Racial Inequality, Prejudices, Lack of Human Dignity Toward Fellow-Man, and Marginalization of Others in General
The second major theme that surfaced for me from the movie, The Butler, centered around the marginalization of others. I was filled with emotion regarding the racial inequality, prejudices, and lack of human dignity toward fellow man portrayed in the movie, The Butler. I realized I was filled with compassion for them for the pain they experienced, but it also brought up much from my own past that I thought I had previously surrendered. My most painful year of my life was my 9th grade year when I had to leave the school I had attended from kindergarten to eighth grade and attend Plaquemine Jr. High in Plaquemine, Louisiana. I was made fun of because I was from “down the bayou”. Even at that young age, I remember not understanding how any person could ever think they were better or above any other human being. I remember the pain from that year vividly and I have continued to thank the Lord for the godly people placed in my life to help me through it all. Unfortunately, I have continued to encounter some along the way who think they are above others and continue to marginalize others. Thankfully, my painful experience at an early age has been a gift which has helped me stay rooted in the love of God and seeing every human being as worthy of human dignity.
Sunday’s gospel about the rich man and Lazarus teaches us a valuable lesson about the human dignity of every human being. I had the privilege of hearing a wonderful homily preached on Sunday by my pastor about this gospel story. He pointed out that often times people like to get caught up in the rich vs. the poor issue, but the real issue is our attitude towards our fellow-man.
Questions/Thoughts to Ponder:
Have you ever been the victim of marginalization in any form? How did it make you feel?
Are you aware of your own prejudices? Ask the Lord to help you put them aside and strive to love one another…..
Have you ever felt you were better than another human being? If so, ask Our Lord, Jesus Christ, what He thinks about that and listen intently to what He has to say.
Who is Lazarus in your life? ……the people or peoples whom you ignore, avoid or think are less than you in your life…..
Stay Tuned for More about Praying with Movies………………..
Feel Free to “cut and paste” any of these texts for Prayer or Worship Aids and simply add this reference:
“Taken from the The Hopeless Romantic: Falling in Love with God site of Patti Clement. www.patticlement.wordpress.com Used with Permission.”
Praying Through the Key Themes God Reveals in Movies
Overcoming the Past
The first theme that surfaced for me from “The Butler” was overcoming the past. The Lord has helped me to see that in a certain sense we all have a past to overcome and that we all become part of history. We each have our own story or gospel to write and we should never underestimate the power of God in whatever circumstances he places us in or the role he gives us here on earth. We should never judge the soul of another person or what they may be experiencing in their journey. As I watched the movie, I really resonated with how Cecil Gaines, the Butler, was so humble in all he did. Without even speaking to his spiritual life, the movie led me to our Triune God because this man could not have stood firm in all that he faced without the power of God.
Although my own past may not have had the same inequality issues or injustices as Cecil, I was taken back to my own past and felt in solidarity with him. Often times, it was his silence, his non-violent interactions with all he encountered and his faithfulness to his dream of wanting his family to have a better life than his own that spoke the loudest to me. He worked hard dispelling many of the myths held about blacks. Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. told his son in that hotel room, the butler’s role as domestic help was significant in proving that blacks were trustworthy and had a strong work ethic and served a purpose in the history of blacks.
As I prayed with the emotions that surfaced when I watched him consistently stand for human dignity and respect, I recognized a pattern in my own life of encounters where I too have been considered less than another human being. I recognized once again that I needed inner healing as it relates to hurts that resurfaced in relation to all of these issues:
in my home as a small child due to parental favoritism,
in Junior High School when I was made fun of because I lived “down the bayou”,
in my first professional role in a predominantly male workplace,
in another professional role where I was told I was not in the “upper echelon”,
in ministry as a female in a patriarchal institution, and
in a church parish focused on family ministries being a single person.
Our lives too have a purpose! I know now that my passion for the human dignity and respect of every human being is a result of my own woundedness in each of the situations mentioned above. However, I also recognized that if I don’t consistently embrace my pain when it resurfaces and ask the Lord to transform it that my heart can become hardened preventing me from promoting the values that I am most passionate about.
