Doc Hudson

Paul Newman died yesterday and I thought as a tribute to one of my favorite actors, I'd pay a little homage to the man by having each post this week have something to do with one of his characters. So it will be business as usual, SUNDAY, today will still be a devotion to my Lord and Savior, the ONE TRUE GOD, the twist being it will involve a Newman movie character. Same will go for the rest of the week.

My boys just love the movie CARS and it has one of the great historical plot themes running throughout it, Individual VS Community. In one of the key scenes, Paul Newman's character, Doc Hudson, asks the lead individualist in the world, Lightning McQueen, "When was the last time you cared about something except yourself, hot rod? You name me one time." McQueen is silent in response.

This plot is used so often and appeals so greatly because it is precisely this struggle that each person has faced from the beginning on through to today. Is about me or my neighbor? Do I focus on my self, or on others? Am I willing to die a little to my self, so that I can live the greater as part of the Body of Christ?

In the end, Lightning McQueen learns that he needs to be part of a team and Doc Hudson in turn learns he needs to have hope in the future. Both valuable lessons for us as Christians. God didn't put us here alone, he's equipped us with the wonderful Body of Christ, the fellowship of all believers. We make a great team with Jesus the Messiah, who defeated sin with His death upon the cross, as our head. Our leader who saves us all by grace through faith so that we may go out each day and serve God by serving others (be a community).