Much more than a hunch

She was very mature and popular. As the eldest of three girls, she attended Westdale High School and was almost perfect. She was elegant, kind to animals and someone I adored. She was Marcia Brady and I watched her all the time when I was growing up. Well, watched her on television, that is.

I recently attended the Gaslight Theater’s production of “Arizona Smith and the Relic of Doom”. After the main show the cast did a musical rendition of some popular television shows from my childhood. They were all lovely – The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family and Welcome Back Kotter. This brought back wonderful memories.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that the shows of my childhood were much more wholesome and family-friendly. The plots were simple, the transgressions were small, and everyone could relate to the show. I wonder what it would look like if they brought back some of these shows today. What would it look like today to place seven stranded castaways on a deserted island? Oh yeah, we already know. It’s called Survivor.

I know that theater is only a reflection of ourselves. Sherwood Schwartz created the Brady Bunch plot in the 1960s when he learned that there was an increasing number of blended families. The Partridge Family was about a widowed mother trying to raise her five children and also pursue a music career. These were real situations so they would eventually be reflected in the entertainment world. But today’s shows seem over-the-top in reflecting human behavior.

But I suppose at some level, Hollywood is probably doing us a favor. Because the shows of my youth probably didn’t reflect the true realities of life. Today’s shows do a much better job. Underneath the exterior of every person is the real human condition – and it isn’t pretty.

That’s the whole point of a Savior. He loves us as we truly are. None of us can be a Greg or Marcia Brady. They represent fictional ideal that no one can live up to. But perfect people don’t need forgiveness.

Blessings,
Pastor David