The Most Neglected Fruit of the Spirit

About a year ago, I wrote an article about the lost art of being kind to others. Since then, it seems that kindness has become even more rare. There is a large (and apparently growing) branch of Christianity that has decided that being considerate of other people is too “woke” for them to be bothered by trying to live it out.

Is “mean-spirited-ness” a real word? Probably not, but it ought to be, because that seems to be the guiding principle that so many are living by these days. Far too many of our political leaders are engaged in vilifying others to score cheap points with their “base.” It has become all about winning and gaining political power, to the extent that showing concern for others – demonstrating kindness and compassion – is now considered “weak” or “unmasculine” or somehow wrong.

Jesus told us – very plainly – that it was how we demonstrated love to one another, that would be the hallmark to tell the world that we were His disciples (John 13:35). The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, let us be kind to everyone, especially those in the household of faith.” And earlier in that same letter, when the apostle was listing the nine qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit, he listed “kindness” as one of those things. Don’t take my word for it; you can look it up – Galatians 5:22-23.

This call to kindness isn’t limited to the New Testament. Hundreds of years before Jesus lived, the prophet Micah said, “Practice justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”

Thinking about Paul’s list of the Fruit of the Spirit helps me realize this is not necessarily a new problem. The nine characteristics that he mentions – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – have never been easy. Yet many church-goers today seem perfectly content to simply ignore these qualities of true Christian maturity and behavior, while they’re engaged in the very kind of legalism and judgmental attitudes that Jesus so often condemned.

Kindness means being willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others. One of the most famous stories that Jesus ever told was the Parable of the Good Samaritan. To really “get” that story, you have to understand how much the good, religious people of Jesus’ day HATED the Samaritans. The Samaritans were the bad guys. They were the ones who robbed and cheated others. They were the villains. Yet when Jesus was asked to explain what does love for neighbors really look like, it was not the religious leaders in the story who showed kindness to the wounded traveler – it was the Samaritan.

In other words, Jesus was saying, look around you. Who needs to see some kindness? Then He commands, “Go and do that.” It seems to me that He went out of His way to tell us that we should be kind to others, and not merely to those we already know or love, and especially not only to those who are able to pay us back. He told us specifically to invite to dinner those who COULDN’T pay us back. He calls us to set an example of kindness and grace to everyone.

The problem with showing kindness is that, by its very nature, it doesn’t call attention to itself; it’s more concerned with serving others than in tooting its own horn. And in our self-promoting, selfie-obsessed culture, most of us simply don’t think of how to serve others. We’re too busy, or they’re too different. Maybe they don’t look like us; maybe they don’t talk like us. Maybe they have made some mistakes or are living a lifestyle that we don’t agree with. But they are still neighbors, created in the image of God, and still in need of kindness.

Caring about others – putting the needs of others first – is a learned behavior, and contrary to human nature. It’s an act of discipleship that follows in the self-sacrificing steps of our Lord. Maybe that’s why it’s so rare. But it’s how we show kindness to the helpless, to the weak, to the marginalized, and the disenfranchised, that really counts. Jesus is still looking for disciples who will walk as He walked, and live as He lived. That includes showing kindness to all. Especially those who don’t deserve it.

Horror Movies x5

Do you like scary movies?

Personally, horror films are not among my favorites. I mean, sure, if that’s your thing, then you certainly have plenty of classics to watch. And there is no shortage of different kinds of horror movies, from intense psychological thrillers to films that shower you with buckets of blood. As for myself, I prefer movies that tell a good story, over those whose only purpose is to try and scare me, but if that’s what you like, knock yourself out.

There are some movies, though, that I think do a good job of combining a well-told story as well as being scary or creepy. There are lots of famous horror movies – Frankenstein, Psycho, The Exorcist, Jaws, Carrie, just to name a few – but there are plenty of other films that are often just as scary, but perhaps not as well-known as other, more familiar horror films. So, in case you’re looking for a different classic movie to watch as we approach Halloween, here are some lesser known, but scary movies that I have enjoyed over the years. SERIOUS CAUTION: many of these movies are definitely NOT for the whole family – watch at your own discretion. But, if you want to expand your experience of movies that go bump in the night, here are a few for your consideration, in order of their release date.

