The Deacon's Bench
My pal Matt Palmer at the USCCB sent this my way, and it’s Must See TV: the concluding moments from Sunday night’s episode of “The Newsroom” on HBO.
I’m not a regular viewer—we’re Basic Cable people at my house—but from what I can gather, the lead character, a TV anchor played by Jeff Daniels, is about to go to jail (presumably over some First Amendment issue?). But first, he plans for a wedding at city hall, presided over by a priest—something that would be improbable in real life but which here plays out to the sweetly rendered strains of “Ave Maria.” Not only that, but the Daniels character is actually induced by the priest to pray. (Based on my experience, that’s also improbable. But I’ll give it a pass because the scene here is both moving and, for its depiction of faith, surprisingly affirming.)
The New York Times recap:
That was quite a metaphorical moment at the end of Sunday’s episode of “The Newsroom,” though I’m not sure Aaron Sorkin, the show’s creator, intended it as such. Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), after years of denying his feelings for MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), finally takes the leap and marries her, and moments later is led away to prison. We can’t be sure that the priest concluded with “I now pronounce you Inmate of the Marital Institution and Wife” because of the way the scene was edited, but it seems likely.
Speaking of that final scene, it evoked, at least for me, the baptism/massacre scene in “The Godfather,” which if intentional makes that the second “Godfather” reference this season. Contemplate and discuss. But there were plenty of other talking points leading up to those last few minutes.
Take a look.
UPDATE: Speaking of journalists going to church…there was quite a kerfuffle that erupted in social media today over this tweet by Katie Couric — but what seems to have been largely overlooked is the acknowledgement by a prominent journalist that, yes, she actually goes to church. Well, whadaya know?
Fact is, there were quite a few church-goers working at CBS News when I was there. They were not shy about it, either. One year at the start of Lent, I even distributed ashes to a number of my colleagues—including CBS News President Sean McManus.
Back when I was editing Katie’s blog at CBS, she also wrote about an experience at her local Presbyterian church, and posted part of her pastor’s sermon:
I went to church on Sunday, and was very taken with my minister’s sermon. It was beautifully written and delivered, and I thought some of you might enjoy parts of it. You can read the whole thing online later this week at The Brick Presbyterian Church website.
The minister at Brick Church is Michael Lindvall and the sermon was on the existence of doubt as it relates to faith. Many people explore their faith and end up on different places on the road before we all arrive at the ultimate destination. Doubt and questioning can leave us feeling guilty and inadequate (Great! Like I need more reasons for that!) But his thesis is that doubt is a part of everyone’s journey. I thought I would pass along some of the key passages from this sermon, because it really resonated with me and I found it both intellectually stimulating and comforting. I was so happy I was there to hear it.
Next time you go to church, look around. You never know who you might see in the pew behind you.
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