Asked to cite the most significant event in history for an oral exam, the late great Justice Scalia thought it was a softball question and picked an event he considered important. “Wrong!” His inquisitor corrected him: “No, Mr. Scalia; it was the Incarnation.”
This seminal event on the Christian calendar is celebrated by the faithful and unfaithful alike. Some merely acknowledge it in their actions and time off, while others take the religious significance to heart and fully participate in the seasonal countdown of Advent.
And while the secular celebration with all its associated trappings now largely undermines the religious significance, even the most secular cannot deny its importance and the overarching ideas it spawned.
The Incarnation was a religious hurricane so powerful that it spun off secular tornados that impacted the world in very subtle ways.
Think of self-sacrifice, generosity, service to others and the unity of family. While these virtues are secularized, they are lauded as worthy and so critical to society that they form the basis for moral and civic education. So even if the religious aspects of Christmas may not be acknowledged, the secular fallout, being so intertwined, cannot escape the cultural ramifications of the Incarnation.
The Incarnation as an historical event is so widely known that few movies recount the story anymore. But Hollywood and other mass media routinely capitalize on its essence. To achieve commercial success, films that open in December harken back to themes based on the Incarnation.
Be it nostalgia, sentimentality, or affairs of the heart, films during Christmas tend to bring people together and generally present a morality play focused on one or several virtues. And, while the religious overtones may be completely obscured, they are there and easy to spot. People want optimism and hope that the future is brighter, and that the new year will be better than the past. Movies have helped us experience these things emotionally and provided a means to feel happy at least for the duration of the show.
To feel good and confident even for a moment is the spark of commercial success for films. Frank Capra, the great film director of “It’s A Wonderful Life,” used this formula well and wisely throughout his long and storied career. But he didn’t direct films that told a good story and gave a momentary emotional rush merely for box office profits. Rather, he believed in fundamental values, permanent things and timeless ideals and considered it his duty to give hope, provide optimism and exalt the individual human actor over the various manifestations of greed expressed in impersonal bigness, not only in government, but also in business, religious institutions and communities.
Capra’s films gave Depression-era audiences an expectation of hope. His themes used the dark clouds of the Great Depression to give his heroes an obstacle that was overcome not merely with individual effort, although that always played a critical part, but also by the collective efforts of friends who inspire, encourage and become part of a unified effort to defeat evil.
Whether it is George Bailey v. Mr. Potter, Mr. Smith v. Sen. Payne, Longfellow Deeds v. Lawyer Cedar or John Doe v. D. B. Norton, each conflict created a crisis of conscience and a crucial decision requiring action. But Capra’s films show that action is not unilateral, but is aided by love, support and encouragement.
Overcoming and achieving was not a singular endeavor, but a subtle spiritual effort where virtue ultimately triumphs. The success of the hero gave audiences a renewed sense of purpose; that no mountain was too high or hurdle too steep, but success in defeating adversity was possible by rightness of cause, individual commitment and assistance from others.
The hilarity of the film “You Can’t Take It With You” comes at the expense of stereotypes of corporatist drones, corrupt politicians and unanchored peons. And, in showing the conflicts on every level, Capra in many ways uses the fruits of the Incarnation to not only entertain, but to give hope, encouragement and purpose.
Many who saw his films had diminished prospects. Capra lifted people up, marginalized the mean spirited, and showed what true friendship meant. He showed how happiness in and of itself is substantial and more important than material things, social status, or political influence.
If the Incarnation seems passé, look around you. This one event permeates most of the things we do. And, if you look at success, oft times, commercial achievement is directly related to expressing the secular aspects of the Incarnation to show a challenged, but hopeful and confident humanity.
Will Sellers is a graduate of Hillsdale College and an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama. He is best reached at [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Nick-D, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
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