I was just watching this movie, Gone Baby Gone. In it a guy does everything almost right. He tries. But the world is messed up, so the result is a mess. All his best efforts pay off in pain. There is no easy way to fix it; mend the tragedy; or change the broken lives. In the end, he pays with his life but not in a glorious moment. He’ll continue trying to do the right thing even as the the world around him seems intent on going to hell. He’ll live with the consequences of his “right” choices and the pain they cause, and if all goes well he’ll win in small ways. Maybe there’ll be redemption, but if so it’s coming the slow hard way.

Often in the movies good intentions suddenly pay off in big ways. Instant redemption. Suddenly it seems so easy like it was meant that way. There are wonderful moments in life, victories pulled out of defeat, and people who surprise you in good ways. It happens all the time. But this movie reminded me that there are broken people and things in this world that change very little over time. Sometimes the hero is the one who doesn’t choose the easy win but endures for the long haul, embracing the pain not with the strength of a Hollywood savior but in surrender.