It's all about Downton Abbey

Life and death.... what has the New Testament letter of 1 John 1 got to do with Downton Abbey?

Downton Abbey is a fictional series shown on British television last autumn. The writer, Julian Fellows is the same man who wrote the screenplay to Gosford Park, The Young Victoria, and Vanity Fair, and his resume includes numerous other accomplishments of acting roles and novels. So writing a story about a fictional estate in North Yorkshire in England, UK, is not unfamiliar territory for this talented gentlemen.

At the time the Downton series was first televised in the UK, I was in the USA. I had heard nothing about it until I arrived back in Edinburgh in December and realized that it had been compulsory viewing for many on Sunday nights in 2011. However, a special screening of "Downton" was to be shown on Christmas Day; the Downton Christmas special. After a day of feasting and relaxation, I decided that in order get a glimpse of what the fuss was all about, I watched the special while sprawled out on the sofa, half comatozed with food and a little alcohol.

What I didn't appreciate, as about the stories of the Earl of Grantham,  the head of the aristocratic Crawley family, his staff, the Downton house and grounds and the wider community passed by me on the small screen, was that my interest would be heightened enough to wish to get the back story by watching the first 2 series now available on DVD. These were easily found as the series was available in this format and had found it's way into many Christmas stockings and under many trees belonging to several of my Edinburgh friends. 

So over the course of the past 4 weeks I have been enjoying Downton, beautifully without adverts,  alongside a young friend. This combines two of my favorite things to do: spending time with friends and watching good TV - the latter being something very hard to come by. We, my friend and I, have finished the first series and are one episode into the second. There are many stories contained with the series; not only with the Crawley family but with their staff and the community,  not to mention the relationship struggles and joys across the class divide.  The series begins in 1912 and runs through until 1919, encompassing scenes from British upper class life pre-WW1, the day to day running of a big house, and the events surrounding that time.

However, what I had not appreciated was that I would watch the series knowing how some of the stories would finish. Remember, I had watched the Christmas special so I know how some of these stories wind up!!! However, my young friend knows nothing of what will happen. So when Bates doesn't give an explanation for his unusual behavior, or Lady Mary has an argument with someone she loves, or ANYTHING happens that causes my companion to get worried and anxious about the future of any of the characters, I want to say to her, "Don't WORRY! It's going to be Ok.... " I can say this because I know the end of the story.... or the ends that I have seen in the Christmas special and she hasn't.

So as I was contemplating this I thought about how we live our real lives, right here and right now. We have many times and seasons of turmoil and fear, joy and wonder, crashing and burning, delight and expectation, not to mention the HOPE that we have though Jesus Christ. However, we (and definitely me) often live without reminding each other that we know the end....for we have seen the Christmas special :) We know that Jesus Christ defeated death and sin on the cross, that he was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us, loves us, calls us children of the Most High God, we are brothers and sisters of Jesus. We know the end of the story and what a fabulous story it is. However, we are presently in the middle of the story and sometimes life here on earth is hard, and painful and we struggle with ourselves and with our fellow human beings. We forget that we know the end because living in the middle is so hard.

Perhaps we need to remind each other that we know the end, and the end is great and good and we serve a good God who loves us and gave us life and continues to work and move on our behalf even when we can't see what's next. This is something I need to remind myself as I look towards a future that is not certain....but I can choose to think and live differently.... because I have seen the Christmas special...