Self-Importance is a Dangerous Thing

Last night we watched the end of the movie, "Inherit the Wind", starring Spencer Tracy and Fredric March. In reading up on it this morning I find that (not surprisingly) the film got virtually nothing right.

It turns out the entire trial was arranged as a publicity stunt. Scopes actually had to encourage students to testify against him, and he was never incarcerated. Hollywood was at its peak in condemning Christianity. These were the days when preachers were always portrayed as either hypocrites, loonies, or well-meaning, but ineffective, nice men.

Still, though all of that, the movie does bring out some valid points, not just regarding Christianity, but Islam, Judaism, and any other faith. What it demonstrates is how easy it is for the best of believers in any faith to get caught up in things which have nothing to do with their faith, and then become examples of how not to behave.

The biggest problem is one of self-importance. How easy it is for any of us to be caught by this. All it takes is an audience.

It always comes back to love. Will we love? Do we love? What does it mean?

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21 New King James Version

We love people we care about. If we don't care about them, we don't love them. Not really. Take time to get to know the people you meet. You needn't do the things they do any more than they need do the things you do. Let them be people. Learn about them and you will start to care about them, for you will start to see them as God sees them.