"The Forsyte Saga" (2002-03): Some Churches Are Full of Soames

I don't like Soames Forsyte in the BBC movies (2002, 2003). I never have. When I was discussing the films with a relative one day, she said she admired Soames. She thought he did nothing wrong to deserve his wife Irene's desertion and was annoyed that Soames was portrayed as a bad person -- unlike Irene, her lover Philip Bosinney, and her second husband Jolyon Forsyte.

Here's the problem: Soames is cold and heartless. He is possessive with Irene; his love is obsessive, not kind. Soames does not know how to love her or anyone else. And that possessive, obsessive, twisted love results in rape.

Except for marital rape, Soames is moral -- one of the few in this saga. Unlike Philip with his fiancee June Forsyte, he never cheats on Irene. He never commits adultery. Soames doesn't love and later marry someone else until after Irene has divorced him. Yet he does not have love -- true Christian agape love. And too many Christians today are like him. They obey the rules, the moral code laid down for them -- as they should, but they do not love. They're Pharisees, hypocrites. They get the outer package right (legalism) and neglect the heart, when only a heart changed by God lovingly obeys Him and as a result radiates true agape love toward others.

"If you don't have love, you're nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2-3). Guess what? Soames and all those Christians today who are like him are nothing. No wonder Irene ran away! She wanted someone to see her as she really was and love her with his whole being. This is what Irene found in the arms of Philip and later Jolyon. She would never have found it in Soames.

Sometimes sinners don't like Christians because they see Jesus in them, a Jesus who is offensive for whatever reason. Sinners see him and Christians with spiritually blinded eyes. We cannot help such people except pray that their eyes be opened.

Other times, however, sinners don't like Christians because they don't see Jesus in them. They see someone spiritually cold, loveless, and heartless instead. So no wonder these sinners run away. We can help these people, but only by allowing God to change us. We must love as Jesus loves -- heart, mind, and soul; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Christian, do you radiate agape love? Or are you like Soames?