Were I the only one going, would I have courage to follow?

A couple of days ago, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was on the “remember when” movie channel.

The 1967 film starred Spencer Tracy as Matt Drayton, Katharine Hepburn as his wife Christina Drayton, and Katharine Houghton (Hepburn’s niece) as their 23-year-old daughter Joey.

The plot of the film is the commitment of Joey to marry Dr. John Prentice—a black physician (played by Sidney Poitier). She met him ten days before in Hawaii. They are in love.

The conflict is brought into focus when “color blind” Joey brings her surprise man home for dinner to announce their plans for immediate marriage and ask for both sets of parents to fully bless the marriage within a four hour time frame.

She assures Dr. John her parents will not object as they have always taught against racial discrimination.

The sticker is, although daddy Matt Drayton has spent his life teaching his daughter to be “color bind,” it never crossed his mind his daughter could fall in love with a black man. This black man had such impeccable credentials that his skin pigment stood alone as the only objection.

For the next four hours, he rationalized with himself why he could not bless the wedding.

During my entire life, I have followed Jesus and encouraged others to go with me. What would happen were I to discover it’s only me?

I sing the song, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me, still I will follow, no none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.

Throughout life my Jesus decision was encouraged, backed, and supported by family and friends. I can only hope that deep in the depths of my soul the decision was mine and mine alone.

I think I know where I stand but the reality is I never know for sure until decision time. It is easy to talk a good game, but I have lived long enough to know there is always a decision to meet around the corner. Theory can invigorate thought. Life has a way of testing theories.

Were Satan to offer to me the three biggies he offered Jesus, I hope I could turn them down. That is my intention.

After several scenes where Spencer Tracy’s character is about to cave in, the humble mother of Dr. John helps Matt Drayton return to his core values of true equality. With a speech only Spencer Tracy could give, he declares right to be right anew; and he is in.

As I move closer to the garden, I want my trust in God and His Son Jesus to grow so deep I will be able to declare without doubt, though none go with me, still I will follow—even if it is just God and me.

Stay tuned. – Gary J. Sorrells