Single Trick

I intentionally kept a low profile today although there is plenty that needed to be done, as always. There were plenty of different movies on cable that made it easier to let hours lapse into the evening: one I probably won’t ever watch again, “Love in the Time of Cholera”; one that is good every few years, “Tortilla Soup”; and one that never grows tiresome, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I don’t know if the movie made such an impact on me because I could relate to the narrator of the story who was a young girl like me, or simply because it was a well-made film. There are so many memorable scenes, some for their humor, some for their suspense, and some for their message of fairness beside injustice, of respect over contempt, of redemption triumphing prejudice. The movie shows a town that lived with a lot of preconceived ideas about race, indigence and others who lived outside the norm. What started as a summer fascination and desire for adventure evolved into changed lives full of respect and appreciation. It helped having a father like Atticus Finch who was a pillar of moral conviction, who taught his children that sometimes the right thing to do was not the easiest as he took his values into action. He was a model of open-mindedness, generosity and a defender for justice and the over looked. He hoped that his children trusted him enough to come to him with questions instead of listening to the town. Reading summaries of the movies, the main focus is the trial, but one of my favorite moments is at the end when Scout sees Boo Radley for himself.

“If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it” - Atticus Finch

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You provide moral certitude. Your law answers our ethical questions and your love simplifies our dilemmas. You long to help us reach the choice of justice and compassion, but we can be pulled by stubbornness, ignorance, greed or fear. Let us be anchored by righteousness and lifted by courage. Let us remember the innocent and ignored who need our bravery and kindness to help them rise to recognition and legitimacy in a world of status and ranking. In your eyes all belong to one family and are your beloved children. Help us to see our neighbors as you see them, accept them, and care for them as our brother. Amen

“Mockingbirds just sing their hearts out for us.” - Atticus Finch