“People hurt the ones they love. That’s how it is all around the world.” -John Coffey (’The Green Mile’)
I was watching ‘The Green Mile’ last night and was struck once again by the horror, not only of capital punishment, but of murder of any kind. To clarify: my view is that the taking of a life by any other is ‘murder’. This film tells the story of John Coffey, a hugh african-american who, in the 1920’s, was put on death row (the green mile) for the supposed murder of two young girls. Later it emerges that John is endowed with the power to heal…that is to transfer anothers pain into himself. This he does without hesitation. His heart is found to be as big as he is and it becomes clear to the warden (Tom Hanks) that this man is innocent. Yet, sadly, nothing could be done. Before his execution John spoke of how he was ready to die and be at peace. Because of his extraordinary empathy for his fellow man John felt the pain and suffering of the World on his shoulders every day. He wanted out. So it suited him really to be checked out.
This film had so many powerful messages for us all. The extraordinary gifted man that was John is an exagerated version of every man, woman and child. We are all gifts given by God to this world and we are all endowed with gifts to improve our world. Even the magic which within the reach of John can be found in all of us. That magic is ‘love’…the most powerful force in existance. Through John we see that it is love, compassion, empathy that makes us who we are…sons and daughters of a God that is ‘Love’. This film highlighted that to kill any other human, whether by electric chair, war or abortion, is to rob the world of a gift given by God.
Next, a point of importance in the story is John’s willingness to die. Not only because he looked forward to Heaven but because the amount of pain and suffering in the world (pain and suffering inflicted on man by man) was too much for him to bear. This shows us what pain we (humanity) inflict on our Creator. Remember Jesus’ words: “As long as you did it to the least of these you did it to me.” I’m not accusing anyone of inflicting pain on their fellow man but as Christian it is our duty to help create the Kingdom of God….not in the clouds but here. If Jesus was here today and He felt the pain that John did would He not look to us, His followers, and ask how we could allow such suffering to take place?
Another scene towards the end of the film saw the warden (Hanks) plead with John to ask to be freed. “When I die and I stand before God awaiting judgment and he asks me why I let one of His miracles die, what am I gonna say…, that it was my job?” John turns to Paul (warden) and explains that God will judge him on how he loved….this before all else is the ticket. We be the sons and daughters of a God that is love we must live by love.
Friday, July 6th, 2007 and is filed under Love Thy Neighbour.
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