Manson's Memo 3/8

It is said that when movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn was filming The Last Supper, the following conversation took place:

Goldwyn: Why only twelve?
Employee: That’s the original number.
Goldwyn: Well, go out and get thousands.

I suppose we could look at that as an example of how Hollywood can mess up biblical stories. And watching things like The Ten Commandments or The Greatest Story Ever Told can get me grinding my teeth as I see all the changes, mistakes and exaggerations that filmmakers have done in almost every Bible film. Sometimes, it’s bearable, but often, I’d just as soon the film wasn’t even made. When it comes to the Bible, the book is almost always better.

But I really like Goldwyn’s comment, even if it belies the fact that he doesn’t know the story. (He was Jewish, after all.) Even though it may seem like a ridiculous comment, it really represents what the church is all about.

Maybe that night in the upper room that we remember each week when we gather around the table only had 12 people there besides Jesus, but that isn’t the way it is suppose to stay. We gather by the tens and hundreds and thousands and millions around that table each week. And there is always room for others to share with us.

We should listen to what Sam Goldwyn said. We should go out and get thousands.