This weekend the actress Jean Stapleton died at the age of ninety. Stapleton had a long and rewarding career on the stage and in various TV roles but she will be best known for her brilliant portrayal of Edith Bunker in the sitcom All in the Family. Edith was the dutiful stay-at-home wife to her wildly bigoted husband, Archie, played by Carol O'Connor. She was mom to Gloria and mother-in-law to Michael, aka Meathead. Gloria and Michael were young and passionate liberals, a comedic contrast to Archie's stubborn conservatism.
Archie regularly demeaned Edith by calling her Dingbat and at times she really didn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. But over the years we realized that Edith did have a mind of her own, and her basic human kindness motivated her to stand up to Archie on issues of race, creed and colour.
We can be grateful for Edith because she was the "every person" of decency and inclusion. She formed her opinions on experience, not stereotypes or ideologies at either end of the spectrum.
When we look back through the years we might ask where our prejudices and stereotypes came from, and why they changed. Often the new perspectives came out of a Christian faith which nudged or shoved us toward new ways of considering issues. As often as not it was our willingness to see people as people which brought about those new perspectives. Were we a little "thick" at times? I certainly was and still am. But Christ continues to work within me.
Do you remember Edith? Was she an example of kindness and compassion leading to changed attitudes?
2 comments:
Although I was not a regular flower of this sitcom, I do remember "Edit'" well... got very frustrated with - and really disliked - Archie! (Had to laugh at his foolish bigotry, sometimes, because he was SO stupid, but was sobered and dismayed, too, by the thought that there were many in society at the time who thought just like him and behaved the same way too... there still are a few! )
And, I do agree with you, David, that the Christ Spirit in us makes positive changes, and we are all still growing, but sometimes, even today, with our "enlightened" faith stances, I see more of Christ in non-believers (the radical welcome, non-judgmental concept)than in people who call themselves Christians. A lot of my Facebook "friends" post items with opinions and directions that we Christians should be putting forth - and they are agnostic or atheist - which begs the question... does the Spirit of Christ live and work through those folk, too? (I think , yes, it definitely does, at times, even though they do not acknowledge Christ - or maybe/probably it is our traditional way of portraying Christianity that they cannot accept, and want no part of.)
PS ... that should be "follower", not "flower"...
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