It’s a Wonderful Life

I was asked to contribute a short piece for the April edition of the Church of Scotland’s magazine, Life and Work, as part of the publication’s “The Big Question”

This being the Easter edition, the “question” was “What is the best depiction of the Easter story that you have seen?”

This is what I wrote:

I’m going to be a little controversial here, and plump for a film that we would not normally consider to be an obvious Easter depiction.

Almost every Christmas, many of us, gathered round the TV set, tune in to a beloved old family film: “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

It’s an all time favourite , essential viewing at that Holy Season.

Yet, it’s one of the darkest movies ever (it was a failure when first released in the cinema).

We all know the story; how Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailley, thinking that his life has amounted to nothing and that he is a complete failure, is on the verge of suicide, but is ‘saved’ by the ‘angel’ Clarence.

He is shown – in flashback – what life in his small town would have been like had he not intervened, even in a small way.

It’s a picture of awfulness and hopelessness and more.

As a result, horrified and contrite at what his society (the world in microcosm) could have become without his positive interactions, he is saved…….. if you like, resurrected to a new and positive outlook and mission.

This is not just a film for Christmas nor Easter, but for all times and seasons – when we realise that our post-resurrection acts and deeds can indeed make for a better world.

Because of Christ, we live.  May we make our life more than just existence- and give life to those around us.

This is, because of the Risen Christ, a “Wonderful Life”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Japanese subway

Commuters PUSH train off a suicidal woman who had jumped in front of it on Japanese subway

• It happened on the JR Yamanote Line at Shibuya Station in Tokyo

 

A woman trapped under a train was freed when commuters worked together to push it backwards.

The incident happened yesterday afternoon on the JR Yamanote Line at Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan.

The woman, reportedly in her 60s, was heard crying  out for help from beneath the train and she lay between the  rails of the track.

 

Dozens of people worked together to push a train carriage back far enough for station staff to be able to help a woman who’d got trapped under a train in Tokyo

 Reports in Japan suggested the elderly woman had attempted to kill herself by jumping in front of the oncoming train.

Then, following an announcement over the  station’s public address system informing commuters that a woman was  trapped beneath the train and asking for their help, the crowd intervened.

Dozens of people managed to push the carriage back far enough for station staff to be able to help her. 

The woman was freed at taken to hospital for treatment.

Reports suggest that the accident, which occurred just before the evening rush hour, affected more than 26,000 commuters along the line.

In July earlier this year, Japanese commuters helped another stranger in need.

 

Busy: Commuters at rush-hour on the subway in Tokyo, Japan (pictured)

 

On July 22, around forty passengers at the JR Minami-Urawa station, just outside Tokyo, helped push a 32-ton train carriage to free a woman trapped in the platform gap during rush hour on a Monday.

They were able to pull the woman in her 30s out from under the platform, safe and uninjured.

Everyone in the station had applauded the ‘rescue effort’ at that time, and operations resumed, with just a slight delay of eight minutes to the entire Keihin Tohoku Line.

 

An American Tale

I Was Walking Across the Bridge One Day …

I was walking across a bridge one day and I saw a man standing on a ledge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!”

“Why shouldn’t I?” he said.

“Well, there’s so much to live for.” “Like what?” “Well, are you religious?” He said yes. I said, “Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?” “Christian.” “Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?”

“Protestant.” “Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?”

“Baptist.” “Wow, me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?”

“Reformed Baptist Church of God.” “Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1789 or Reformed Baptist Church of God, 1915?”

He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915.”

I said, “Die, heretic scum!!” And pushed him off the bridge.