by John C. Lemon
Jerry Lewis, recognized by the American Comedy Awards, Venice Film Festival, recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and two-time honoree of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, passed on August 20, 2017. When he wasn’t creating laughter, he found time (45 years’ worth) to champion the cause of those living with the challenges of Muscular Dystrophy. He was a hero and easily one of my favorite comedians. I remembered Mr. Lewis’ life by binge watching some of his more prominent films from the 1950’s.
Among the antics, gags and overall hilarity were asides – social interactions, that would now be considered out of step with current sensibilities. I have no interest in placing Mr. Lewis or Dean Martin, his partner of ten years on trial. I, with redactions, remain a fan of the duo’s ground-breaking humor, proven timeless by those who continue to borrow from their work. There is however, some 60 years removed, within this nation, an undeniable swell of activism honed in upon once accepted social practice.
The logical solution for any movement would have to include fixed points.
Isaiah, a prominent Jewish figure of the 7th century BC, serves as a primer on the subject as he advocated for the poor, the immigrant and the vulnerable (Isaiah 58:7). Six centuries later, James the Just, lead strategist of the church of Jerusalem, built on these ideals, defining true religion as the care of orphans, widows and the guarding of one’s heart (James 1:27). Advocacy for human dignity is not new. The mandate however simple, is made complicated by the question of right. Adversarial forces, whatever they may be, affecting poverty, displacement or neglect must be addressed. This cannot happen without ascribing fault.
Here in lies the challenge. As a postmodernist activist society, embracing moral equivalence in the absence of absolutes, how do we frame change and determine the call to action? Can we, as a nation, hope to build on situational ethics and moving targets? The logical solution for any movement would have to include fixed points. Whether it be in Charlottesville, Berkeley or the opening act of NFL stadiums across America, we are working out our soul salvation – looking desperately, if not unknowingly, for the transcendent. The conflict between who we are and who we aspire to be is center stage.
As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others (Ephesians 4:14, CEB).
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