Reflective Ramblings on Robinson

Tonight I went and saw the new movie about Jackie Robinson, 42, and it gave me the same feelings I always have when I watch (or read) something about someone who struggled through such strong prejudices. I feel angry. I feel sad. I feel mad. I feel determined. There was more than one occasion during the movie that I wanted to yell at someone or throw my popcorn at the screen. How could people be so cruel? How could they say such hurtful things? More importantly, how could you think that God loves someone less because of the color of their skin? One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers says something along the lines of, "How are you going to feel when you meet God someday and he asks you why you wouldn't play baseball with a black man? What are you going to say then?"

How many situations in my life does that apply to? What am I neglecting that God wants me to see? How would I have responded if I lived in 1947 and was raised to think differently than I have been now? I struggled with this when I read and saw The Help two years ago and when I first saw Hairspray five years ago. So much segregation. So much prejudice. How can I make a difference, even today, when there are still prejudices out there that need someone to stand up for them? Lord, help me to see these needs and do something about it.

The most redeeming part of the movie for me was not actually part of what I watched on screen, but what I saw (and heard) in the theater. There is a scene in the movie where Robinson and the Phillies coach are going to shake hands and Robinson picks up a bat and suggests that they shake the bat so the coach wouldn't have to touch a black man. A few seats down from me a young boy, probably 10 or 11, turns to his dad and asks, "Why would he not want to touch him?"

Prejudice and racism are things we learn. Not things we are born with.

Knowing that this little boy didn't understand what was going on meant that he is living in a world where prejudice does not rule (or so I am assuming). We are not born with the instinct to think less of someone because they are a different color, race, religion, or ethnicity. How we interact is a learned trait from parents, friends, culture, and more. My prayer is that each generation would know less and less prejudice in every aspect of life.

"And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'"

Luke 10:27 ESV

Summer of Movies

It seems like all I have done this summer is watch movies movies movies. But isn't that what summer is all about? Watching new movies and catching up on old ones you missed during the school year? I have seen: Pirates 4, Transformers 3, Green Lantern, Cars 2, Larry Crowne, Winnie the Pooh, Captain America, Crazy Stupid Love, The Change-Up, and The Help. And that's just in theatres. Thanks to RedBox I have watched dozens more including Gnomeo & Juliet and Soul Surfer just this afternoon. Other RedBox movies have included Morning Glory, Unknown, Adjustment Bureau, Just Go With It, The Eagle, The Switch, Country Strong, and Life As We Know It. (Geez, what else have I been doing?!) My favorite movie by far has been The Help. I saw it with my mom and we cried, laughed, cried some more, and left agreeing that it was the best movie we have ever seen. Okay, so there were no superheroes, aliens, cars that become giant monsters, or any crazy special affects, but those are not the things I find important in a movie. I had just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and think that everyone I know needs to pick it up (it's on sale at Target right now!). The message behind the book/movie is incredible and really makes you think. How would we have acted in the same situation? Would we have been like Miss Skeeter and stood up for the maids and those who were treated poorly? Would we have been like Miss Hilly who was just doing what she thought was "right" and following the social pressures?

I would hope that by knowing and following the teachings of Jesus I would have realized that things were not right and had the courage to do something about it. But then again, there were plenty of Christians living in the South when all this persecution was taking place. Who knows what would have happened if I was there 50 years ago when these things were happening in Jackson, Mississippi. Persecution and segregation are still happening around the world, even in our own country. I haven't really come across much in my life in my little bubble of an existence, but I know that I will. How will I handle it? Will I stand up for what I know is right? Will I hide in the crowd and hope someone else says something? I pray that I will always do the right thing, no matter what that means. In the mean time, I will keep encouraging people to read and watch The Help.