The Blind side is a true story based on an All American Football Player, Michael Oher. Michael Oher, also known as "Big Mike" was a homeless teenager. He stayed with a janitor who worked in an upper-class prep school. One day he brought his son and Big Mike to the school and was able to convince the school's coach to accept both his son and Mike into the school. But later, Michael was no longer able to stay with the janitor because of the janitor’s wife and is stranded in a mostly white school without anywhere to go and found by Leigh and her husband Sean. The family decides to bring him to the house and let him stay with them and is later on considered as one of the family and becomes one of the family. They not only provide him with a loving home but also the extra help in making him what he is today.
In the story we could see a glimpse of how the coach acts as a two faced individual who acts as if he was selfless but actually was selfish. In the first part of the movie he was the one to convince all the other faculty and board members to bring Mike into the school but as we keep watching the movie we later on see the real purpose of the coach. He saw Mike’s potential of being a good football player because of how big Mike was. His plan was to use Mike as a football player on his team by using Mikes anger towards the world, which Mike didn’t have. Through this we see how the coach tries to control Mike because he feels as if he was Mike’s maker since he was the one to have given him a new life by giving him a chance to be in the school. But instead of the coaches way to approach Mike the strategy that works is through the love of the new family Mike had.
Leigh the mother knew exactly what to do and with the support of his new brother and family Michael was able to be the best player the school has ever had.
This story also shows us an example of what in the book of Colossians explains a church to be: A community of loving people who are able to fill other people with the love of Christ. Leigh was a perfect example of what each one of us as people from the kingdom of God have to be like. But are we able to show Gods love like she did? And if not in her way, in what other ways are we able to show Gods love? What is your understanding of true Kingdom love?
Good analysis, Sharon. I haven't seen The Blind Side yet (it's on our list), though I've heard several friends raise questions about how it's another example of a white person serving as the "savior" of a person of color. White people love to see these kinds of stories about themselves, but how do people of color feel?
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