Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven (Matthew 10: 32, NIV).
A few weeks ago, I rewatched the movie Remains of the Day with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, which came out in 1989. This was a beautiful story written by Kazuo Ishiguro. I remember watching this film when it came out. I was a teenager. Though much of it wasn’t relevant to me yet, the story still resonated with me- the poor man didn’t go after what he wanted.
Though it’s been a few decades since I’ve seen it, I still feel the same. The poor man didn’t go after what he wanted. But what really stood out to me is that he didn’t stand for what he believed in, either. It was the middle of World War 2, and though he had an opinion (buried deep inside of him) that he didn’t like what was happening among the Germans and the Jews, he said nothing. He didn’t feel convicted to say anything.
Possibly because he knew he could lose his job if he said something, or possibly because, as a servant, he had learned to detach himself from personal opinions to do his job well. He had to blend in; he had to maintain that British stiff upper lip and “keep calm and carry on.” Regardless, it was a lousy way to live because it ultimately led him to look back on his life with regret.
He also lets the woman he loves leave the home they both worked in to marry a man she would be miserable with, because he never told her he loved her. This was all on him! He chose to stay silent. As the saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” And an addendum to it should be: And you’ll regret every bit of it.
Watching this movie reminded me that I need to keep voicing my beliefs, whether they’re popular or not. My goal isn’t to blend into the surroundings (like a paid servant), but to stand up for truth, to stand up for those who have no voice, and to tell the world about Jesus before I can’t anymore.
Finch Food for Thought: Telling the truth could save someone’s life … including your own.