Once Upon a Time in the Christian West

Harmonica: [facing three men] And Frank?

Snaky: Frank sent us.

Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?

Snaky: Well... looks like we're...

[snickers]

Snaky: ...looks like we're shy one horse.

Harmonica: [shaking head] You brought two too many.

I watched Sergio's beautiful and haunting movie, "Once Upon a Time in the West" with Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. The music was captivating, the brutality of the old west was shocking, and the heroes who wore black and white were hard and fast at bringing down justice in the old style of western movies in the late 1960's.  These are the good old days romanticized by some of when men were men and courage, sweet, and blood built our great nation we call America. But if people were more honest in looking at the hardships, the prejudices, and the violence, many people would probably say they are glad to live in the modern world with its many comforts and material wealth than the hard days of the old west. There is much myth and mystery concerning the American cowboy but people love to imagine things like Jessie James was a misunderstood hero in some old western movies rather than a brutal killer.

Many today want to decry that America is losing its Christian's past and heritage. It is certainly true that there are many Christian ideals or laws that have changed over the course of time but America was built more on laws created by deists then by Christians. The story of the great Christian America west is more a story that should start with "Once upon a time . . . " because it simply is not true historically. Consumerism, nationalism, and materialism run rabid in our society today and many Christians, rather than lamenting the past need to chart a bold course for the future where God's love and mercy are visibly demonstrated and seen by all. Maybe this might be the test to see whether there is true courage or simply a failure of nerve and helplessness in not knowing what to do at all.