Debra Farish's blog

Iron Lady Fickleness

I went to see Meryl Streep's protrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the "Iron Lady" recently.  The film is a romantical glimpse of this woman's remarkable life and the swing of fickleness in public opinion. Before her run as Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher sits for a television interview where she gives her impressions on the United States and how it differs from the United Kingdom.  She mentions the U. S. is defined by success rather than by its history as Britian is.  This snipet and others like it outline the gist of the whole motion picture.  

It becomes a battle of hard decisions, principles, and navigating right in spite of the tide of public opinion.  Another line from the film is when the aging Mrs. Thatcher talks to her doctor about how she is not ruled by feelings, but rather she finds thoughts and ideas more stimulating.  Ideas is what will change things.  

Made me think of my weekly Bible Study discussion group and their thoughts on Acts 17.  Paul, Silas, and Timothy experienced different reactions from three very different locations: Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens.  What I find interesting that this is the chapter right before the Lord tells Paul that he is to go to the Gentiles to preach the Word because the Jews would keep enciting mob rule wherever the trio preached.

While in Athens, Paul arrived before his companions and was given a platform to share the gospel with a people who loved a good debate about anything new.  But alas, they missed the one thing that makes it all "good news" - Jesus' Resurrection.  They couldn't accept this point.  Reminded me of the expression, "if you believe in anything, you will fall for everything."  

One of the ladies in our group said that people are just "fickle." Haven't heard that word in public in a while, but I couldn't help but think that this is more than just politics - it is human nature.

We want the quick fix... the easy way out...the path of least resistance.  We have embraced the cultural norm that we've begun to accept that there are no wrong answers.  But this is NOT the truth.  

A friend of mine taught kindergarten for years, and I was surprised to hear her say to a student that life isn't fair.  Harsh concept for a young heart, but what a lesson in life it will strengthen a young mind.  Why is it that we don't discipline ourselves to take the difficult road.  Why do you base our life on successes rather than truth?  What would happen if we had courage to do what is right rather than what the mob rule wanted?

I dare say we would have a direction to walk out rather than being swayed by the distractions along the way.  

 

As the film said, "if you want to change this party, then lead it.  If you want to change the country, then lead it."  

Proverbs 28:9-11 - The Message (MSG)

 ⁹ God has no use for the prayers 
   of the people who won't listen to him. 

 ¹⁰ Lead good people down a wrong path 
   and you'll come to a bad end; 
   do good and you'll be rewarded for it. 

 ¹¹ The rich think they know it all, 
   but the poor can see right through them.

 

 

It's an Art, I say

I'm sure most of you haven't seen this film that was released weeks ago. Probably will appear on your Netflix as a recommended suggestion three years from now.

It's more than George meets Sally kinda film. Instead it deals with the popular belief that down deep how do I make life matter. 

Rewind to when I was in photo school when my friends were convinced we would be the next Group f/64.  

So much so, that when we noticed people taking photos we would try to plant ourselves into their snapshot.  We wanted to give the lucky recipient a chance to have a momento before our notoriety made it impossible for the general public to even get close it us.

But then that was the 1980's.  Inflated egos gave everyone a false sense that we would one day be famous for their talent.

Usher in a 2011 film, and the young angst is quite different.  George wrestles with the meaningless of the world.  Even his art teacher wants him to dig around in his mind so that George can figure out who he is. Then he finds Sally.  

Now the tortured, self-defined, Teflon slacker has to find the courage to say how he feels and stop letting life pass him by.

One trick I learned from photo school is pay attention to the first three minutes of a movie.  In that window of opportunity, you will see something that will be a tie into the end of the film.  As the opening credits rolled, I noticed a black balloon deflated and caught in the branches of a tree.  This haunted me through the whole movie that there was going to be a disappointment that couldn't be escaped.

Disappointment didn't come to George, but to Sally.  Sally longs to be a muse of George yet turns to another, George's artist friend, Dustin.  In all appearances, she now has what she wants.  A man who loved her and his art.  One of the final scenes of the film crushes Sally's fantasy when she see Dustin take to his canvas.  

Do romantic ideals need to be snuffed out in order to see what is right in front us?  Why don't we want to wait to see how things will work together?  Why is it so easy to believe that God never planned for this one?  When will your heart be tired of just getting by?

Ephesians 3:20-21  The Message (MSG)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us...