Trapped in Paradise

"Trapped in Paradise" is a great forgiveness comedy and a wonderful Christmas movie for seeing that the miracle is always happening, regardless of whatever you think you can do to make it happen or prevent it from happening. Miracles are involuntary.

When the three Firpo brothers, Bill, Dave, and Alvin, come down to this beautiful little town, Paradise, you have a perfect setup for seeing their innocence and having this reflected by the townspeople. The brothers continue to consistently just be themselves even when they are put in what is considered extreme situations such as a bank robbery, being held as hostages, and having federal agents descend on the town. They are simple folk who just love and see the Christ in their brothers. The movie offers the contrast between judgment and innocence. It shows you how heartwarming innocence is and how bizarre and crazy judgment is.

Again and again, the brothers attempt to leave with the stolen money, but it is their own true Self calling them back to receive the healing. And then when they fully accept the invitation to stay, all the witnesses can fully support them and say, "Yes the past is gone."

When the Firpos finally decide to give the money back it is symbolic of what Jesus directs us to do in "A Course in Miracles." He tells us that we think we took something away from God: autonomy, our mind, and we need to simply give it back. And as the movie so beautifully demonstrates, our natural state of happiness and peace is waiting on our willingness to give back this little puff of nothingness and return our mind to God's.