Character: First Class Lives

I have to say that from my earliest of days I remember being facinated by men who embodied integrity. I guess that I had a feint hope that I could learn from them or some of what they are - would ‘rub-off’ and change me for the better.

In films it was Christopher Reeve in 'Superman' when I was a kid. As a teenager, Atticus Finch from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ entranced me.

More recently I enjoyed the character Bill Parrish who represented those character traits in the film “Meet Joe Black”.

In 'Meet Joe Black', William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), whose charmed life and orderly household are suddenly disrupted by the arrival of an enigmatic young man named Joe Black (Brad Pitt) who proceeds to fall in love with Parrish’s beautiful daughter Susan (Claire Forlani). For Parrish, Susan and the rest of his family, the consequences of this romance are profound, complicated and bittersweet, for Joe Black is actually the personification of Death.

What vividly impacted me was the scene towards the very end of the movie that when it was time for Bill Parish to pass away. He asked Joe Black “Do I have anything to worry about?” The response that followed was along the lines “No Bill, not you―You have lived a ‘First Class Life’”.

If there is anything that I desire at all - I would like nothing more to hear a similar statement to those words - “Well done Good and Faithful Servant” (Matt 25:21&23) when I pass into the next world……I guess I've got quite a few changes to make in the mean-time.