All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.
All things are lawful, but not all things build up.
– 1 Corinthians 10:23 (ESV)
I love watching the classics for Christmas. Have you heard of The Bishop’s Wife? It was released in 1948, starred Cary Grant, and was nominated for five Oscars. Don’t feel bad; I came to it late, too. I think I bought it as one of those DVD package deals with White Christmas. Watching it was a pleasant surprise and a good reminder that just because something isn’t well known, doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Cary Grant plays an angel—a very debonair one—named Dudley. Dudley appears right after the bishop prays to God for guidance. The bishop wants to build a grand cathedral, but fundraising is proving hard.
A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE
To everyone but the bishop, Dudley is simply his new “assistant.” But as the bishop starts canceling plans with his wife, his young daughter, and the community for whom, ironically, the cathedral is intended, so he can attend cathedral meetings, Dudley goes in his stead. The bishop is a good man with genuine faith, but his grand plans for the cathedral start to skew his priorities.
Everyone is taken with Dudley, sensing something special about him—all, except the bishop, who grows jealous of how joyous and happy everyone is around Dudley—even his wife. To the bishop, Dudley has become a rival and a prayer gone wrong. And when Dudley convinces the bishop’s main donor, a wealthy widow, to give to the poor rather than the cathedral, that’s it. The bishop is beyond angry. It’s then, Dudley calmly reminds him that he prayed for guidance…not a building.
WHAT MATTERS MOST
All of us probably have experience with mistaking good things for the best thing—our Lord and Savior. Our intentions are good, but somewhere along the way, we shifted our focus and put something else first. Even Dudley, whose angelic mission was to help the bishop see the blessings in his life and remind him of what matters most, admits in the end to the bishop, how rare it is for an angel to envy a mortal. As the bishop finally realizes how blessed he is to have his family and community, Dudley—mission complete— erases everyone’s memory of himself. He leaves only the sermon he wrote for the bishop to deliver that Christmas Eve at his little parish church.
…All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It’s his birthday we’re celebrating. Don’t let us ever forget that. Let us ask ourselves what he would wish for most. And then, let each put in his share, lovingkindness, warm hearts, and a stretched-out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.
Reflect: What blessings in your life might you be taking for granted and pushing into the shadow of something big and grand? This Christmas, how can you make them a priority again?