The Most Dangerous Game (1932) – Joel McCrae, Fay Wray. Joel McCrae and Fay Wray are passengers on a luxury yacht who are shipwrecked – deliberately, it turns out – by a wealthy psychotic killer, who enjoys “hunting” people for sport. It’s not a very long movie – only 78 minutes – but it has been recognized as one of the most “heart-pounding” of films. Movie trivia – King Kong was being filmed at the same time, and many of the jungle sets – and co-star Fay Wray – appeared in both movies. I remember reading the excellent, original short story by Richard Connell as a freshman at Orangefield High School, so thank you, Mr. Wernig.

Gaslight (1944) – Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman. Ten years after her aunt’s murder, Ingrid Bergman returns to the London home where it happened with her newlywed husband, Charles Boyer. But then she begins to notice strange goings-on as her silky-smooth husband tries to convince her that she’s only imagining it. Or is she?

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) – Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter. Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small-town practice to find several of his patients complaining that loved ones are being somehow replaced. Initially, he is very skeptical, but begins to suspect that his patients are not imagining things. This is a really excellent movie that has been remade several times, most notably in 1978 with Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright.

Don’t Look Now (1973) –Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland. STRONG CAUTION. A loving couple is grieving the accidental drowning of their young daughter, who was wearing a red raincoat when she died. They go to Venice, Italy, to throw themselves into their work and try and move past the tragedy. Along the way they meet two very strange sisters who claim to “hear” messages from the dead little girl in the spirit world. And who is this little one they keep seeing in a red raincoat?

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1982), starring Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce, is one of my favorite “lesser-known” scary movies.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1982) – Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce. Jason Robards plays a small-town librarian. Life is good until a mysterious carnival, led by Jonathan Pryce, arrives and people start disappearing. Based on a tale by Ray Bradbury, this story is all about how the devil destroys people by granting their fondest wish.

Bonus: Duel (1973) – Dennis Weaver. Here’s a little bonus: This is an excellent, made-for-TV picture, directed by a then-unknown young fellow named Stephen Spielberg. Dennis Weaver plays a traveling salesman who accidentally crosses paths with an anonymous truck driver, who spends the rest of the movie chasing him down and trying to kill him. An incredibly suspenseful movie.

Do you have a favorite horror movie? Drop me an email to haskellstarnews@gmail.com, and let’s talk about it. And until then, save me some popcorn.

Battling Against Fear

It seems that everywhere we look these days, every television program, every elected official, every news broadcast, even every sermon we hear, is all about being afraid. We are told to fear other people, fear other ideas, fear what is different, fear the known and fear the unknown, fear the future.

Be afraid of crime. Be afraid of immigrants. Be afraid of inflation. Be afraid.

We are a nation drowning in a sea of fear.

This is not the first time we have had to face this. In his 1933 Inaugural Address, incoming President Franklin Roosevelt – at the height of the Great Depression – said, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” During the 1950s – a time of extreme fear and suspicion – newsman Edward R. Murrow (a personal hero of mine) said,

We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our own history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular…. There is no way for a citizen of the Republic to abdicate his responsibility.

As a lover of God and a follower of Jesus, I am especially moved by how many times the Bible tells us, “Do not fear.” By some counts, the phrase appears 365 times in the scriptures; that’s enough for one a day for an entire year! It’s clear from these verses that while fear may be common and understandable, it doesn’t have to rule our lives. Consider –

• God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Tim. 1:7)
• Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa. 41:10)
• He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, … (Psa. 91:1-5)
• The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psa. 27:1)

It’s natural and normal – even healthy – to have a certain level of fear about the unknown, about new situations, or unfamiliar circumstances, but we cannot let that fear paralyze us into inaction, nor should we just retreat into the past and lash out against “the other.” When we are making a decision about something, we need to evaluate that choice, consider the pros and cons, seek the counsel of wise friends, and pray – but we must not let fear make the choice for us.

Meanwhile, there are things we can do to overcome fear –

Turn off the TV news. That may seem like a strange thing for a news guy to say, but so much of the national media is just mental poison, designed to hype up fear and hatred, and along the way, sell you whatever junk they’re peddling. Choose not to participate.

Focus on the positive. Computer programmers used to have a saying: Garbage in, garbage out. That applies to our heads and our hearts, as well. If all we’re feeding on is more and more fear, then it will dominate our thoughts and our feelings. Let’s do something different and fill our minds with things that are positive, encouraging, and uplifting. Read a book, listen to some good music, take a walk, reach out to an old friend.

