By Bernie Bell

We watched a film called ‘Evan Almighty’, which I have seen a couple of times before but long ago enough to remember the gist of it, but not the details.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Almighty

Evan asks God to help him to “Change the world”, and gets what he asked for – but not in the way he was envisioning!

At one point in the film God, in the form of a waiter in a Diner, poses some questions to Mrs. Baxter, who had prayed that the family could grow closer.  God says – if a person asks for patience, are they just given patience, or are they more likely to be presented with situations which can help them to develop patience?  If a person asks for courage, will they be given courage or presented with situations in which they can test and develop their courage?  And, if someone asks for their family to become closer, does everything suddenly become fluffy loveliness or, as in the case of the Baxter family, are they presented with a situation in which they can work together and thereby become closer? 

Evan’s wife was leaving him and heading to her Mother’s with her children – but after the conversation with God, she turns back – to the delight of her children, as they like Dad being a bit nuts – he spends more time with them, and they ‘do cool things’ together.

It could be said that we need an Ark now, and the Ark might be with us, in our own hands, to build. 

I don’t know – maybe – but I do recommend watching the film – a film about Acts of Random Kindness – building an ARK.

One strong message in ‘Evan Almighty’ is – beware of ‘Developers’, and especially beware of Developers hand in glove with ‘Leaders’.

If you watch the film, you’ll see what I’m talking about.  The damage and destruction caused by some forms of ‘development’ is happening around us, and all over the world. 

Maybe an Ark built from Acts of Random Kindness can defeat this encroaching destruction of the Natural World, but I can’t help thinking that paying attention and voting for the people who have the interests of the people at heart, rather than their own interests – could help – a lot.

We watched the film on Sunday evening, then Monday morning the notification of our being registered to vote in the local elections arrived.  ‘Nuff said.

In the film, I love it when all the birds got together and shat on the corrupt Congressman.  The humans hadn’t realised how corrupt he was – but the birds – knew.