MASH

Does anyone remember the M*A*S*H finale? Charles is attempting to conduct an *orchestra* of Korean to play a noncturne throughout the episode, and, on the surface, they're sounding like a hopeless bunch. Farmers with wood flutes, homemade cymbals, wood drums, and one violin...and they're driving Charles crazy because they just don't seem to 'get it'. They can't get in tune; in fact they never do. And Charles, in his own snobbish highbrow way, berates them for their lack of 'vision'. But toward the end of the episode, the villagers get carted away from the camp, as the war is over. Charles has become quite attached to his little band of 'talentless' men, and then a wonderful thing happens. As they are driving away, the villagers start to play, one last time, in honor of their conductor, whom they love and respect in spite of his animosity towards them for most of the film. And wonder of wonders, it sounds like music. It still isn't going to win any awards, it's still awkward and out of tune, but Charles is awestruck, and moved to tears. It sounds absolutely beautiful to him. The 'snob' who only listens to Boston Pops is enraptured by the 'beauty' of this little talentless band.

It reminds me of the story of the Widow's Mite. Here, Christ and the disciples are watching people enter the temple and give their offerings at the door. No doubt, the disciples were impressed and awed at the wealth of one man who dumps a large amount of coins into the coffer. The pinging of the coins as they fall into the box tell them this is an important man, one who must command great respect, because he commands such great wealth! But then, an old, bent over lady whose clothes are poor, who's countenance is poor, and who's pocketbook is poor, plinks a couple of coins worth less than a penny into the coffer. By temple standards, they are less than a drop in a bucket. If the coins were lost from the treasury, no one would likely notice. Some may have looked on in scorn at the paltry *gift* this old woman dared to bring. Surely, it would be better, some may think, if she simply didn't give anything at all, if that is all she is going to give.

But Christ is moved. Tremendously. Not by the handsome gift of the wealthy, but by the paltry gift of the old lady. Why? She has given all she has. It isn't much, and it surely isn't much to talk about, but Jesus sees it for what it is. An absolutely beautiful thing. Not on the surface, but then, the surface hardly matters to Him. He has already been telling the religious leaders as much. The beauty rests in this woman's heart for her God, and in Christ's eyes, it is far more beautiful than the big showing of 'talents' by the rich in 'talents', for "they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."

Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder. Don't be too quick to heap scorn or assign motive based upon what someone gives...it may seem paltry to some, but God may see something very different. And so might someone else. People who give out of their abundance are not to be scorned-they have been well blessed, and the gifts they bring come from an overflow of God's blessings upon them. But neither are those whose passion outweighs their talent.

Jason Teal