Questions/Thoughts to Ponder:
Are you staying in tune with your own need for continual inner healing about past hurts/trials/sufferings?
Are you embracing your wounds and asking for healing?
Are you allowing the Lord to nurture your souland staying rooted in His love?
Are you allowing past hurts to prevent you from being the person God is calling you to be?
What mark are you leaving where you have tread?
Are you gracefullybecoming part of history?
Stay Tuned for More about Praying with Movies………………..
Feel Free to “cut and paste” any of these texts for Prayer or Worship Aids and simply add this reference:
“Taken from the The Hopeless Romantic: Falling in Love with God site of Patti Clement. www.patticlement.wordpress.com Used with Permission.”
In my own journey I have come to really appreciate the value of praying with movies. On the weekend of August 17th and 18th, I was drawn to watch Lee Daniel’s “The Butler” twice, I found myself totally captured by most every scene. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It was a very emotional experience for me. I cried through most of the movie both viewings so since then my prayer periods have been centered around praying with that movie. These prayer periodshave not been easy; thus, I have not posted in several weeks trying to sort it all out. The first thing I did was tried to remember as much as I could from the film and the parts that emotionally moved me the most. I then asked the Lord to help me to see why I was so drawn to the movie and those scenes. I also asked the Lord to identify key themes from the movie that would help me to go deeper in my own prayer life and ask for and receive additional healing where needed.
During the next couple of posts, I will share with you how praying with this movie has helped me to go deeper in my own prayer life with the hopes that you may try praying with a movie yourself.
Step 1: Scenes Vividly Remembered
The scene of the plantation owner/master sexually abusing Cecil Gaines’ mother and then shooting the father in front of him as a child
The scene of Cecil’s face when he witnessed the screams of his mother and the killing of his father
The scene where the lady of the house on the plantation tells Cecil she will make a “house nigger” out of him
The scene where the lady of the house on the plantation tells Cecil, “You hear nothing, you see nothing, you only serve. It should be like you are invisible.”
The scene of Cecil sleeping in a culvert in the pouring rain in anguish after leaving the plantation and trying to make it outside the plantation on his own.
The scene of Cecil’s voice speaking of how hungry he was in those first days of trying to make it on his own which led to him breaking a store window, stealing the cakes to eat and being found by the butler of that house/business.
The various scenes of Cecil’s oldest son not agreeing with his father about many issues.
The classroom scene of his oldest son and classmates where they were training to stand for equality using non-violence.
The hotel room scene of his oldest son with Martin Luther King Jr. when Martin Luther King Jr. asked him what his father did for a living and he embarrassingly said he is a butler. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds him of the important role that domestic help played in history by breaking down myths about work ethic and the trustworthiness of blacks.
The actual scene at the snack bar where the oldest son and his classmates go to stand for civil rights for the first time and hot coffee is thrown in his face.
The scene of President Kennedy and Cecil when President Kennedy says to Cecil, “I never understood what ya’ll really went through, you’ve changed my heart.”
The dinner table scene when older son brings girl friend to dinner and has the argument with his dad. Cecil throws him out of the house and the son ridicules his father for being a butler. The mother tells him, “Everything you have and everything you are is because of that butler.”
The scene where the younger brother tells the older brother he is going to war.
The scene of Gloria and Cecil dancing in the disco suits for his birthday when the doorbell rings and the US service men are there to tell them their youngest son had been killed in Vietnam war.
The scene of the older son at the black panther gatherings where you see the transition from non-violence to hardening of hearts.
The scene towards the end where Cecil and Gloria drive out to the plantation and he makes comment about how people have continued to be marginalized for many years.
The scene of Cecil reconciling with his oldest son when he is protesting about Nelson Mandela concerns.
The scene of Cecil and Gloria on the front porch of the Obama campaign barbecue.
The scene of Cecil and Gloria in the kitchen when she dies at kitchen table.
