The Untouchables (1987) is an American gangster film directed by Brian De Palma, produced by Art Linson, written by David Mamet, and based on the book of the same name (1957). The film stars Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery, and follows Eliot Ness (Costner) as he forms the Untouchables team to bring Al Capone (De Niro) to justice during Prohibition.
The memorably graphic scene where
Al Capone (Robert
De Niro) pulls out a baseball bat at a
dinner party and suddenly beats to death one of his men for failing to successfully perform highlights the often
unspoken yet vitally important and inseparable relationship between individual
responsibility and teamwork.
This specific scene is based on a true incident which happened on
May 7, 1929. Two of Capone's most feared hit men, Albert Anselmi and John Scalise, had hatched a plot to kill Capone and take
over his gang. Capone got wind of it and invited all of his associates to a
dinner party, including Anselmi and Scalise. In the middle of the party, Capone
pulled out a baseball bat and battered both men to death, then shot them both
in the head. A conflicting version of the story has Tony "Joe
Batters" Accardo, one of Capone's hit men, as the man who bludgeoned the
traitors to death. (From
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094226/trivia> )
J.R. Miller, (20 March
1840–2 July 1912) popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of
Publication, and pastor of
several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, is quoted as saying,"The best thing any man can do toward the
cultivation of a state or county — is to cultivate well his own farm, or his
own field or garden. He would not be a very useful man who would spend his time
in finding fault with his neighbor's farming, or with the general state of
agriculture — and allow his own field to become overgrown with weeds and
thorns. And the same is true in the church. The only revival that will bless
the church — is that which shall begin in the individual hearts of the church membership.
And the very first thing for every Christian to do, is to secure the quickening
and reviving of his own spiritual life." (From: My Responsibility)
He further explains,
"Take up a single point of responsibility
from the many that attach to individual church membership. The truth should be
realized that all revival and spiritual quickening in the church, must come
through individual hearts. We deplore the coldness of the church, its
languishing devotion, its diminishing fervor and zeal, its spiritual deadness
and lethargy. We sing revival songs. We pray revival prayers. We preach revival
sermons. Yet we wonder why revival never comes.
But how is it in the individual hearts — has the
revival begun there yet? Everybody is looking after the condition of the church
so intently — that he has no time to look after his own heart. We need more
Nathans to talk parables to our delinquent Davids, and by their pungent
home-thrust, "You are the man!" — to drive them to their closets, to
their Bibles, to their God, and to the care of their own hearts.
The great river that flows through the valley, and
bears a nation's wealth on its bosom — is born of the ten thousand springs that
flow out upon the hillsides and mountains, and burst up in the meadows and
fields.
In the same way, the great power of a strong and
noble Christian church — is born of the hearts of its individual members. The
springs which compose it flow out of the secret closets, and from under the
family altars of the people."
We who profess
Christ, must ensure that we do indeed possess Christ by working out our own
salvation with fear and trembling, acknowledging that it is indeed God who
works within us to both will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians
2:12-13) as we look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life by keeping ourselves in the love of God, by praying in the Holy Spirit,
thus building ourselves up in our most holy faith. (Jude
vs20-21) If the God indeed has reconciled Himself to us through Jesus
Christ, then we are a new creation and are to regard no one according to the
flesh as we ambassadors are entrusted with the privilege and responsibility of
sharing this message of reconciliation, (2
Corinthians 5:14-21) as we show compassion on others by sharing the gospel
and provide very real and practical help (James
2:15-16), willingly walking the extra mile (Matthew
5:41) and if needed, offering the very shirt off of our back even if our
coat may have been stolen (Luke
6:29) so that we can mercifully snatch these currently doubtful individuals
from the fires of this sinful world. (Jude
vs 22-23)
J.R. Miller, leaves us
with this powerful thought," What a mighty
power would a whole church of wrestling Jacobs be! It is back in these hidden
springs, that revival must begin — and out of these secret fountains, that
spiritual power in the church must flow. Revival is a personal matter. Every
member is responsible for the life of the church. Every member should look well
to his own heart. Let each keep his own little garden — and there will be no
neglected spots in the great vineyard of God!"
Dag Hammarskjöld, a Swedish diplomat and author, called “the
greatest statesman of our century,” by U.S. President John F.
Kennedy spoke well when he said:
“You cannot play with the animal in you without
becoming wholly animal, play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to
truth, play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants
to keep his garden tidy does not reserve a plot for weeds.”
In summary, we must
learn that revival won't happen until we come to learn that we can't kill the
demons with which we enjoy playing!! So let us return to the springs of
spiritual power found in our secret closet of prayer and communion, permitting
these living waters to bubble up from there through "the ten thousand
springs" of our personal family
alters of our homes, "that flow out upon the hillsides and mountains, and
burst up in the meadows and fields" of our local church homes. And whatever else we happen to do… let's stay
alert and not blink, for fear of missing out on The Lord's best for us!!! (2Kings
2:9-12)
For more:
- Are you a Contagious Christian
- CARPE DIEM!!
- Communion of True Community
- Developing a Discipleship Culture: preparing a people for a place that is being prepared for us
- God@Work - Developing a Vision for Workplace Ministry
- Great Glory in Small Things
- Is Our Faith More than Just Dust In The Wind
- Let's Work
- Philippians 4:8 - Thinking upon these things…
- Sermon 82, Robert Murray McCheyne
- The Bike Ride
- You Woke?
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