References:
- Mr. Holmes (the movie
- Ephesians 4:1-16 NAS
- Jeremiah 17:1-18 NAS
I went to the theater here on base and watched a very interesting movie earlier this evening. It wasn't a movie that I was initially planning on seeing, mainly because I was just looking at the titles quickly and not carefully. But, when I read the titles more carefully, two stood out as ones that I would probably like. One of them was the one that I saw this evening, “Mr. Holmes.” It stars Ian McKellen as an aged Sherlock Holmes struggling with memory issues and 'solving one last case.' If you enjoy a good thriller, a “who done it?” or movie with lots of plot twists, this would be a good movie for you. Although I like Benedict Cumberbatch a little better as Sherlock Holmes, I believe that Ian KcKellen did a very good job.
In “Mr. Holmes,” Sherlock struggles with his memory and 'solving' a crime that had happened 30+ years prior. For those who might not be familiar with who Sherlock Holmes is, he is a fictional character created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In my researching for this article (done over a period of a few hours, so not exhaustive or extremely in depth), I came a cross two interesting articles. One on his methodology (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shadow-boxing/201301/mind-sherlock-holmes) and one what his IQ might be (http://wellingtongoose.tumblr.com/post/44097596230/sherlock-iq-and-the-concept-of-genius). Although it is very likely that Sherlock Holmes is an intelligent person, much of what he does is through very focused training. Over the years, he developed very honed skills in deductive reasoning, keen observation, and keeping his mind relaxed in order to piece together all of the information that he had gathered.
Although Holmes has very keen senses for gathering evidence and reading a person's intentions and where they have been, he isn't very good at social cues. It is probably one of his greatest flaws, that he is not comfortable in social settings and interacting with large groups of people. He often comes across as brash or cold. He does care about some people very deeply (Watson being one of them), but he does not have a very large circle of friends. And, part of the plot for this movie is the fact that, though he is very intelligent and can read a person well, his understanding of a person is flawed. Although he correctly deducts how one character in the movie was planning on acting and made a logical suggestion to someone, the consequences of his actions were huge and not what he had intended. I will not spoil the plot for those who don't like spoilers by discussing this any further, but it was important to highlight this.
It was this character flaw that Holmes had that, according to the movie plot, drove him to exiling himself into the English countryside. And, it is something that I believe that we can all learn from. First of all, from a Christian perspective, we have to remember that our sinful nature taints all that we think, say, and do. That is, all that we think and do is tainted by self-interest and self-preservation to some degree. Though some people learn to be more 'self-less,' this sinful nature is with us our entire natural life here on earth. Although a person may have good intentions with what they want to say or do, how it is expressed becomes tainted to some degree. For some people who are highly manipulative, this can be apparent. For those who have more honest intentions, the 'sin-taining' is less noticeable.
In some professions, being able to 'read a person,' is extremely important. If a person is a police officer, a politician, a lawyer, or even a pastor, one needs to be able to read others' body language very well. One needs to be able to observe how someone is reacting to what they are saying and doing, in order to assess what needs to be done next. As someone who has trained for the ministry and has worked in corrections, I have gained some skill in this area.
For example, funerals incorporate many things, including 'saying good-bye,' memories, traditions, developing closure, etc. In helping a family start developing some closure to their loss, I have to learn what was important to them and to the person who has died. This, of course, requires me to ask lots of questions. But, because people are struggling with their loss and often raw with emotion, care must be used with how I ask questions. Or, sometimes to just wait. It is both a science and an art. And every person is different. So, what might have worked with one person might have very bad consequences at another time.
Working in corrections is similar, to a point. As custody staff at a maximum security prison, I deal with very dangerous people on a daily basis. In order to do my job well, I need to be able to effectively read a person or a group of people well. Not just with tone of voice, body posturing, how they interacting with others, but also with what they might be doing that isn't normal. It takes getting to know a person or a group of people and being very mindful of all that is going on all around. It is something that I have been learning to do over the years, and something that I will continue to hone. Some people have much better skill than I do in this area. However, I may still better pick up on one type of issue than someone else would. For example, I would probably be more likely to notice if someone was having a personal issue or having an emotional problem. That's because of my ministry background. Someone else might be able to just step out onto a yard and realize that someone is planning to initiate a fight because of the 'tone in the air.' I might realize that something 'isn't right,' but not know exactly what it is.
Whether one is using deductive skills to solve a crime or 'reading' a person in order to do counseling, knowledge only goes so far. Knowing how to apply one's knowledge in an appropriate manner is just as important. Even if a detective knows how crime was committed, his or her work is made much easier if the suspect confesses to the crime. The detective has to convince the suspect that it is in his or her best interest to acknowledge their wrong doing. If the suspect does not, then the detective has a lot more work to do with convincing a jury that a person commit a certain crime, at a certain place, within a certain time period, etc. A detective also has to be able to properly interview witnesses and victims so that they can get the most accurate information possible. If the detective is not careful how he or she gathers their information, they could lose the case and a criminal could go free. On the other hand, if a detective does not investigate a crime thoroughly or allows biases to misdirect him or her, an innocent person could go to jail.
Although I have not been ordained, I have done a lot of ministry work over the years. Sometimes in a paid position, other times as a volunteer. A co-worker, family member, or inmate has often asked me about a spiritual and/or personal issue. On many occasions, although there may have been a quick answer to the question asked, there was a deeper need that was really needing to be addressed. For example, I remember talking with several inmates over the years about angels and demons or something having to do with spirits. During the conversations, the inmate will often try to blame bad choices on something spiritual. At that time, I will often share with him (I work in a male prison) an observation a good friend had shared with me. While in seminary, a man who was a spiritual mentor reminded me that, at times, we can be our own worst enemies. While there are angelic and demonic forces out there, our own sinful nature and desire to avoid negative consequences are often what causes things to happen. Or even our own negative attitudes towards a person or situation that color how one responds. This has challenged the inmates to reconsider what they had been thinking.
God calls us in the Ephesians passage to always share God's Truth, but with love. Although, because we all have a sinful nature, we will never be able to do this perfectly in this world. But, as we seek to be more Christ-like (sanctification), God can help us to share His Word in ways that honor Him. It is a life-long process. And it can be extremely difficult at times to do so. I don't know how many times I have said something to a friend or family member and, though it was the truth and meant to help them, the way that I said it was poor at best. Because of how I said something, I made them angry and pushed them away. When words are used harshly, or even just poorly, it can leave deep emotional wounds. In the movie “Mr. Holmes,” how Sherlock Holmes choose to confront one person had very profound and life changing repercussions. How we interact with others can have just as profound of an effect. In fact, if we are not paying attention to what or how someone is talking to us, we can respond in a way that causing them to close down instead of opening up. As in the case of “Mr. Holmes,” this caused a person to loose their life. Let us earnestly seek God's help to listen to others and to help them with a loving spirit.
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