Along with being thankful for my wonderful family and every other blessing in my life, I'm also very grateful for movies. Films are incredibly good at both providing an escape from reality at the same time as educating the viewer about reality. On this Thanksgiving, as we have a habit of doing on free days, my mom and I went to the movies, this time to see Spielberg's "Lincoln." The timing of the release of this movie could not have been better. In a time when many Americans are wondering if the country is lost in days where people can make more money on unemployment than from a minimum wage job, "Lincoln" offers several lessons on why it's not over and how it can be changed.
1) Stand by your Principles.
Lincoln didn't have to end slavery to end the war. The South was spent; they were running out of materials and the number of living soldiers was dwindling. Both parties in Washington agreed that ending slavery was just going to cause more problems than solve them. Lincoln, however would not compromise until the Constitution said that slavery was abolished. Yet, Abraham Lincoln is considered by most to be one of America's greatest presidents. How can that be? I hear from the media that gridlock is Washington's biggest problem (*note the sarcasm*), that Republicans just need to embrace amnesty and abortion and higher taxes. Most people in the 1860's told the Radical Republicans that they should just calm down with the slavery rhetoric. If the likes of Thaddeus Stevens and other Republicans like him had backed down, we might still have slavery. If Lincoln had decided to end the war before the 13th Amendment had passed, it never would have had enough votes to be accepted. Don't ever embrace someone else's principles just to make peace. Peace isn't always what is best for the future of the country.
2) Don't Despair.
One fact that the movie highlighted was Lincoln's ability to tell a joke in the darkest of moments. Early in the movie, Lincoln goes to visit a regiment on the front lines. While talking to several soldiers about their time in the army, the President tells them that his past three barbers had hung themselves after not being able to conquer Lincoln's hair and one of them had even left a pair of scissors to Lincoln in his will. The President of the United States during one of the darkest times in American history always had a joke ready at hand. It's very easy to become afraid and uncertain in times such as these, but crawling under the blankets doesn't change anything. There is always hope, even if it's just the knowledge that everything will work according to God's will. Lincoln held onto the hope that slavery could be ended once and for all. He did not go and hide in despair even though the war raged on his doorstep. He hoped and he kept fighting.
3) Politics: Use it to your purposes.
Look, I know I know I'm odd for being my age and interested in politics. But as painful a fact as it may be to some, politics runs our world. Lincoln did not receive the needed amount of votes for his amendment out of the goodness of Congressmens' hearts. He and his cabinet pulled off crafty political wheeling and dealing. Now don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating political corruption. But I am saying that politics is a powerful tool and Christians shouldn't be afraid to use it. It gave us the Bill of the Rights; it abolished slavery; it gave women the vote. Christians need to learn how to be politically saavy. Goodness knows, the other side has been working on this for generations with so much success that if we don't become experts immediately, it's going to be difficult to ever win another political battle. Lincoln knew how to use the political system to accomplish his goals and yet his nickname is "Honest Abe." We should never be corrupt but we should also never be amateurs.
4) Thankful to be an American
There aren't many countries who have ever had the opportunity to elect a man such as Abraham Lincoln. Yet, things work a bit differently here in America than in other countries. We can change our fate and I am grateful for that. God's plan for our country is set, but we don't know what it is. Every election has the potential to shift our direction. Americans are not voiceless.
These are just a few of the many wonderful aspects of this movie. If you haven't seen it yet, obviously I encourage you to do so. And if not for the lessons it teaches, then simply for the spectacular acting job done by Daniel Day-Lewis, or the fact that it highlights Virginia's beautiful Capitol Building or simply because you enjoy truly, well-done films. Maybe while you're out shopping tomorrow, you can sit back and take a break in a movie theater watching Lincoln.
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