A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American film based on the life of John Forbes Nash, Jr., a Nobel Laureate in Economics.^[2] The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman. It was inspired by a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998 book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar. The film stars Russell Crowe, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer and Paul Bettany.

The story begins in the early years of a young schizophrenic prodigy named John Nash. Early in the movie, Nash begins developing paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while painfully watching the loss and burden his condition brings on his wife and friends. Later, he competes in an Egg Challenge which only worsens his symptoms.

In chapter 4, The Need to Focus, John continues to struggle with finding his original idea for his thesis.  Helinger challenges John to focus & warrant placement by sensing the subtle differences between accomplishment & recognition.  Instead of allowing the natural progression of his work flow to a just means, John's end goal focus doesn't allow him any traction at all.  

Romans 2:25-29 (The Message)

^25-29Circumcision, the surgical ritual that marks you as a Jew, is great if you live in accord with God's law. But if you don't, it's worse than not being circumcised. The reverse is also true: The uncircumcised who keep God's ways are as good as the circumcised—in fact, better. Better to keep God's law uncircumcised than break it circumcised. Don't you see: It's not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It's the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.

In chapter 11, A Wedding, John asks for some verifiable empirical data that tells if Alicia is in love w/him or not.  She counters in a way that only he can understand and inevitably points him in the direction that his very analytical mind can comprehend.  She doesn't leave him with a proof of sorts that makes the next step safe, but leads to the leap from empirical data to that of faith.  

Colossians 2:6-7 (The Message)

 ^6-7My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

In chapter 19, A Noble Prize, Professor Nash is interviewed to gauge if he were to win the Nobel prize the likelihood that he would embarrass the givers at the Noble Prize ceremony.  He confesses that he is crazy, but gives thanks to newer medicines & a diet of the mind that helps to keep him in check.  We would be as well served as believers to also submit our minds to regimented 'diets' that didn't indulge our own fleshly thoughts,  but instead made them captive to our Lord.  

Acts 15:6-9 (The Message)

 ^6-9The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him