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Connections...
JANUARY 30, 2000
FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
The people were astonished at Jesus' teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as one of the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?"
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Mark 1:21-28
The Insider
One of the most talked about and critically acclaimed movies of the year is The Insider, the true story of how one man blows the whistle on big tobacco.
Jeffrey Wigand is a very well-paid scientific
researcher for the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company. He
discovers that, despite its public denials for decades, his company
and the tobacco industry know all too well the health risks of
smoking -- in fact, the seven major cigarette manufacturers are
developing new ways to make highly addictive nicotine deliver even
more of a kick. After much wrenching soul searching, Wigand
decides to tell his story on the CBS newsmagazine
60 Minutes.
But doing the right thing costs Wigand dearly. His career as a scientist is over. He and his family lose their home. He is forced to beg for a teaching chemistry at a local high school. The family is terrorized with threats of physical violence. Wigand is publicly smeared as a philandering husband, a liar and a thief. He is threatened with lawsuits and jail. The pressure proves too much for his wife -- she walks out on him and takes his beloved daughters with her.
Despite the loss of his career, his family and his reputation, Wigand perseveres and tells his story. He refuses to be bullied by the tobacco interests. Because of Wigand's determination to make the truth known, decades of big tobacco's stonewalling collapse as the truth about their dangerous products finally comes to light.
In an interview following the release The Insider, the real Jeffrey Wigand was asked the inevitable question: Would he do it again? His answer:
"Yes. There is no stuttering here. There is no hesitation. I am at peace with myself. I have a good name now. It's a very good name and I protect it very much. My name stands for integrity. I can't describe to you what it is like to have that feeling."
[The New York Times, October 15, 1999.]
CONNECTION: With only the truth on his side, Jeffrey Wigand takes on and casts out the "unclean spirit" of greed, manipulation and vengeance that has led to the deaths of millions of unsuspecting smokers. To cast out demons is not easy -- it means overcoming our own demons, our own fears and terrors at jeopardizing our safety and comfort as a consequence of doing what is right and just. But Christ calls all of us who would be his disciples to cast out the demons and unclean spirits of evil, injustice and hatred with the "authority" of integrity, justice and selflessness.
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