Sermon for January 10th, 2016
Leviticus 19:33-34
33When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. 34The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Luke 6:27-31
27‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Faith & Film IV: Bridge of Spies
Bridge of Spies is a film inspired by true events, which some here today may even remember--the cold war of the 1950s and 60s, the capture, trial and conviction of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, the shooting down of an American U2 spy plane over Soviet airspace, the capture of its pilot, Francis Gary Powers, the negotiation of his release and exchange for Abel along with American student, Frederic Pryor.
Since the major events in the film have been public knowledge for about 50 years, I'm going to assume that means it would be impossible for me to give you any real "spoilers." In any case, the film's popularity and acclaim aren't really due to unexpected plot twists as much as to the great acting (by Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance), the tension, suspense, and drama that come with any well-told story. So if you haven't already seen it, I hope you will when it comes out on video next month. The film may be set in past history, but it has a very timely message for the present.
The film opens in a dingy New York apartment, where we see an older gentleman sitting by the window, carefully painting a portrait of himself. Later, the CIA bursts into his apartment, arrests him, seizes his art equipment and several pieces of espionage equipment, and we learn that he is Colonel Rudolf Abel, accused of spying for the Soviet Union.
The scene cuts to a smoke-filled backroom, where we see two attorneys trying to settle a case. One of them is James Donovan. He is an insurance lawyer, representing an insurance company against a claim by five motorists who were struck by one vehicle. Donovan is slick, but firm, and skilled in his argument.
These two characters--the spy Rudolf Abel and the lawyer James Donovan--are brought together when Donovan is asked by his law firm to represent Abel so that it will "seem" like he's getting a fair trial. The words "seem" and "appear" are used several times by characters in the film, revealing that the appearance of American justice is more important than the actual thing. Donovan agrees to take the case, to the disappointment of his wife, who is worried about their reputation.
Leading up to the trial, Donovan and Abel come to respect and appreciate each other. However, even the judge in the case seems to have already made up his mind about Abel's guilt, and so while Donovan actually does his best to defend Abel, he loses the case. The best he can do is to convince the judge not to sentence Abel to death, using the argument that someday he might be useful in an exchange in case an American spy were caught in Russia. In other words, Abel makes a good insurance policy.
Of course, this is exactly what happens when American U2 pilot Gary Powers is shot down in Russian airspace while taking photographs for the CIA. James Donovan is asked to travel to Berlin to negotiate the trade--precisely at the time that the Berlin wall is being constructed. After tense negotiations between Donovan, the Russians, and the East Germans, he is able to secure not only the trade of Abel for Powers, but also the release of American college student Frederic Pryor, who was being held by the East Germans as a suspected (but clearly innocent) spy. At the climax of the film, the exchange between Abel and Powers takes place on the famous Glienicke Bridge, where several similar exchanges were made throughout the cold war, giving it the name "Bridge of Spies" where the film takes it's title.
