Tonight, as I sat down for the annual viewing, I was reminded of how profound the movie is. Well, at least as profound as a Disney movie gets anyway.
As the movie begins, two young boys are shown bicycling around in different areas of Los Angeles. As they bike along, they talk about their struggles. Instead of the usual visions of glory in professional sports, these two have a simple dream. They just want a family. They want their parents to come back and get them. They want to feel loved again.
As they go, Roger, the older boy, remarks that they won't have to stay in foster care for long, because "something good is going to happen". JP, his trusty sidekick responds, "yeah! something good! Maybe today even! It could happen!"
What a motto to live by! No matter how hard life gets, no matter what obstacles we face, we can ALWAYS remember that "something good is going to happen. maybe today even! It could happen." I really believe that.
As the story goes, Roger's father sarcastically remarks that they can be a family again when the Angels, a down on their luck bunch of losers led by a bitter manager named George Knox, win the pennant. Roger takes him literally and prays that the team can win some games. Real life Angels show up and before you know it, this team can't lose. Roger is the only one who can see them, and so he tells the manager who to put in the game. JP desperately wants to see the angels too, but he never can. He responds to this the way he always responds to challenges...."hey, it could happen!"
Right before the game that will determine if the Angels win the pennant or not, it is discovered that the Angels manager believes that these unseen angels are helping his team win. Of course, he is laughed at and fired. In a press conference where he is given the chance to renounce this "hogwash", he is saved by the courage of Maggie Nelson, the foster mother of JP and Roger. She defends him by saying that maybe it's not so far-fetched......
"The footprints of an angel are love. And where there is love, miraculous things can happen."
I find that to be very profound. What if we all had a little more love for each other? Even for those who are difficult to love. What if we were more patient with each other? More willing to forgive each other? More willing to embrace and befriend those who may not see eye to eye with us? Where there is love, miraculous things can happen.
My favorite passage of scripture reads like this (speaking of charity, or perfect love)........
And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Wherefore.....if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all for all things must fail-
But Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
As always, I feel I am probably more in need of this reminder than anyone who is potentially reading this, but I hope it's something we can strive for. The world could be such a better place if we just loved and looked out for each other a little more.
Well, I have already given enough spoilers, so I may as well tell you how it ends. The angry manager has grown to love these two boys and decides to adopt them. As the three of them hug and laugh together, JP looks toward the window and sees Al, the boss angel, smile and tip his cap. To this JP says....
"I KNEW it could happen!"
How true your words are JP. It could happen, and it does happen.
Hey I asked my kids a couple of weeks ago what they wanted to do for THE (and that it needed to be church related). They emphatically said that we should watch Angels in the Outfield! Awesome...
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