Sometimes you need to just be entertained. Sherry and I went to the movies yesterday partially because I needed an escape from all of the irritants in my life. One of those irritants was the editorial section of our hometown newspaper. The editor was going on about about how the Boy Scouts of America are now allowing gay people to participate. His claim was that by allowing homosexuals to join, the scouts were somehow sexualizing their organization. In the editor's view the scout's past history of discriminating against one segment of the population allowed the scouting programs to be asexual and more pure. The editorial was sarcastic and demeaning. So...I needed a break
LA LA Land was the perfect choice. There was singing and dancing and a romantic plot and I felt much better when the movie ended. For some reason this movie gave me a better perspective on life.
Another event happened that helped my attitude as well. When I entered the theatre and reached into my pocket to purchase a ticket, I realized I had left my money clip in my other pants. I explained what had happened to Sherry and said I guessed we were not supposed to see the movie. As we were heading back to our truck to go home, friends of ours, Jim and Chris Curran, were heading toward the theatre. Jim said. "Fred, it looks like you two are headed the wrong way." Embarrassed, I explained what had happened. He insisted on buying our tickets and then tried to buy us popcorn as well. God sends us messages when we least expect it.
Evelyn Underhill, the Anglican mystic was once approached by one of her followers about his concern that he was not spiritually advancing. He told her he was meditating religiously and immersing himself in all of the right books. Still, he complained, he was not progressing.
Her answer was simple. Read a good mystery! We all need balance in our lives. It's OK to watch the Super Bowl and have a beer. As the proverb goes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Peace,
Fr. Fred
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