive and resolute in taking down the villain and accomplishing the mission. This resolute approach to fulfilling a role and a mission can serve as an analogy for our own vocational discernment.
An adventure to live…
In each of us, there is a desire to live an adventure, to make our dreams a reality, to create a life of love, beauty and truth. Young people relish the opportunity to seek adventure by travelling to places like Australia, or volunteering in Africa or South America; or working in the Middle East. Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, encourages young people to “dream great things”: “Young people are not meant to become discouraged; they are meant to dream great things, to seek vast horizons, to aim higher, to take on the world, to accept challenges and to offer the best of themselves to the building of something better” (Christus Vivit, 15). In the Bible, we read of people who left their comfort zones to encounter God and discover their vocation and mission: Abraham is called by God to leave his homeland of Ur and travel to Canaan (Genesis 12); Jacob wrestled with God in a valley in Mesopotamia (Genesis 32); Moses discovered the living God in the desert of Sinai, a long journey from the comforts of Egypt (Exodus 3); Elijah discovered his strength in the wild (1 Kings 17); and John the Baptist and Jesus were led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Mark 1). Call stories in the Bible very often involved weak individuals being called to a mission beyond their capability but assured of God’s help in fulfilling it.
A childhood hero
For me growing up, James Bond was a childhood hero. Bond, on his adventures, would face near-death encounters with villains and save the world from destruction. These adventures were thrilling with car chases, hand-to-hand combat on rooftops, exploding pens and Aston Martins with ejector seats. In the recent James Bond movie, No Time to Die, Daniel Craig plays James Bond for the last time after playing the character in four previous movies – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). The movies of the Daniel Craig-era show an evolution in the character of James Bond. The once cold-hearted clinical assassin is discovering that his life is more than just completing a mission but also making a sacrifice for those he loves. He is learning to let go of his dark past. His relationship with Madeleine Swann has softened his tough heart, coarsened by the world of espionage. There is a more affectionate, caring and loving side of Bond which is brought out in this gripping movie. Although, he still retains his age-old resolve to fulfil his mission, to do his duty, to stop the villain, and to save the world.
Floating or discerning?
Early in the movie, the new 007, Nomi (Lashana Lynch) challenges Bond to come out of his retirement in Jamaica and help MI6 once again: “You have time to kill but nothing to live for”. Bond can represent the one who floats through life without reflecting on the meaning and purpose of life. Sometimes we float or fall into a pattern of life where we choose the easier and more comfortable option. This is the importance of discerning a vocation, to discern that which will give our lives purpose and meaning, and a sense of mission, enlivened with love.
Complex discernment
The world in which Bond lives is complex; there are no clear-cut distinctions between good and bad, villain and hero. He has to decipher who he can trust, who could betray him, and what sacrifices have to be made. Bond has to make choices and he has to make calls as to who has to be eliminated or who has to be saved, protected and prioritized. Discernment can be just as complex and complicated as we try to listen to the voice of God in a noisy world of conflicting voices, competing for our attention. We desire to make choices which reflect the values of justice, altruism, integrity and responsibility. However, it is not always easy to make those choices, as to what is the best decision, and the best course of action. Bond at times seems imprisoned by his past; he finds it hard to let go of past betrayals. In our own experience, we can struggle to progress in our spiritual lives, if we let our past regrets and sinful tendencies confine or define us. Our Christian tradition identifies the voices of the self or the flesh, the world and the Devil as the competing voices which often drown out the gentle voice of God. Discerning our vocation will bring peace of mind and interior freedom.
The world, the flesh, and the Devil….
There is the voice of our own self, the inner voice, driven by passions, which dictates our own needs - our own needs for attention, control, domination and achievement. Some of these needs are quite self-centered. Then there is the voice of the world. The world wants us to conform to its current trends and fashions that come and go and which are fleeting. The world makes many false promises and offers only temporary short-cuts to happiness. The Devil, himself prompts us to give up on developing virtues, to pick the easy route, the more comfortable option rather than make sacrifices.
The will-to-power
The villain in the movie, No Time to Die, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), is a devil-type character. In an encounter with Bond, he explains that people think they want free will and independence but they really want oblivion; they want to be told what to do; and they want to be dominated. This is his impression. He describes himself like an invisible force with power and influence on the world with his grand plan to destroy. Bond challenges him: “History isn’t kind to men who play God”. Just like Safin’s evil ways, the Devil wants to distract, deceive, divide, and discourage in his attempts to destroy God’s plan for our lives.
The will-to-love
Pope Francis encourages young people to foster a relationship with God and to trust Christ who does not “hold us back from dreaming” or “require us to narrow our horizons”. On the contrary, the love of God “elevates us, encourages us and inspires us to a better and more beautiful life”. Young people do not want to settle for mediocrity and can feel restless in the face of decisions about their life commitments. Pope Francis identifies a “healthy restlessness” typical of youth which continues “to dwell in every heart that remains young, open and generous”. The Pope continues that “restless discontent, combined with exhilaration before the opening up of new horizons, generates a boldness that leads” us to “stand up and take responsibility for a mission” (Christus Vivit, 138).
Authentic discernment
Discerning a vocation can be challenging as we try to listen to the voice of God in our lives. Prayer, spiritual direction, and the support of family and friends are needed in helping us discern that graced desire in our hearts for priesthood or religious life. While the world, the flesh or the ego, and the Devil can complicate our discernment, as long as we create silence and make time for God, he will work in and through the deepest and most authentic desires of our hearts, calling us to a specific vocation and mission in the life of his Church.
Rev. Barry White is a deacon of the Diocese of Meath, resident in St Mary’s Parish, Navan and a student of Canon Law at KU Leuven, Belgium.