CHRISTIAN COMMENT: He was proud of his salad dressing
AMIDST the news of bank collapse, financial crisis and memories of the Wall Street Crash 80 years ago, it's heartening to hear some good news.
To see a photograph of Lissy Newman recently wearing her father's cap with the words, "Old Guys Rule!" and Lissy making her tribute to her father, who died at the end of September.
Paul Newman was not only a great actor who starred in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid alongside Robert Redford, and raised millions of dollars for charities, but much more a person who was able to maintain his dignity, his privacy, and integrity, and was a man of conscience.
Christmas will soon be appearing on the horizon, and it was during the preparations for Christmas 1980 that Paul Newman invited a friend home to help with the ritual mixing of some home-made salad dressing which they put into wine bottles.
The idea was to take the home-made salad dressing around to neighbours, and sing some carols.
A number of bottles were left over which they decided to sell at a local supermarket, the owner insisting they put Paul's famous movie star face on the label.
Paul agreed but only for a good cause.
"If I am going to do a tacky thing like this for money, then it should go to the people who support it.
"So why don't we just give it all away?"
The profits from Paul's charity have helped a large number of groups, 1,000, and in 1988 his charity opened the first of many camps for children who had serious medical conditions, particularly cancer.
In last few weeks we have seen a very different picture in the financial crisis.
Financial markets appearing to drive up the prices of fuel and food while some financiers enjoy bonuses, many people are concerned about rising prices, mortgages, savings, and pensions.
Jesus in his gospel clearly asserts that people are far more important than wealth, people rather than markets must be the priority.
Jesus tell us the story of the wedding feast to which guests were invited, and to which we are called to be play our part in building his kingdom, caring for one another, especially the poor.
Some of the guests were more interested in their own affairs rather than the good of others, one went back to his farm, another to his business.
Our present situation surely needs a wholesale rethink of our financial system.
May be our financiers and all of us need to become different sorts of people, less self interested and more open to the needs of the community.
To take to heart Jesus' gospel of economic and social justice as Paul Newman gives a shining example to us of how to use global fame for the common good.
------------------------------
Click here for more Christian Comment.
Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.
Email the Herald: letters@worthingherald.co.uk
Want to read this page in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu or 48 other languages? click here for Google translate.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Worthing
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
