Film Friday In the third Downton Abbey film The Grand Finale times are hard after the stock market crash, and this threatens to affect the future wellbeing of the Granthams. So Lady Mary suggests selling their second home in London. Lord Grantham is not happy at all with this idea and he blows his top and tells everybody there is no way that they are doing that. However, time goes by and Lord Grantham thinks again and realizes that perhaps they really do need to do this, as it’s the best thing for everyone. And so he relents and changes his mind. It reminds me of the story that Jesus tells about changing your mind. It’s about two sons and you’ll find it in Matthew 21 v 28-31. A father goes to his two sons and asks the first son if he will help him. The first son says of course he will. But then actually does nothing. The father then goes to the second son and asks if he’ll help him. The second son says no! I’m not going to help you. However, the second son then thinks again and having said he wouldn’t help his father, he then changes his mind and goes to help him. There is lots of meaning in the parable, not least that it matters what we do more than what we say, but also I like it because it gives us room to manoeuvre and change our mind. Just like Lord Grantham. We can stop, take stock and think again. I’ve often been grateful for that when I have felt nudged by God to do something and have held back. I have often made the wrong decisions, but occasionally, just occasionally, I’ve stopped and done a rethink. God understands that our first response is not necessarily our final response. He understands you and I so very well. And gives us time to manoeuvre and adapt to his ways.
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