Blind Trust

What a difference between a 6 year old and a 3 year old. My poor daughter was busy being conned by her brother for M&M candies as he proceeded to tell her that the green ones were minty and the red ones were bloody. He scared her enough that she readily gave them to her brother, who was more than pleased to rescue her from those dastardly candies. While I didn't condone the cunning used by big brother to inherit more chocolate, I reveled in the purity of the 3 year old, so openly trusting her brother to warn her of the "bad M&M's". One day, she'll be a little wiser and it will be interesting to see how she handles his attempts to outsmart her.

What Would Wall-E Do?

I've been very strict about which movies I'll let my kids watch. Consequently, I don't spend a lot of time watching movies either. However, one movie that I (and not at the behest of my kids) will actually watch again and again is Wall-E. Sure, the movie is for kids, but it's a poignant reminder of how we impact the world.

I could go on and on about the ramifications of the environment and the more obvious message the movie presents, but the thing that really struck me about this movie is the hopefulness that Wall-E exudes. You see, it's not just enough that this poor ol' robot has been attempting to clean the earth by compacting an overwhelming overflow of trash. He's been at it for over 700 YEARS!!!! Although he longs for companionship, he never wavers at doing his thing. He hopes. He endures. He outlasts all the other Wall-E models and eventually gets to meet Eve.

Every time Wall-E interacted with another robot or person, he offered a polite handshake, another nicety that seems so out of place in this hectic, computerized, individualized world we live in. The people who met him remembered him because of his willingness to serve. I know, I'm talking about a fictitious film with an animated droid as a superhero. But it gave me pause. What if I always had hope about the future, even if it would be 700 years before my dreams were realized? What if I put others first and looked to help them, no matter how overwhelming the clutter of life seems to be?

So, there you have it. Wall-E is a great witness for having hope. If a computerized machine with no soul can have a heart, then maybe there's hope for the rest of us.

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Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9 (NIV)