“Jaws” 50th: Greed, Fear & Trauma
Jaws
Greed • Fear • Trauma
1. The Recklessness of Greed
In the Film: Mayor Vaughn insists the beaches stay open, despite knowing the shark is still prowling. His decisions are reckless, rooted in greed, and it costs lives.
Psychological Framework:
Greed is a symptom of delayed moral reasoning. Psychologists note that when money, status, or self-preservation dominate, the brain’s prefrontal cortex (responsible for judgment and empathy) takes a back seat to the amygdala’s impulse-driven desire. Greed narrows vision. It turns people into means rather than ends.
Scriptural Bombs:
“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim. 6:10). The issue isn’t money itself but the disordered love that bends our choices.
“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice” (Prov. 16:8). Greed always trades away integrity.
Solution for Life:
The antidote to greed is contentment and generosity. By practicing generosity, we retrain our desires. Contentment is not passivity, but choosing to measure wealth in terms of relationships and obedience rather than accumulation.
2. The Chaos in Fear
In the Film: The shark strikes, and panic overtakes the crowds. The stampede to escape nearly kills more than the predator itself.
Psychological Framework:
Fear is an adaptive response, but unchecked fear mutates into mass hysteria. Social psychology calls this “emotional contagion” — when panic spreads like wildfire through a community. Fear narrows attention, exaggerates threats, and leads to irrational decisions (e.g., townspeople firing guns into the water).
Scriptural Bombs:
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). A “sound mind” means stability under pressure.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Fear thrives where love is absent.
Solution for Life:
The antidote to fear is trust and presence. Breathing exercises and mindfulness can calm the body, but Scripture goes further: meditation on God’s promises. Prayer isn’t just spiritual — it rewires the brain by shifting focus from perceived threat to divine faithfulness. Faith becomes the anchor that steadies us in storms.
3. The Reality of Trauma (PTS)
In the Film: Quint’s chilling story of the USS Indianapolis reveals wounds decades old. Trauma, untreated, becomes identity.
Psychological Framework:
Trauma imprints the brain. PTSD is not “weakness” but the nervous system’s survival mechanism stuck on repeat. The hippocampus struggles to integrate memory, so the trauma feels ever-present. Symptoms: flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbing. Left unchecked, trauma bleeds into relationships and choices.
Scriptural Bombs:
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps. 147:3). Healing is God’s specialty, not just a hopeful wish.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Christ invites the weary, not the strong.
“By His wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). The cross reframes trauma: scars can become testimony.
Solution for Life:
The antidote to trauma is healing in community and Christ. Psychology points to therapy, safe relationships, and gradual exposure as paths forward. Scripture adds that bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) is not optional — it’s how healing becomes real. Christ doesn’t erase scars; He redeems them.
Putting It Together: Facing Our Sharks
Greed, fear, and trauma are the “sharks” circling our lives.
Greed says “take more”. Christ says, “Seek first the kingdom” (Matt. 6:33).
Fear says “run away”. Christ says, “Peace I give to you” (John 14:27).
Trauma says “you are broken”. Christ says, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
Chief Brody didn’t kill the shark by sheer strength. He faced the monster with resolve, and ultimately, deliverance came through a precise strike — not frantic panic. Likewise, our victory doesn’t come from striving but from Christ’s decisive work on the cross.
Reflection Questions:
Where has greed narrowed my vision and made me reckless with others?
What situations tend to trigger fear, and how can I anchor myself in God’s promises in those moments?
Are there unhealed traumas in my story where Christ is inviting me to bring my wounds into His light?