Clint
Eastwood just turned 86. I still see him young and handsome as Harry Callahan in 1971, with that
sharky smile as he looked over the barrel of his .45 – “You’ve got to ask
yourself one question: do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”
Eastwood
is more than the iconic Dirty Harry, of course. He is a producer, Oscar winning
director, musician, and businessman. At 86 he is weathered and lined, but certainly
not at all a frail old man. He could still whisper ominously, "Go ahead,
make my day!” and be believable. Especially accompanied by his old friends,
Smith and Wesson.
So
how does he continue to engage life at such a high level? When asked that
question, Eastwood tells a story about a friend of his who was, at the time, 95 years of age and going strong. Clint asked him his secret, and his friend said,“I never let the old man in.”
For
Clint that means banishing the idea that “your life is finished, you’re too
old, all you’ve got is nostalgia.” So he keeps producing and directing movies, and writing music. Living life.
That’s
pretty good advice for everyone as we’re all getting older. Stay engaged
physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually. Don’t let the old man in.
So
I told that story to my wife, and she said there’s a spiritual
lesson here, too. (A lesson that Clint probably
doesn’t intend to teach, seeing as how he is not known for Christian values or
a commitment to biblical morality.)
Never let the old man in. The “old man”
is a term used in the King James Version for our old, sinful nature that,
before we were saved, totally dominated our lives and compelled us to pride,
rebellion against God, and sinful behaviors of all kinds.
The
Bible teaches that our old nature was dethroned in our identification with
Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. For example:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…(Ephesians 4:22)
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds...(Colossians 3:9)
One
day the old man won’t be a problem. We’ll be with Christ, transformed into His
image. But for right now the lesson is, Don’t let the old man in. I
guess that means learning to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the
flesh (Romans 13:14).
It’s being ready to tell the old man, as Clint did famously in Gran Torino, Get off my lawn.
