the director of evan almighty

from an article at Christianity Today with Director of "Evan Almighty" Tom Shadyac:
But are you afraid of being pigeonholed? Of people saying, "Oh, that Shadyac guy, he's that Christian director who makes movies for Christians."
Shadyac: Again, I don't like the label because of what the word Christian has become today, unfortunately—many people think it means "judgmental" and that it carries certain political ideas. I'm a Jesus freak. I respond to Jesus, the messages of the Sermon on the Mount, to this guy who talked about loving your neighbor and loving your enemy. I know what's moving me, and I know what I want to be true to in my work. And if people pigeonhole me for that, I don't really care.

What do you want people to walk away from Evan Almighty thinking about?
Shadyac: Hopefully they'll walk away entertained. But also, I think we all have this "idolatry of magnitude," thinking that if we don't do something huge for the world that we haven't done anything. We forget the story of the widow's mite. We have this idea we have to do something huge, when we don't take seriously enough the idea that it's just the way you say hello, the way you treat somebody, the way you conduct yourself at work or in your car, or how you treat the earth. I hope this idea sparks just a little different way of thinking of how we can all change the world.

I love both of these answers. He admits the truth that Christians are seen as judgmental which he doesn't want to be or think Christians should be, but yet still says he will follow Christ with his whole life. I also think this "idolatry of magnitude" is something overlooked by most people. We want to be the hero of whatever field we're in, but it's really in the small things that defines our impact on people. I watched the All Star Game earlier this week and was really blown away by an interview with Willie Mays before the game (he's one of the all time greats). At the end of the interview he was asked what he wanted to be remembered for. His reply was roughly (not a direct transcription by any means, watch it for yourself): "it wouldn't be baseball, it would be how I treated the guys and the game." And I think that's what people will remember him for. Sure, he made some spectacular plays and amazing stats in baseball, but watching the other players around him showed that the immense respect came from a deeper place than just feats- it was how he treated others and supports the game (his "business," if you will).

So, maybe even this seminary student (yes, we have dreams and desires on large proportions too, their just not normal- preach in front of 1000's, people getting saved in droves, etc.) can learn from these two successful (by all standards) men, and begin to have dreams, but not just any dream, small dreams of how I can change the world a person at a time through the small things.

ht: tallskinnykiwi