We are what we live when we hold closely to and deeply value family, friendships, and faith.
I watch a few movies, but I’m not an active movie buff.
However, if I had to choose two favorites, the movies would be “Christmas in Connecticut” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”.
The greatest generation
Christmas in Connecticut is set in the U.S., near the end of World War II. To me, the move is funny and quirky. The storyline is interesting, although the plot is based on a lie!
Actually, a series of lies!
It unfolds like a 30-minute sit-com, with – surprise, surprise – a happy ending.
As expected, there are many unanswered questions about how the relationship can and will play out over time as the two stars of the movie begin life together.
The movie reflects the outlook and optimism of my father’s generation after the war ended.
Values espoused in the movie include:
1). The importance of family,
2). The support we receive from deep friendships, and
3). The role of fate in how life events unfold.
4). How it’s Ok not to know how the rest of your life is going to play out.
We are what we live when we hold to and value family, friendships, and faith.
Actually, Proverbs 18.24 is an example of how the value of friendships is a scriptural precept.
A personal reflection
One of the stars in the movie survives the sinking of a ship. Then, he spends days on a life-raft with one of his shipmates.
Similarly, my father saw significant action in Europe during World War II. He crossed the English Channel two weeks after D-Day, seeing his first combat in early July 1944. He was wounded at one point. Afterward, he returned to action, serving as part of the U.S. forces that went across Germany in about two weeks.
We can make ourselves rich but still have nothing. Or, we can make ourselves poor (by serving others) and have great riches. Proverbs 13.7, paraphrase proverbsforprofessionals.net
Strongly-help beliefs
Surprisingly, I find To Kill a Mockingbird interesting for very different reasons.
The movie, to me, reflects the beliefs of the deep South during the lifetimes of my parents and grandparents. The movie certainly centers on race, but also reveals life in the small-town South.
Issues that surface in the move include:
1). Grinding poverty,
2). Terrible ignorance,
3). Mindless vengeance, and
4). Systemic bigotry.
The mention of a confederate pistol under the shawl of an elderly woman is an indicator of how much past history haunted that society.
However, the movie also demonstrates deep respect for those who do the hard things others want to avoid. For example, in a show of respect, those in the court house gallery stood when Atticus, the defense attorney, walked out of the court room after the trial.
In Joshua 1.6 leaders were encouraged do the right thing by being courageous.
The story is told through the eyes of a child as she grapples with what’s unfolding around her.
The movie ends with a glimpse of small-town justice as shared by the sheriff when he says “Bob Ewell fell on his knife.” That wasn’t how it played out.
In an attempt to move on, the sheriff probably misquotes scripture by saying “let the dead bury the dead Mr. Finch!” But, what do you expect from a movie?
Another personal reflection
I saw, and heard, the results of that small-town southern lifestyle as I grew up. Although I never lived there myself, I certainly recognize the outcomes it produced in the lives of those who did.
I visited it during the summers when our family went to where my family is from for vacations.
Unfortunately, my parents, and uncles and aunts, were marked by memory of the poverty they grew up with. For instance, my father was an adult before he lived in a house with running water and electricity. As a child, I remember visiting two old-maid aunts who were living in the 200-year old log house on the family farm.
As expected, faith was a critical part of that lifestyle. I have family members who worship at a Presbyterian Church in that small town. Our family has worshipped there since before the American Revolution.
Apply This Today!
Unsurprisingly, history and lack of opportunity can weigh heavily on the values people grow up with. However, that legacy doesn’t mean we are required to carry forward the problematic aspects of a past history.
A life of faith should be marked by kindness and grace to everyone.
Service to others can come in many forms, not just during wartime.
A life of faith should be marked by practical service to others.