Q & A
with Anne Morse
Q: What inspired you to write It’s a Wonderful Life Advent Devotional?
A: While I was watching It’s a Wonderful Life on TV a few Christmases ago, it occurred to me that there were quite a few biblical themes running through the film. I grabbed a pen and notebook, and began scribbling them down. Many of these themes are variations on “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” and “Love your neighbor.” Others have to do with being willing to sacrifice for others. I ask readers to ponder some important questions, such as: “If you had a chance to see what the world would be like had you never been born, would you conclude you had lived a wonderful life?” I want to help readers understand what a well-lived life looks like, and urge readers to ask themselves: “What can I do to make my own town less like Pottersville and more like Bedford Falls?”
For instance, are we willing to put our neighbors’ welfare ahead of piling up a fortune? Are we prepared to look after family members who cause difficulties, as Uncle Billy does? How do we respond when envy creeps into our hearts, as happens with George Bailey when Sam Wainright shows up in his fancy car and fur-draped wife? And who do we turn to when seemingly unsurmountable problems threaten to overwhelm us? George Bailey was a smart man, but he was nuts to think Mr. Potter would loan him the $8,000 he needed to replace the Building and Loan money which Uncle Billy had lost.
Q: Do you have a favorite scene in “Wonderful Life?”
A: I love the end of the film, when George Bailey is running through Bedford Falls, yelling “Merry Christmas!” to everyone he meets. Everybody else seems to love this scene, too. When I attended the annual “It’s a Wonderful Life Festival” in Seneca Falls, New York a few years ago, I was amused to see people occasionally run down the snowy sidewalks, shouting Jimmy Stewart’s lines in that scene. “Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!” It’s hilarious.
Another favorite scene is the one that teaches us how we should treat the poor–including the many immigrants who have come to live in Bedford Falls. Director Frank Capra was himself an immigrant from Sicily whose family who endured great poverty. Henry Potter sneeringly dismisses the immigrant Martini family as “garlic eaters.” By contrast, George trusts his good friend enough to arrange for the Building and Loan to loan Mr. Martini money to purchase a house for his family, and even helps transport the Martini family, including their goat, to their new home. This is why Mr. Martini yells angrily at the man who slugs George for being rude to his school teacher wife earlier in the film. “You hit my best friend!” he shouts. When we treat others with respect and kindness, they never forget it.
Q: There are so many devotionals available out there. What makes this one different?
A: The fact that this devotional is based on a movie that millions of Americans, and people around the world, are familiar with—and love. Parents can watch the film on the first day of Advent with their kids, and then read a devotion each day until Christmas, learning how to apply various teachings to their own lives.