HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Having lost everything in a tragic series of events, Piscine Molitor Patel (a.k.a. Pi) floats in the middle of the ocean with no survival skills or hope of rescue.

But rather than giving up, Pi prays, searching for direction and meaning.

Through Pi’s story, we learn more about faith and God. We may not agree with everything in Life of Pi, but the film still has a lot to teach us.

This guide is designed to help facilitate a conversation about the themes and motives behind Life of Pi. Enjoy the conversation!

THE WONDER OF CREATION Growing up in a zoo in India, Pi has had the opportunity to experience God’s handiwork close-up all his life.

As Pi floats on the ocean with the powerful and beautiful Tiger, Richard Parker, he continues to see the beauty and danger of creation all around him.

Pi’s encounters remind us of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; Night after night, they display knowledge.”

Scripture often points to nature as a testament to the creative prowess and power of God.

READ: ROMANS 1.19, 20a “They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made.”

“God, I give myself to you. I am your vessel. Whatever comes, I want to know. Show me.” -Pi

A FAITH & FILM GUIDE

LIFE PIOF

QUESTIONS 1. How do you experience God through nature?

2. Nature, like God, is not always gentle. Scripture speaks of the power of nature being stirred in direct response to God. What does this kind of power mean to you?

STRIPPED BARENo matter how hard Pi works or how grateful he expresses himself to be, the sea swallows up the other things that might give him hope. Everything he depends on is swept away. At one point, Pi grows angry and asks God “What more do you want?!”

But each time something is taken away from Pi, his dependence on God grows.

When Pi and Richard Parker are at the very end of their strength, something very strange happens. Their lifeboat coasts into a floating island that has everything they need.

GO DEEPER The Psalms are full of expressions of hope and trust in the midst of suffering. Psalm 71 says, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” And in Psalm 73, the poet says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Spend some time with the Psalms. Acknowledge that your are in God’s hands and thank him for the journey.

BELIEVING IN MIRACLESWhen Pi tells his incredible story to some Japanese investigators, they don’t believe him. The whole thing is just too improbable. So he tells them another story of how he survived — a more literal one. Perhaps the first story was true not in a literal sense. Perhaps it was more like a parable.

If the second story is closer to what literally happened, Pi suffered through a horrific ordeal. And yet he survived for months alone on a boat — a miracle that he can only attribute to God.

QUESTIONS 1. What does dependence on God look like?

2. Share a time in your life when you experienced something which drove you to dependence on God

QUESTIONS 1. Do you have an easy or difficult time believing that God can do anything, even miracles?

2. Jesus spoke in parables. Do you think the story Pi shared really happened? Does it matter? Discuss.

© Copyright American Bible Society 2012*The impact of movies, television and theater on culture is profound, shaping how millions perceive social and moral issues. ABS builds resources for mainstream releases to facilitate culture-reaching conversations, inviting viewers to use themes presented to explore a new or refreshed relationship with Christ. This should not be perceived as direct endorsement or any particular media content.

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