Grand Torino

Today I had the day off and watched the movie Grand Torino.

As I watched the movie (which is Rated R) I began to draw a spiritual lesson from it. I did not start out my day to come up with a sermon illustration or devotion point....but there It was.

It is the story of an old soldier (Walt), who hates what his world has become. He is grumpy. He is a bigot. He is a widower. He is basically pissed at how things have become.

He is pursued by people who care for him before he cares for them. His priest goes after him non stop. His neighbors who are Hmongs go after him. They reach out to him to care for him. He does everything he can to offend his priest and his Hmong neighbors.

He sees his Hmong neighbors being hurt. Walt gets his rifle he carried in the Korean War and stands up for them. He begins to have a crack in that hard exterior and starts to care for them in his own way. As the story goes on his new found friends are hurt further. They are unable to stand up for them selves.

Walt decides he must stand in the gap for those who can not defend themselves. He goes to his priest who has never given up on him and seeks comfort. Walt then goes and gives his life to protect the weak.

St. James wrote that pure religion in the sight of God is to defend those who can not defend themselves (my paraphrase).

I think as Christ followers we have to be the people that pursue the Walt's in our lives. We also need to be the Walt's who lay down their lives to help those who can not help them selves.

Black Snake Moan

Yes I have seen the movie....a couple of times.....Why do I write about it?

Think of the character Lazarus. A black man in the south. Finds a half naked white girl dumped near his house. He picks her up and takes her inside. He cleans her up. Bandages her wounds. Goes and gets medicine for her. Watches over her for days. She continues to wonder off in a drug induced haze, so he chains her to the radiator. He learns more about her from different people. That she is a party girl, will sleep with anyone any where. During this Lazarus is reading his bible. The girl wakes up and wants to leave. He tells her that he is going to cure her of her wicked ways. Well lets say she is not to thrilled with the idea. Lazarus says over and over that is has made up his mind and will not be moved.

Here is a guy with every excuse not to get involved. Every reason to walk away. Trying to help someone who does not want it or appreciate it. She does everything to get away from him. But he has made up his mind....and he will not be moved.

It is easy to do good those who are like us. It is even easier when they appreciate it and say thank you.

But how hard do we work to do for those who will never appreciate it. Are we willing to risk our lives, our reputation, our appearance to our community and what "looks right."

What if the thing we see and are moved to get involved with "offends" those who pay the bills?

Willing to risk it?