The Maggie Assessment

It's always amazing to me how seemingly insignificant movie quotes float back into my head at random times. Tonight on my drive I was reminded of a line from the movie Hook, which, being a child of the 80s and 90s means that I've seen it roughly 2,000 times. The line is uttered by Maggie, an adult Peter Pan's young daughter who has just been rescued by her father from Captain James S Hook - the villain of legend that had kidnapped her and held her captive. I love her assessment of this man. While most would think the reaction would be for her to want her father to kill Captain Hook, she clearly has different ideas.

Right after Peter rescues his children she says, "Daddy, let's go home please. He's just a mean old man without a mommy." Seems like she has sized up Hook's condition quite well. She goes on to say a few frames later with much passion to her would be captor, "You need a mother very, very badly." To which her brother adds, "Yeah, let's go. He can't hurt us anymore." Now, if you've seen the movie you know that (spoiler alert!) Pan goes on to fight Hook which leads to his (Hook's) eventual presumed death. The children fly home with their father and all is put back right with the world.

It's the ending we hoped for. The ending we expected.

My focus tonight, however, is one you might not expect. I've always loved the heart of Maggie's character that shines through in her brief lines throughout the film. She clearly has Hook figured out. She doesn't need revenge, she doesn't seem overly afraid. She just wants to go home and she knows that this man is missing something desperately in his life to make him behave the way that he does.

Today I'm wondering how I can have a little bit more of the heart that Maggie seems to have here when it comes to the way I see people everyday. Although, instead of thinking about just whether or not he/she has a mommy, I need to be asking if the people I come in contact with know Jesus. Reading the comments on East Texas news feeds over the last few months have made me aware of two things 1) If you read these comments you will find yourself wanting to move and 2) for a place that's known as the "Bible Belt" the speed at which we are ready to condemn each other on a moment's notice is astounding. How would that change, I wonder, if we sat down and put our "love" goggles on so to speak, and said, "who is missing in this person's life?" Can we look at people and say, "You (just like me) need a savior very, very badly."

I'm not making much of a statement here tonight. I'm certainly not trying to say that I don't believe in justice. The word of God tells us that this is what the Lord requires of us - that we would act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8). It just seems like some of us have only gotten to the first part. I don't know about you, but I'm going to keep on reading.