The Name Louis Zamperini and Suffering Go Hand in Hand
Some years ago I went to a movie with a friend. Both of us enjoy war movies, but this one was different. No great battles or dogfights or carrier-based action was the focus. Instead it was the story of 3 men who survived the crash of a B-24 in the Pacific Ocean. Of the three men, one died on the 33rd day of their 47-day perilous journey. The two rafts they occupied were caught in a westward current that took them 2000 miles into captivity and their horrible experiences in Japanese prison camps.
I was so moved by the story that I bought the book recently and have “enjoyed” the story of one of the two prisoners who survived the grueling journey and over two years of torturous life behind enemy lines in severe conditions. His name is Louis Zamperini.
Competing in the 1937 Olympics in Berlin, Louie’s rebellious past and his love of competition mingled to produce a man who hated to lose and detested the idea of being controlled by anyone. Whether it was his physical conditioning or his mental toughness or the absolute grace of God, Louie persevered through it all and made it home after WWII to family and friends.
As a celebrated hero post-WWII, he was wined and dined across the country and recognized by many wherever he traveled on the way to becoming a household name. After marrying Cynthia Applewhite and attempting to settle down into a normal life, Louie found it impossible to erase the terrors of captivity and torture. Going from bad financial decisions to alcoholism to uncontrollable rage, Louie awakened from another night of nightmares in which he was struggling with his chief tormenter, Sargent Mitzuhiro Watanabe, known to him and other prisoners as “The Bird”. On this night of fitful dreams he discovered his hands weren’t around the neck of his dreamed Sargent but literally choking his wife.
After many more humiliating and life-threatening experiences, Louie was tricked into attending a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles, California. During Billy’s invitation at the end of a message that seemed custom tailored for Louie, Louie surrendered – not to his nightmarish tormenter, not to his alcoholism, but to his need for a Savior – Jesus Christ.
All the suffering he’d experienced had made him bitter, vengeful, and unforgiving. After his introduction to Jesus and his invitation to Jesus to become Lord of his life, the bitterness, the desire for revenge, and even his addictions to alcohol and cigarettes were gone.
Another story I have read of a man being tormented and abused unmercifully is the story of the Savior with whom Louie could identify as someone who understood merciless, cruel treatment. That man is Jesus Christ. Though Louie’s torture was undeserved and unbelievably cruel, he came to realize that the suffering Jesus experienced was for the forgiveness Louie needed but didn’t deserve any more than those who’d tortured him.
Louie forgave all those who were responsible for his pain during and after the war. Most of all he realized that he, himself, was to blame for many bad choices that hurt others deeply and kept him under the grip of his addictions and depression. Jesus set Louie free to love and serve God all the rest of his days.
What about you? Do you need freedom and release from the past? Do you need hope for the future? Jesus Christ gives that to Louie, to me, and to all who will trust Him. The journey to freedom is not usually an easy one even after trusting Christ, but it is worth it. Life is hard, but at least in Christ it is worth it