Growing up, I remember being entranced by the James Bond series of movies. James Bond was a character created by British author, journalist, and Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming. Fleming came up with the name character 1952 when he started writing his first book, Casino Royale, at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica.
Initially, Fleming came up with the idea from his own experiences and imagination. Ironically, he got the name for his character from American ornithologist James Bond, a Caribbean bird expert, and author. He later explained he chose to use his name because “It struck me that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed.”
What drew many men and me was James’ lifestyle of flying on private planes, ordering cocktails, driving exotic cars, seducing beautiful women, defeating the enemy, wearing stylish suits, witty banter, and the aurora of sophistication. Most importantly, how the fate of the world relied on this one man. However, if you go back to Fleming’s original writings, his world was less exotic, so moviemakers decided to redefine the character to appeal more to men’s deep desire for excitement and danger.
Over the past 58 years, over 26 movies have featured 12 different actors in that role. What many people don’t know is that many of the actors tired of playing the part. The last actor to play 007, Daniel Craig, once said, “I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.” He then went on to say that “if I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”
It seems that living a fantasy is harder than looks.
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Read and meditate on Philippians 2:3.
Pray:
What is your view of manhood and how does this align with scripture? Pray and ask God to give you clarity and conviction.
Meditate / Make It Real:
Determine how you will start living the life God has called you to live. What does that look like today, tomorrow, a year or ten years from now?
Share / Show:
Share what you’ve learned with someone else.
