Your wonderful life
Film reminds us of the importance of loving others
I mentioned “It’s a Wonderful Life” in a sermon on a recent Sunday. It came while I was preaching about how James warns us about making plans about tomorrow while leaving God out of the equation.
We are not guaranteed a tomorrow and we need to use the time we have been given by God to make a difference in the world that is significant.
George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonederful Life,” talks about how he can’t wait to get out of Bedford Falls to take the world by storm. But no matter his plans, things don’t seem to ever work out the way he planned.
Of course, there are some theologi- cal errors in the movie that I have to overlook, not the least of which is that humans become angels and get their wings only after helping someone on earth. And, of course, wee are all supposed to know when an angel receives wings each time wewe hear a bell ring.
Despite its theological shortcomings, om in gs, “It’s a Wonderful Life” has becomeme oneone of the most popular films of all time.
Because the copyright was not properly renewed, this allowed TV stations to air it over and over again without having to pay royalties. These repeated showings made it a Christmas tradition for many families.
Even though it didn’t get much praise for its cinematic and artistic qualities, there are a couple of things that I personally like about the movie. First, I am a fan of Stewart. He was a devout Christian who grew up Presbyterian.
Second, I like how the film begins with the voices of many people praying for Bailey, Stewart’s character. Those praying for him include his wife and children and many of the people in Bedford Falls. All those praying for George are not totally aware of what has brought George to what looks like the brink of suicide, but they know that he needs prayer and the intervention of God.
If you haven’t seen the film, George’s uncle and business partner loses thousands of dollars of the Bailey Building and Loan’s funds. In reality, the evil Mr. Potter and his men know exactly what happened as they accidentally end up with the money, but they let George and his uncle take the fall.
George is at the end of his rope because of more than that. He continually puts his dreams aside for others. He had wanted to travel and be somebody. He didn’t want to be stuck in his small hometown.
But circumstances and the needs of everyone else force him to continually put his plans on the back burner. And, George realized that life has passed him by. He has the kind of midlife crisis that comes with reflecting on what was “missed out.”
Mankind needs to feel significant and worthwhile. It probably was not an accident that “It’s a Wonderful Life” came out in 1946 as thousands of Americans were coming home from the war. Many were asking themselves what to do next with their lives.
George’s conclusion was that he was more valuable to his family dead than alive. So he drives to a bridge and readies himself to jump when he sees another man “fall” first. The man is Clarence, a guardian angel who gets George to “save” him.
Clarence then gives George a chance to see what the world would be like without him. George gets to see the value he brings to others, as well as the value others bring to him.
Director Frank Capra reminds us that we tend to get wrapped up in evaluating our lives based on what we think we could achieve or experience rather than measuring our “success” based on our love for others and for God. Love is what a lonely and hopeless world needs.
When Stewart shot the scene where he sobs while reflecting on his life, he said, “Frank Capra was shooting a long shot of me slumped in despair. In agony I raise my eyes and following the script, plead, ‘God ... God ... dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if You’re up there and You can hear me, show me the way, I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, God ... .’ ”
Stewart continued, “As I said those words, I felt the loneliness and hopelessness of people who had nowhere to turn, and my eyes filled with tears. I broke down sobbing. This was not planned at all, but the power of that prayer, the realization that our Father in heaven is there to help the hopeless had reduced me to tears.”
This is why I enjoy “It’s a Wonderful Life” each Christmas. It reminds us at this busy and sometimes lonely time of year that loving others is more important than making big plans for the future.