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Monday, March 15, 2010

"Chocolate" 2000



"I'm not sure what the theme of my homily today ought to be. Do I want to speak of the miracle of Our Lord's divine transformation? Not really, no. I don't want to talk about His divinity. I'd rather talk about His humanity. I mean, you know, how He lived His life, here on Earth. His *kindness*, His *tolerance*... Listen, here's what I think. I think that we can't go around... measuring our goodness by what we don't do. By what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think... we've got to measure goodness by what we *embrace*, what we create... and who we include."

Sermon of Pere Henri, village priest

Community and strong connection is the two edge sword. Most of us crave it. It gives peace of mind when our own good and aspirations are supported. But it also can also crush a spirit; the cost of acceptance and belonging.

Vianne, Juliette Binoche, is a wanderer. She seems torn between her need for personal freedom and the need for connection. A human condition.

In a small French village she has a glimmer of hope for some measure of balance between freedom and connection; a hope for kindness and tolerance.
I always enjoy watching Chocolat. Simple truths and pleasures are seldom simple.