Why Life Often Requires Goonie Like Faith

When I introduced my daughters to one of my favorite movies… The Goonies, I knew they’d love it. It’s a timeless classic that’s thrilling, humorous, and hearkens viewers of all ages to a time when it was easier to believe.

Even today, as a much more seasoned soul, I am sucked into the brilliant story-telling and adventurous spirit. I almost believe I can go to an attic and find a long-forgotten map to “rich stuff” just like Mikey and his fellow Goonies.

I ALMOST Believe it.

Since my first viewing of The Goonies, while I was at roughly the same age as most of the actors in it, I too have grown into an adult. I have also developed in my ability to reason and rationalize. So, instead of grabbing the map, hopping on my bike to seek the rich stuff with unwavering, yet reckless, conviction, I convince myself of the foolishness of it.

• I think about the many other people who have gone after the rich stuff and failed. Then, I question what would make me think I could succeed at something that so many others could not.
• I consider the risk and determine that the danger level is too high. After all, there might be “booty-traps.” – THAT’S WHAT I SAID! BOOBY TRAPS! Gosh.
• I consider the possible reality that some other adventurous Goonie has already gone after the rich stuff, succeeded, and didn’t tell anyone. How terrible would it be to risk my life for outrageous fortune only to find there is no reward?
• I even begin to wonder if there really was a One-Eyed Willy, and if there wasn’t, there certainly is no rich stuff. Heck, it was probably just a story that some dude told his kids around a camp fire to keep them entertained.

See how “grown-up” I am in my thoughts? See how easy it was to talk myself out of believing or going after the prize?

We all do it. Every day I suspect.

We talk ourselves out of taking risks or challenging conventional wisdom because our ideas are a little too, well, unconventional. This is where we have a need for Goonie-Like Faith.

What is Goonie-Like Faith?

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 18:2-4

This verse from Matthew is often misused to suggest we should be childish in our mindsets. Instead, this event was Jesus’s way of offering an example of humility. At that time, children were merely to be seen and not heard. They were almost property in some respects and certainly had no social standing among adults.

So, in this context, Jesus tells us we are to be humble and without regard to our stature… just as he lived his life while among us. In addition, pride, desire for honor and claims to fame must be repented of and forfeited from our motives.

With that in mind, let’s work backward from the objections I rationalized above.

I questioned the existence of a rich benefactor, like One-Eyed Willy. Don’t we all question the existence of God at certain points of our lives? I know I do! I sometimes am even able to almost convince myself that believing is foolish.

But God Is Real. If you have rationalized your way out of believing it, go back and study Ecclesiastes and let King Solomon set you straight.

But even with that truth, how am I to know there will be a reward waiting for me in heaven? We have been promised all sorts of “rich stuff” throughout scripture. What that is and what it looks like, I have no idea. The only thing I know for sure is that the toys for which I toil here on earth won’t be going with me, so I guess it is fitting to go forth with a confident expectation that God will provide.

As for the booby-traps, those are very real. In the movie, we see the terrible effects of them as the kids come into contact with Chester Copperpot, who gasped his final breath in the cave, presumably after triggering such a trap. The kids very nearly suffer the same fate, but are fortunate to survive.

Soon after that, the kids find themselves in a beautiful setting surrounded by coins – perhaps enough to save their beloved Goon Docks. They thought they had found the treasure they were seeking until Andy points out that the money from the wishing well is not theirs and an argument between her and Mouth ensues. Meanwhile, Mikey fixates on Chester Copperpot, realizing this is another of Willy’s traps.

Then it’s discovered that Troy and his friends are above ground. It becomes the climatic moment of the movie. Andy, after telling the others she is not a Goonie, must decide her next move. She ultimately exercises Goonie-like faith and forges ahead, much to Troy’s ire.

This change of heart is much like our faith in Christ. Our faith is sometimes bewildering to those who are not walking in the same light. We often have to sacrifice what we thought were treasures in exchange for the real reward that lies ahead.

God Provides for His Children

When the Fratelli’s catch up to the Goonies on Willy’s ship, they strip the kids of all the loot they had gathered. They literally take everything from the kids and leave them with nothing but a walking of the plank.

And then their friend introduces them to their savior.

Chunk shows up with Sloth to rescue the Goonies from certain death. He offers them rescue and helps them escape into the light of day. But when reunited with families and loved ones above ground, they weren’t able to take any loot with them, thus believing they had been on a fool’s errand.

But Christianity is no fools errand!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 19:14

The Fratelli’s took everything from the Goonies. Everything that’s visible, at least. But they left that which was unseen – the jewels inside of Mikey’s marble bag. Just like this world continually builds up and takes away all that it bestows, it cannot take from us the treasures that are stored up for us in heaven.

It just takes a little Goonie-Like Faith.