Vote your values. We all know there is an election coming up, so here’s an idea: Don’t vote for a party. Listen to the candidates, and if all they’re offering is more fear and suspicion, then tell them “NO.” Instead, vote for whoever is offering the best ideas for how to move forward.

Let us not be dominated by fear, doubt, or suspicion. Let us overcome with faith, hope, and love.

007 x 7: Sixty Years of Bond. James Bond.

One of the longest running and most successful franchises in movie history got its start sixty years ago this past week. For the first time, audiences heard a character introduce himself with the now-classic line, “Bond. James Bond.” It was October 5, 1962, in London, at the World Premiere of Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. It was also the first time we learned about a “vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred.”

Author Ian Fleming served with Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during World War II, where he learned the business of spycraft. He was in charge of “Operation: Goldeneye,” a British plan to prevent Spain from entering the war on the side of the Axis. (He would later give his estate in Jamaica that same colorful name, and it was used again for one of the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies.) Fleming was also involved with “Operation: Mincemeat,” a British counter-intelligence plan to mislead the Germans about Allied intentions in the Mediterranean. THAT operation has been well-documented in two different movies – 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame, and 2021’s Operation: Mincemeat, with Colin Firth and Charles Cholmondeley.

There have been 27 different Bond movies, if you count the two “unauthorized” films – 1967’s Casino Royale, a comedy spoof version starring David Niven as the retired Sir James Bond, trying to help his bumbling nephew (played by Peter Sellers) with his first mission; and 1983’s Never Say Never Again, with Sean Connery and Kim Basinger, in a remake of 1965’s Thunderball. The most recent, of course, was last year’s No Time to Die.

Who has been the best Bond? You can always count on fans of the series for a lively discussion about that. Six different actors have played Bond, if you DON’T count David Niven in the comedy version of Casino Royale – Sean Connery (6 or 7), George Lazenby (1), Roger Moore (7), Timothy Dalton (2), Pierce Brosnan (4), and Daniel Craig (5). Deciding on who was “best” depends on what parts of the character you enjoy watching. Sean Connery was tough but sophisticated. George Lazenby was probably the actor closest to Fleming’s character from the novels, but he didn’t connect well with audiences. Roger Moore brought a real smart-aleck flair to the part. Dalton and Brosnan each have their fans, and a LOT of younger Bond devotees really like Daniel Craig.

Do you have a “favorite” James Bond? Top row, from left – Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore; bottom row, from left – Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig.

What makes a “good” Bond movie? It’s a male fantasy world, to be sure: a combination of beautiful women, fast cars, cool gadgets, beautiful women, instant justice, snappy dialogue, beautiful women, exotic locations, and tongue-in-cheek humor. And of course, beautiful women. Also, don’t forget about the music – for some of these movies, the main title song went on to become a major pop music hit. (Maybe we’ll do a future column for favorite Bond songs.)

Instead of the usual five titles that I generally pick for these articles, here are my favorite seven Bond movies, in keeping with the character’s “License to Kill,” 007. In order of their release:

From Russia with Love (1963) – 007 is ordered to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that has been stolen by the terrorist organization, SPECTRE. Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, and Daniela Bianchi.

Goldfinger (1964) – Bond must stop a madman intent on ruining the US (and world) economy by contaminating the gold reserves at Fort Knox. Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman.

For Your Eyes Only (1981) – James must find a sunken British vessel and prevent a piece of stolen, top-secret equipment, from falling into enemy hands. Roger Moore, Carol Bouquet, Topol.

Octopussy (1983) – A rogue Soviet general wants to start World War III by exploding a nuclear weapon on an American base in West Germany. Bond has to stop him. Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jordan.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – A media mogul tries to start a war between Great Britain and China, so he can broadcast the carnage. Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh.

Casino Royale (2006) – After earning his 00 status, Bond is sent on his first mission, to defeat a renegade banker in a high-stakes game of poker. Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Jeffrey Wright, Mads Mikkelson.

Skyfall (2012) – Bond’s loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her, with devastating consequences. Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem.

Do you have a favorite Bond movie, actor, or song? Drop an email to me at haskellstarnews@gmail.com and we can talk about it. We have all the time in the world.