An Untouchable Nature

‘The Untouchables‘ is a four time nominated Academy Award film from 1987 based upon the autobiography memoirs of Eliot Ness, published in 1957 about the capture of crime boss Al Capone.

In the film, government agent Eliot Ness (actor Kevin Costner) alongside a hand selected team including officer Jimmy Malone (actor Sean Connery), later to be called ‘The Untouchables‘, set out to stop gangster leader Al Capone (actor Robert De Niro) because of his seven year reign of corruption during the prohibition.

In the film Al Capone is seen as invincible. Through the power of persuasion and influence, any crime that could be connected to him quickly dissolved. He had informants and inside men in different fields of work that allowed him to become like the federal agent group after him, untouchable. 

Robert De Niro as Al Capone

Even though the film title refers to the group of law enforcement agents, the thing that strikes me is the untouchability of Al Capone. Untouchable means that the nature of something cannot be touched, it cannot be moved. Al Capone had this nature.

Do you know that men (universally speaking) can have untouchable natures? The very essence of who they are cannot be touched. For a person to be untouchable it means that an area of their life, mind, emotions, will and hearts cannot be penetrated.

Exodus 32:9 I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people.” (NIV)

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! (NIV)

The Bible, in the Old Testament (days before Christ, Jewish history) God and those he spoke through always talked about proud people and the turning away of God. It was also spoken of in the New Testament (days of and after Christ, birth of the church, etc). To be stiff-necked is to be proud.

Are you untouchable like this? Is there a part of you that cannot be moved?

• Can people speak to you about issues in your life without you taking offence?
• Are you a know-it-all or can you listen to what others say without shutting them or yourself down?
• Are you in a delusion of humility but really oozing of pride?
• Are you open to be wrong about something or someone?

We can ask ourselves many rhetorically questions to find out whether or not we have an untouchable nature within ourselves and lives. Natures can be formed and re-formed.

In my last blog post I wrote about your character speaking for you. What you choose to do in action will speak before you in words. The nature of a person is very important, your lifestyle and character show people who you are.

Al Capone’s lifestyle was an example of this, he allowed crime, violence and corruption to form his untouchable nature.

Not all is lost in this nature as it can take on two forms, good or bad, proud or humble. Humility is having the quality or condition of a modest opinion or a knowing of one’s own importance, rank, etc. Even Jesus knew he was more than that which he chose to take on (Philippians 2). Al Calpone represents the negative but Paul from the Bible is an example of an untouchable nature in the positive.

Saul of Tarsus (his name before his encounter with God) persecuted followers of Christ until  his encounter with God on the Damascus road, which completely changed Paul’s nature (his name after his encounter of the risen Christ).

In the Bible, Paul in the New Testament records;

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39– NLT).

After Paul was changed from his encounter, he became untouchable in the things of God, speaking up for what he believed in and sharing it with people, even when it put him in prison. He still had his issues, like we all do, but he chose to become moved by God only.

We have the choice of which side of untouchability we become.   We become incorruptible and unmoved in good or we become corruptible and unmoved in wrong.

Never under-estimate the power of an untouchable nature. Look within yourself to see what type of untouchable you are.

A-Lone

Image courtesy of Lauraocta

“I ain’t got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time. . . ‘Course Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him” (45).

George from ‘Of Mice & Men’

Author John Steinbeck wrote a book titled ‘Of Mice & Men’. The book tells the story of George Milton & Lennie Small; two migrant ranch workers  in search of jobs during the time of the Great Depression in the USA. Lennie is mentally disabled and George is his guardian and best friend. The novel walks us though their remarkable journey, tested friendship and the lives of the men they encountered. A theme that is high lighted throughout the whole novel is LONELINESS.

Crooks from Of Mice & Men

“S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” (80)- Crooks

Loneliness is amongst one of the worst experiences and emotions a human can feel, go through or deal with. The word lonely by dictionary definition includes some very interesting meanings; some including destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, solitary and the being controlled in various ways causing a depressing feeling of being alone. Alone is defined as being separate or isolated from others, a part from them.The notion of FEELING (emotion) takes over. At some point in life people are lonely; it’s human nature but the problem comes when a person stays or chooses to be alone.

We can’t choose the hand that life deals us. Sometimes loneliness is only for a season but sometimes people have it for a lifetime depending on situations and circumstances. Loneliness can be in a variety of different ways; physically, mentally and even spiritually. What I love about John Steinbeck was his great insight into loneliness, highlighting the fact that you can be lonely even if you are are with someone. Loneliness is not always good, having absolutely no one is not good but then you can have someone and still be lonely; George in the example from Of Mice & Men.

But what does our mind say? Can our mind lock us in our own cage or does it give us freedom whether lonely or not, to keep living life?

I love this scripture;

⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5 King James Version).

Everything that is not good for me and rises above what God says has to be brought down and into allignment with God and His Word. But what about those who don’t believe in God? What about those who don’t follow religion? What are they to do or do my beliefs now become a set of super-imposed morals upon those who don’t believe?

Casting down or telling something to bow down is not an easy thing to do in a society where freedom is much promoted. Freedom to speak (even if what is spoken doesn’t help at all), agree with things that really hold no ground, etc. How do we tell our minds what is real rather than accept an overpowering emotion?

Our mind is a core and essential part of our living. Everything we think affects us, affects who we are and what we can become. If I tell you you’re a master chef enough times, if you believe and receive what I say you will look to becoming it. If I tell you you’re dumb all the time, you’ll start acting and becoming what I call you if you have believed and received what I said about you. So can the same apply for when I am lonely? Yes I may be physically lonely but is there no opportunity at all?

Challenge your mental thoughts on loneliness. Yes you may be lonely but you are NEVER alone, there’s always an opportunity for something better regardless of who you are.