Daniel Day-Lewis. Likely one of the greatest actors in history that many people have not heard of. Day-Lewis has won three oscars for Best Actor and nominated for three more. He starred in My Left Foot, There Will be Blood and Lincoln. In his over 50 years of acting, he has appeared in only 21 movies. Seven since 1998, winning his last Oscar in 2013. He is known for being a dedicated Method Actor in which he immerses himself totally in his role. Often not breaking character throughout the filming of a project. As a means of focusing on his work, he keeps a strict private life. He rarely appears at Hollywood gatherings preferring to spend time with his family at his primary residence in Ireland. His native home is in England but he felt the need to retreat from London because of the intense scrutiny from the press.
It seems like a stretch to say that Tom Hanks flies under the radar. That he avoids the spotlight. After all, he is, and will likely be remembered as, perhaps the greatest actor of this generation. He has starred in so many hit movies with many diverse characters. He has shown the ability to do comedy (I was an early fan of his when Bosom Buddies was on the air) and drama. He has played the good guy in most of his films but has also had an evil side in some (“Road to Perdition”, for example). But it is because of the tremendous success that he has had that puts his public image into perspective. In spite of the adulation that he has received, Hanks has remained a sort of “Every Man”. He seems like someone who we can relate to. Some have called him “America’s Dad”. He drives a Toyota RAV4. Roger Ebert once said of Hanks: “The central triumph of Tom Hanks as a movie actor is that, most of the time, we believe he thinks a lot like us, and does more or less what we would do, but that he somehow does it on a larger or more ennobling scale. It is the James Stewart quality. But few actors can obtain it; with most, you see their egos peeking through, or you catch them trying too hard. The camera is a lie detector, and Hanks must be a fundamentally good person to play such roles—either that, or he is an even better actor than we think.“
Now, in no way am I comparing Daniel Day-Lewis and Tom Hanks to Jesus Christ. Though I think both could pull off the role. But I was struck when first beginning to read the Bible (Basic Information Before Life Ends) how Jesus often commands those recipients of His miracles to not tell anyone of what He has done for them. In The Chosen we see the scene where Nicodemus is speaking with Mary Magdalene after Jesus has cured her of her demonic possession. Nicodemus is dumbfounded when he learns that Jesus sought no recognition for His deed. Choosing to remain in the shadows. Mary says, “This I can tell you. I was one way and now I am completely different. And the thing in between was Him”
Seven times in Scripture Jesus healed someone and explicitly told the person to not reveal how they were cured. Some complied and many did not. Why did Jesus insist on secrecy? To remain in the shadows at this point in His ministry? There are several thoughts as to what motivated Jesus’ desire to also fly under the radar. Perhaps He said it best to His Mother before His miracle at the wedding feast in Cana where he told her that His time had not come. That calling attention to Himself at this stage of His teachings would hamper His ability to move about freely and spread the message His Father had given Him.
I also think if He allowed His public persona to take on a sort of “sideshow” aspect it would take away from the very message He came to give. I hope I am not telling tales out of school here, but an example from another writer here at ACM illustrates the point I am trying to make. You all know Mark Gates. He is the writer who does the Sunday reflection so well. You may also know that he has a YouTube podcast called Brother Blu where he reflects on the readings and feasts of the Church. When he began his ministry last year, he took on a personna where he had his face partially covered and rung a gong to highlight key points. The problem was that this look, I believe, distracted from the excellent way he interpreted scripture and how he acts as a means of encouragement for the listener. He elected to jettison that image and instead just be Mark. And it works. The focus is now on the message.
I belong to a group called the American Legion Riders. It is a veterans community of motorcycle riders who are veterans or the sons of veterans (My Father fought in World Way II) and focus on raising funds to help veterans. Either veterans causes or individual vets who are down on their luck. The group does a lot of good work, especially considering we operate in a small town. Sometimes some of the members express dismay that more people are not aware of the work the group accomplishes. But, in the end, we all realize that the focus should be squarely on the work we do. Accolades are unnecessary. Sometimes maybe attracting too much attention. Best to fly under the radar. In the shadows.
So let Jesus be the model…as He always is. Focus on the mission and not on the media coverage. Do the job at hand and not the marketing. Do what is right…even when no one is looking.
