“I don’t have the bravery gene you all have.”
I recently watched Project Hail Mary again, excited to show it to one of my friends for its silly humor, friendships, hope-filled story, and beautiful practical effects—but what sticks out most of all is the theme summed up by the above quote from Ryland Grace. The elusive “bravery gene.” What is it, and why do all of our favorite heroes seem to have it while we struggle?
“Someone Else Can Go”
Imagine being presented with a choice: step onto a spacecraft for a last-ditch mission to save the Earth (knowing that if things go according to plan, you won’t return), or say “Find somebody else,” and live out the next couple decades in relative normalcy. What would you do?
This is the choice Grace is presented with in Project Hail Mary. At first glance, most people (including me) would proudly declare “Option A! I’ll save the world!” But when you sit with the question a little longer, and consider what it would truly look like to make such a choice in real life, you might be like me. You might hesitate. You might think, “Surely, someone else can do it.” You might be terrified to spend those years in isolation, to have the fate of the Earth become your responsibility, and to be faced with the reality that while everyone else on Earth has a couple decades of relative normalcy left, your life changes permanently the moment you step onto that spacecraft.
You might think that the aforementioned “bravery gene” is reserved for certain people, and you’re not one of them. Shouldn’t one of those people handle something like this?
This is exactly what goes through Grace’s head, and so he chooses Option B: refuse the call and live out the final decades of the Earth with the rest of humanity.
So What? He Saves the World Anyway, Doesn’t He?
Despite his choice, Grace still ends up on the Hail Mary—alone and tasked with the impossible. He still completes the mission and saves the world. The kicker is: Grace isn’t like most of our storybook heroes. He views himself as a coward. He never volunteered for this mission, and he was forced into it against his will.
Grace’s cowardice—and the fact that he perceives it as a part of his identity—is what makes him real. It’s a flaw that allows us to see ourselves in him and makes him such a wonderful character. And it’s watching Grace slowly become courageous that makes us want to pump our fists in the air and celebrate. So what is it about Grace’s time on the Hail Mary that facilitates that journey—and how does it reflect our real-life experiences?
The Bravery Gene
“I need word. When you risk self to help other.”
“…Brave?”
“Yes. You are brave human.”
Grace’s friendship with Rocky leads him to the turning point in his story. Upon discovering that Rocky is in peril, Grace is once again presented with a choice: return home to Earth and safety or chase after Rocky’s ship to save his life (permanently abandoning his chance to go home). This time, he makes the brave decision; he chooses to save his friend.
So what changed? “Grace has that ‘bravery gene’ now,” you might be thinking. That thing you and I don’t have. But despite all the crazy science that happened aboard the Hail Mary, we can be sure of one thing: Ryland Grace never gave himself a “bravery gene.” What Ryland Grace did give himself is a new perspective.
He discovered, through his friendship with Rocky, that bravery isn’t an elusive, inborn trait. Bravery is a choice that we can make—a choice to sacrificially lay ourselves down for others. When we define it like that, it starts to sound awfully similar to the kind of sacrificial love Jesus teaches, doesn’t it? This—the intertwining of bravery and sacrificial love—is what makes Grace’s discovery of courage through friendship so impactful, and it’s what I love the most about Project Hail Mary.
Bravery, Sacrifice, and Loving Others
Personally, I’ve never been asked to board a spacecraft bound for a star 11.9 light-years away (and I don’t think you have, either). But what I have been called to do by Christ is to love sacrificially: to give of myself, sometimes at the risk of being vulnerable or getting hurt, for the sake of others. And you know what? Grace and Rocky get it right. The strongest friendships are built on a foundation of this kind of sacrificial love.
The thing is, sacrificial love and bravery go hand in hand. It takes courage to be vulnerable and risk discomfort for the sake of a friend. But the good news? There’s no such thing as the “bravery gene.” You and I are just as capable of courage as the heroes we look up to and admire—and although we’ll never be perfect, what wonderful news it is that there’s a Good Father who tells us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Discussion Questions
- Who in your life comes to mind when you think of someone whose bravery you admire?
- Where have you recently been presented with a choice to take a courageous step (and if you didn’t take it, what’s stopping you)?
- Project Hail Mary presents the idea of “finding someone to be brave for.” Who are some people in your life you want to be brave for, even if it means taking a risk by being vulnerable?
- Take a moment to reflect on your deepest relationships. How do you see sacrificial love—and, by extension, courage—play out?
Challenge
- Choose a friend to “be brave for” this week. Come up with something out of your comfort zone, or something that requires a sacrifice of your time, energy, or resources, to make them feel loved!
- Find someone whose bravery has made an impact on your life, or whose sacrificial love for others you look up to. Tell them, and ask how they built their courage.
