There is a powerful and lasting American myth of the rugged individual. Few people in mind personified this ideal than the actor Charlton Heston, who I was privileged to know. Some years ago, Mr. Heston embarked on a project to present selected parts of the Bible from the perspective of an actor. He was also a great lover of scripture, and he read beautifully in part due to his rich sonorous voice, but also by conviction and a fair degree of insight. He was a believer.
His thesis was that as the scriptures began in oral tradition, they found their real fullness when read aloud. But Heston was an educated man who knew that there was much to be learned about the scriptures before one could make the most of their meaning. So he set out to find three ‘Wise Men’ as he called them, scholars who would guide and teach him. He knew that the Bible is the Holy Book of three great religions, read and studied in at the deepest level for thousands of years. As Einstein said, “We stand on the shoulders of giants.”
So he called me.
Startling.
“I would like a Anglican scholar to be on my team of advisors.”, he said.
I try not to be delusional. I allowed that I was honored by the request, but I was very busy. He needed someone who was more suitable to the task. I made a suggestion: Dr. Howard Happ.
The result was that Mr Heston made his films, and they were wonderful.
And Howard Happ got screen credit.
And I did not.
Still, I am gratified by my little part in it. And it still reminds me that none of us is self-sufficient, nor self-made. We are all connected and we need one another.