The scene when Cecil goes to White House to meet with Obama.
Step 2: Asked the Lord to help me see why I was so drawn to the Movie and those Scenes Noting what was going on Interiorly as I listened to the Lord
Step 3: Key Themes from Movie
One man overcoming his past and becoming part of history
Racial inequality, prejudices, lack of human dignity toward fellow-man, marginalization of people
Tension between parent and child
Non-violence and potential for Hardening of Hearts
Mother holding family together in the midst of her own pain
Questions/Thoughts to Ponder:
Have you ever prayed with a movie?
If so, what has been your experience?
If not, are you open to trying new prayer experiences?
Is there a movie from your recent past that caused lots of stirrings in the depths of your soul?
If you have not had a recent experience, try watching one of the movies under my movies tab on this site and go through these first 3 steps with me.
As you begin to pray with what you remember, become more and more aware of what is stirring interiorly and beg the Lord to help you identify the themes that surface for you and how they might relate to your own life.
Stay Tuned for More about Praying with Movies………………..
Feel Free to “cut and paste” any of these texts for Prayer or Worship Aids and simply add this reference:
“Taken from the The Hopeless Romantic: Falling in Love with God site of Patti Clement. www.patticlement.wordpress.com Used with Permission.”
As I studied the life of Francis of Assisi and Franciscan Spirituality in general, I befriended this great saint also. I was really challenged by the realization that because I did not understand the rise of urban life, the birth of the universities, the crusades, the reforming councils and the culture of mercantilism that were all prevalent in St. Francis’s era (1181-1226); I really did not understand him at all.[1] As I reflected on the fact that I had accepted the romanticized view of Francis as the flower child from the film, Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1970’s) as the St. Francis I knew, I was really challenged. I love the garden statues that depict him as the animal and nature lover promoting peace, joy and love, but had never connected his peace with the animal world as a sign of his purityand holiness.[2] I was shocked to find out the beautiful prayer of St. Francis which I have prayed many times cannot be traced to his writings.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
Instead his “peaceable kingdom” message indicates that the created world is good and makes a polemical point against pessimism expressed by heretics of his day who saw the material world as evil.[3]
Prior to my studies at Creighton University, my main contact to Franciscan exposure had been Fr. Richard Rohr. I have been drawn to Fr. Rohr for years always viewing him as someone who speaks directly to my heart and pushes the envelope in promoting social justice, but never really knowing the profound depth coming from his founder with his emphasis on poverty and the humility of Christ as part of the Incarnation itself.[4] As I befriended Francis of Assisi and pondered the following words, “Preach the Gospel, use words only when necessary” which are often attributed to him; I realized that I had a distorted view of St. Francis. He really was a very humble man and attempted to live as closely to Christ crucified as possible. I remember being challenged because my previous views were so romanticized, but at the same time I am overjoyed to realize that St. Francis’s message of peace and joy were desperate cries to end the violence that filled the streets of Assisi during his time and clearly are still relevant in our desperate times. To be able to promote peaceas he did particularly to the Islamic world and being willing to risk martyrdom in the name of the gospel is something that I view as very pertinent to the modern world in the promotion of unity amongst the great religions. Now I have a new found appreciation for Fr. Rohr’s passion for promoting the “One” church and am left challenged by my own discernment about what I am called to do in relation to promoting world peace as well as peacewithin my local community.
Questions to Ponder:
How might befriending Francis of Assisi help you to see that the material world itself is not evil but how our misuse of the gifts given to us by Godcan lead to evil?
What is it in the created world that reminds you of God’s care for you and all of mankind?…..
How might St. Francis’s message of peace and joy which I believe are being portrayed and exemplified so vividly by Pope Francis today be a desperate cry to end the violence and injustices that fill our streets today?
Are you aware of and appreciating how God reveals Himself in the ordinary and simple as well as the extraordinary and spectacular?…………
How might St. Francis help you to see the created world as a source for realizing the divine?
[1] Lawrence S. Cunningham, Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004), 127.