It's Not Personal It's Just Business

From The Desk Of A Geek

It's Not Personal It's Just Business 

The term masterpiece is often seen as subjective, as some films will be considered masterpieces, but individual viewers may find them displeasing and dull. Often, those are reactions from people who want films to jump out at them such as certain action or horror films. However, most critics and scholars of film see The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II as masterpieces along with many film fans.

I find watching these films entertaining as well as educational. There are lessons about history (how immigration changed the landscape of large cities), culture (how values differ from one culture to another), and human nature (how people “take care” of each other).  But there are also moral lessons to be learned from The Godfather.

For example, sometimes “bad guys” are charming.  Don’t think of ‘Evil’ as always parading around with a pitchfork!  And, you can’t keep your private life ‘private’ – thinking that it will not affect your family – no matter how hard you may try.  And, ruthless Machiavellian schemes may make you rich, but there is a price to pay – guilt, loss, regret, betrayal – and damnation. 

One particular line from Michael Corleone in The Godfather II reminded me a great deal of how many Christians wrongly react to people who wrong them.  Tom Hagen, who is the family consigliere (legal advisor), asks Michael why he has become so filled with hate and why he wants to kill everyone.  Michael stares back at Tom, unfazed by the question and responds with coldness, “I don’t want to kill everyone, Tom.  Just my enemies.”  In other words, “Don’t make me out to be a bad person.  I don’t hate everyone.  I just hate my enemies.”  Of course one of the problems with this policy is that eventually the lines become blurred between ‘friends and enemies’, leaving no one around us safe. 

This unfortunately has become our justification for hatred.  We don’t hate everyone – we just hate the people who hate us, or annoy us, or defraud us, or wrong us, or take advantage of us.  And somehow, like Michael Corleone, we find this sort of response acceptable. Soon the lines become blurred between friends and enemies, and we justify behavior we would have never condoned.  

What happened to the words of Jesus?

"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"

(Matthew 5:44-47)

I am not arguing that we should be naïve. Jesus certainly wasn’t and he called us to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”  I think the call of Jesus needs to be recovered in our treatment of those inside and outside of the Christian community. This does not mean we need to vacation together, or go out to eat as couples, or send our friends to patronize their businesses (especially if we don’t trust them).  

But, we can at least “greet” them, to use the words of Jesus. We can say ‘hi,’, ask how the family is doing, treat them with respect as image bearers of God, and pray for them as we go on your way.

Devastated by this loss, Michael retired to Sicily and and lived in Don Tommasino's old villa, where he once lived with his first wife Apollonia. He died there in 1997, distraught and alone, of a stroke while sitting in a chair in front of the villa.

I’m a sinner like everyone else, I do not want my life to end like Michael Corleone, bitter, lonely, and with regrets that cannot be undone.

My prayer for us is that we allow God help us to follow Christ, by loving those who despise us, and doing so wisely, while we trust Him to bring justice into our lives at the right time.

Lonnie...