What can an Octopus teach us about God?

It's funny to think that in some ways, we know more about outer space than we do about the ocean on our own planet. The ocean is full of mystery, darkness, and inhospitable pressure and temperature - and at the same time varied and diverse remarkable forms of life. One creature, in particular, captured my attention this past week - the Giant Pacific Octopus. Octopuses (Octopi? Octopodes?) are highly intelligent, capable of solving complex problems and puzzles, escaping confinement, and even exhibiting a complex emotional range. They have even been known to form interspecies bonds - even human beings. And that's exactly what happens in the movie, "Remarkably Bright Creatures." The film follows the story of 2 characters - Tova Sullivan and Cameron Cassmore - who at first seem to share very little in common. Tova is a senior who lives alone. She works as the "cleaning lady" for the local aquarium and has a special bond with its most famous resident Marcellus - the Giant Pacific Octopus. After a fall, she is forced to take a break from her job and wrestles with the impending decision of moving to a senior living community and selling her home. She carries the baggage of emotional grief after tragically losing her son, several years before. Cameron, a "grifter", rolls into town in a van with a bad radiator, desperate to find a man who owes him money - his biological father who never paid a dime in child support. He picks up a job - the one Tova had to leave - in order to pay for the repairs on his van. Tova can't stay away from the aquarium and finds Cameron attempting to coax the escape artist octopus back into his tank. Tova is critical of Cameron's work - "There's a right way and a wrong way to doing things." Tova struggles to relinquish control, a symptom of the greater weight she carries in her grief and her relationships. They bond after some time - caring for each other in a really beautiful way. While the story isn't really about Marcellus the Octopus, he is essential to the plot, bringing together two people in desperate need of one another.

While I won't spoil the ending, it was moving to me. I might have shed a few tears. But as I thought more about the mechanism moving the story along, Marcellus struck me as a kind of figure that reflects an almost spiritual quality. Marcellus has a habit of breaking out of his tank, a desire for freedom. And in spite of the best efforts to contain him, he still finds his way out. Much like the Spirit. Human beings - religious human beings, at that, have a tendency to try to put the Spirit into a box. For more academically minded theologians, we struggle to know what to do with a Spirit. Spirit cannot be explained, observed scientifically, reasoned logically. God the Spirit is perhaps the most intimately connected person of the Trinity in our own lives and so many of us are scared or overwhelmed when we try to understand the Spirit - much less have a conversation about the Spirit.

In addition to being an escape artist, the Spirit is often made known in our relationships with one another. A few Sundays ago, we used the word "Paraclete" as a name for the Spirit - literally the one who accompanies or comes alongside us. Neither Tova nor Cameron were truly alone while they cleaned the grime off of the tanks and the floors. Marcellus was always there, listening and even engaging with them. And as the plot develops, the Marcellus brings the two of them to the realization that they need each other, too. That they are the ones to accompany each other in this new chapter of their lives.

When it comes to Christians (or people of faith, really) discerning the work of the Spirit, there are some who believe that God orchestrates and directs every detail of the lives we live. Others might take the opposite approach - that God only gets involved when it is essential to cosmic destiny of creation. But I kind of like this "middle ground" approach. We are human beings with our own sense of autonomy. We are not robots or puppets. But at the same time, God is still deeply involved in our lives. God still does direct and lead. But, more importantly, God comes alongside us. God accompanies us on our journeys. And, from time to time, who's to say that God doesn't do something extraordinary and difficult to explain along the way?

Movie: Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

Where to watch it: Netflix

Peace!

-PT