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Did you ever find yourself in the middle of a compromising situation but you didn’t know how to extricate yourself? Fran and Barry are about to find themselves in such a predicament. A new couple, Max and Claire, from their singles’ group at church asked them to have dinner and go to a movie with them this Saturday evening, and wanting to build bridges of friendship, they agreed.
After a nice dinner, Max suggests a movie about an angel. Fran and Barry know nothing of it, but Claire assures them it’s okay because it’s rated PG-13. So, they get settled into the theater with their popcorn, looking forward to a lighthearted funny movie.
About ten minutes into the movie, Fran begins to feel nervous. This portrayal of an angel is about as far from a biblical angel as one can get. She can tell that Barry is not comfortable with it either.
After a few more minutes, Barry puts his arm around Fran and whispers in her ear, “We can’t sit through this movie, Fran. This is trash—a fornicating angel. No way; we have to leave.”
“I agree it’s a rotten movie,” she whispers back, “but wouldn’t it be rather embarrassing to Max and Claire for us to leave?”
“I’ll take care of that, Fran, don’t worry,” he says, and with that he whispers something to Max and then takes Fran’s hand as they head out of the theater.
As they get to the lobby, Fran is flushed. “What did you tell Max?” she asks.
“I just said we were uncomfortable with the movie, and we’d meet them right outside the lobby when it’s over. C’mon, let’s go get a cup of coffee.”
“But Barry, I’m not sure we did the right thing. These are new friends we’re trying to build a relationship with; what must they think of us?” Fran asks. “I really think we should have discussed it first.”
“Fran, how were we going to discuss it there in the movie theater?” Barry asks. “Would you want to be watching that movie if Jesus returned right now?”
“No,” Fran says, “but I just feel badly for Max and Claire.”
“Trust me, Fran,” Barry says, “we did the right thing.”
As they have a cup of coffee, the air between them becomes heavy. Fran feels Barry should have been more considerate of her feelings in this matter. Yet she can’t deny that his decision was right.
Sensing her uneasiness, Barry says, “Are you upset with me? I didn’t see any other options, Fran, and when you’re with me, I consider it my responsibility to keep our environment above reproach. I believe I’m accountable to God for where I escort you, Fran. That’s why I made that decision.”
She looks at him in amazement. “I’m seeing a side of you I’ve never seen before, Barry,” she says.
“I hope you like it okay,” Barry says with a smile, “because I like every side I’ve seen of you, Fran.”
How can she stay upset with a man like this? But what about Max and Claire?