Up, Down and All Around

"Thank You, Mr. President"

I finally got my hands on the complete fifth season of NBC's The West Wing and just finished watching the first 12 episodes.

I'm reminded once again why I really enjoy this show. Of course it helps that the creator is Aaron Sorkin, the same guy who created one of my favorite movies ever, The American President. The TV series has the same smart, witty, moving, and occassionally dramatic feel as the movie (but minus the romance, of course).

It presents an eye-opening look at how the executive branch of the American political system works (or sometimes doesn't work) with the legislative and judicial branches. There are times when I wonder how they ever get anything good done, with all the things that they're going up against.

But, that's not why I'm writing this entry (I'll wait until I've finished the entire season before I write my feedback). The main point I wanted to make is that I noticed how often the President's senior staff would end all of their meetings with him by saying "Thank You, Mr. President," regardless of how the meeting had gone.

If they had just received an approving nod from the Big Guy himself for an insightful recommendation, it's "Thank You, Mr. President." If they just got reprimanded for making a disastrous judgment call that resulted in the death of 14 Americans, it's still "Thank You, Mr. President" just before they walk out of the Oval Office.

And strangely enough, that got me thinking of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which reads: In everthing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

I've always wondered how it's possible to give thanks to God in everything, especially since we can be dealt with a very lousy hand at different times in our lives. But here we have people (however fictional) who have learned to say thanks over and over, and actually mean it each time, regardless of whatever has been said to them, regardless of the circumstances that they find themselves in.

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Haha! I can't believe I'm over-analyzing The West Wing. Whoever said TV was just an idiot's box?

Tags: Personal, TV, Religion

Posted by CF at 11:25 AM