Sermon for January 28th, 2018
Contents
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Faith & Film VI: The Post
Three Minute Film Synopsis
The Post is based on the real life events of 1971, as the classified government documents known as the "Pentagon Papers" were leaked and published by several major Newspapers, among them the Washington Post.
Katharine Graham (played by Meryl Streep) is the publisher and owner of the Washington Post, a regional paper aspiring to become a national force. The paper was originally acquired and published by her father, then passed to her husband, and its leadership fell to her after her husband's death. Throughout the film, we watch Graham struggle to find her voice, to be taken seriously as a woman leading in a male-dominated industry.
The editor in chief of the paper is Benjamin Bradlee (played by Tom Hanks) who is referred to more than once in the film as an opportunistic, no-holds-barred "Pirate," but we can't help but admire his steadfast loyalty and commitment to the principles of the first amendment and the freedom of the press.
When Graham and Bradlee come into possession of the leaked documents, they race to publish them, but their rivals, the New York Times beat them to press. The Nixon White House successfully wins an injunction preventing the Times from publishing any more documents, and at this point, the Washington Post faces the difficult decision of whether to risk their very existence by defying the White House and going to press, or on the other hand, risking their journalistic integrity (and their opportunity to become a major player in national news) by allowing the government to silence them.
Against the advice of her lawyers and business advisors, Graham makes the bold decision to publish, landing both her paper and the New York Times in front of the Supreme Court, which ultimately decides in their favor, setting the stage for the golden era of journalism, the Washington Post, and the downfall of the Nixon presidency.
Prophets and Kings
The Power of the Word
The Light Shining In the Darkness
(let justice roll like thunder)
Democracy dies in darkness
