Did you know that Opie did not actually throw that stone into the lake at the beginning of the Andy Griffith Show? I know! Heresy!
At the time of the show’s beginning, Opie (Ron Howard) was only six years old. His little arm could not hurl it far enough. A prop man hid in the bushes and threw the rock that made the splash, timing it to look as if Opie actually threw it.
Hollywood can make anything look real.
What about our real lives? How often do our eyes deceive us? I would guess that our eyes deceive us in some way every single day.
Scripture is clear in reminding us to live by faith, not by sight.
Singer-songwriter, musician Neil Young said “Back then people closed their eyes and listened to music. Today there’s a lot of images that go with the music. A lot of music is crap and it’s all commercial and the images are all trying to sell the record.
I believe there is something to that. Perhaps we should occasionally close our eyes and listen to music, rather than watching a Youtube video. There is much more to see with our eyes closed than with them open.
And then this from Thomas Merton: “Be good, keep your feet dry, your eyes open, your heart at peace and your soul in the joy of Christ.”
Many things pull at us and vie for the attention of our eyes. But if we keep our hearts at peace and our souls in the joy of Christ, then our open eyes will not deceive us.
And now a little side note. So many shows drag on until they limp away, fatigued and lifeless. To prevent this from happening, the producers of The Andy Griffith Show made the wise decision to end it after the eighth season. Because of this, the show had the distinct honor of being one of only three shows that ended atop the Nielsen’s Ratings chart. I Love Lucy and Seinfeld are the only other two.
Good move, there, Andy Griffith Show. That integrity makes it a bit easier to accept that Opie did not throw that stone. Though, darn it, I will never enjoy that whistling quite the same again.