The Martian

Stranded on Mars, Mark is an astronaut who is clearly not at home. Left behind by a crew who believed he was dead, Mark has a decision to make. He can crumble under the impossibility of his situation—stuck as the only human being on an uninhabitable planet, with limited resources, and four years until a rescue crew would reach him—or he can “get to work.” Mark chooses to get to work.

The power of decision is everything, and Mark chooses life. He approaches each of his challenges with enthusiasm, initiative, humor, and faith. Mark takes one step at a time, and when he “fails,” he gets back up again. Nothing seems to stand in his way. He needs food; he figures out how to grow it. He needs water; he learns how to make it. With his mind fully in his function, Mark has no time for self-pity, doubts, or distraction.

Finally, Mark retrieves the capacity to communicate with those on Earth and his journey towards home takes a monumental leap. For a brief moment, Mark forgets that the Spirit is in charge and he faces his pride and the undoing of his self-concept as a scientist.

We are not at home on the planet Earth either, and the memory of home calls to us if we choose to listen. Mark shows us how simple it can be—remain humble and open, listen, and follow, and never give up. These steps will take you all the way home to God.