A Christmas lesson from 'It's a Wonderful Life'
When it comes to the classic Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life," am I the only one who wonders what eventually happened to Mr. Potter?
Did he eventually force the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan out of business? Did the cancer of greed finally rob him of his life? If so, did anyone attend his funeral?
Or like the Grinch, did Mr. Potter eventually have a change of heart? Like Ebenezer Scrooge, did he join the Bailey family for Christmas dinner?
Is it too much to think that the villainous banker of Bedford Falls might one day sit with George and Mary and their four children at the Christmas Eve service?
As much as I love Frank Capra's timeless holiday movie, I would have preferred a different ending. I wish there had been some kind of reconciliation between the two foes. If only we could know with certainty that George Bailey's wonderful life included making peace with Mr. Potter.
Instead we are left with evidence of an ongoing alienation. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!" George calls out to his arch enemy. To which Potter caustically responds "Happy New Year to you ... in jail!"
A storybook ending to my favorite movie seems as unlikely as a happily-ever-after script in Washington, D.C.
But it's not just in politics where we see the fabric of our union being pulled apart by polarizing perspectives. It's evident in religious preferences, lifestyle choices, health care options and views on gun control.
Gone are the days of choosing to get along with each other in spite of our differences. It seems we have forgotten that it is possible to agree to disagree in order to be agreeable as friends. At a time of the year when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, warring factions are continuing to draw lines that separate.
Even though "It's a Wonderful Life" ends with unresolved conflict between the two lead characters, the people of Bedford Falls exhibit the kind of lifestyle I long for. It's uncomplicated. There is a culture of acceptance, self-sacrifice, cooperation and contentment. It's my kind of town.
Last December, I visited Seneca Falls, the small town in upstate New York that many people think inspired Frank Capra's fictional Bedford Falls. I was invited to preach at the local Presbyterian church, do a workshop on the movie and sign copies of my book ("Finding God in It's a Wonderful Life"). In addition to appearing with the aging actors who played the Bailey kids 70 years earlier, I met Donna Reed's daughter and Frank Capra's granddaughter. It was a dream come true.
As I strolled through the town, snow began falling on the quaint buildings of Fall Street. It was magical. I pictured myself encountering Violet Bick, Sam (Hee Haw) Wainwright and Uncle Billy while walking by Gower's Drugstore, the Bijou Theatre and the Building and Loan.
I was brought back to reality as street actors portraying the film's main characters engaged me in conversation. A pugnacious Mr. Potter insulted me from his wheelchair perch near the bank. Ernie the taxi driver offered me a ride. Even George and Mary Bailey said hello.
In Seneca Falls, where the Republican Party was born and the Women's Rights Movement came of age, townspeople and business leaders have joined hands to sponsor the IAWL Festival each year. In so doing, they are perpetuating the popularity of a movie that celebrates the payoff of working together.
In Seneca Falls (like Bedford Falls), I glimpsed what I hoped might be a prototype for cooperation in our divided culture.
The Sunday I preached, something occurred that gave me reason to hope that a positive ending to my favorite movie and our polarized nation might just be possible.
Quite by chance, two couples who had never met were seated next to each other on the front pew of the church. Both couples had traveled a great distance to attend the festival. Following the service they introduced themselves to me as … the Baileys and the Potters. What? Really? I looked at the visitor registry in the narthex to make sure. I could hardly believe what I saw.
Who could have orchestrated that coincidence? And get this. Mr. Bailey's first name actually was George. That "God wink" gave me cause to think that those who approach life from different perspectives can actually sit down together and find a common purpose.
And at this time of year we are reminded that such a common purpose is ours to embrace. He is called Emmanuel … "God with us!"
• The Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former Naperville resident who writes regularly about faith and family.