You don't want to help me; you want to judge me!At the end of the movie, we learn the content of the letter that the late sister, Lindsay, wrote to Jenny explaining why she had chosen Helen as guardian of her three children. Remember Helen was single and career-minded, while Jenny was a strong and experienced mom.
Dear Jenny: If you're reading this, you know that I'm gone. And I asked Helen to be guardian of the kids.There may be another analogy to our Christ-following world:
Dear Child: If you're reading this, you know that I [Jesus] am gone. And I've asked you to be guardian of my world.Lindsay continues:
You must know from experience that when it comes to picking somebody else to raise your kids, no one seems right. No one is you. And so you choose someone who is most like you. Someone that will give the kids a taste of their real mom, the mom they lost and never really got to know.Our other writer continues:
You must know from experience that when it comes to picking someone to convey who I am, no one gets it exactly right. No one is I, Jesus. And so I am choosing someone who is most like me. Someone who will give my children a taste of the real Jesus, the one they lost from this world and haven't really gotten to know.Lindsay calls Jenny to action, speaking right to her gifted heart:
I know sometimes she [Helen] makes big mistakes and messes things up. On the other hand, she also makes big comebacks. Respect her, Jenny. Give her a shot. We're family and I'm counting on you to keep everyone together.Jesus calls us to action as well, speaking right to our giftings:
I know sometimes your brothers and sisters in Christ will make big mistakes and mess things up, especially in your eyes. Embrace and respect each other anyway. Give each Christ-follower a shot. We're family and I'm counting on you to keep everyone together.I wonder how hard it must be for God and Jesus to watch how we push each other away and fail to act like family. They see us as their very love-bearers, and they are counting on us to keep our family together, regardless of how we sometimes miss the mark.
In the movie, Helen had to learn to see herself as a mom, with the giftings that Lindsay knew she had. Only then could she enter this new job completely, surrendering heart and soul.
We, too, can learn to see ourselves as keepers of the Love-Light. Jesus, after his resurrection, set a meeting place for a reunion with the eleven disciples. It is where he would give his letter of instruction (Matthew 28):
The moment they saw him, they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge:
"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."Jesus knows we are unsure about leading others in the Christ-following endeavor. He knows we'll mess it up, but also make big comebacks. It may help our shaky hearts to remember:
We're family and I [Jesus] am counting on you to keep everyone together.Incredible that he believes in us.
May we love each other well. The world will see.
Image and content: Raising Helen.
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