Ricard Hollerman

We don’t know if you are aware of what they call the “Golden Age of Hollywood.”  Perhaps it was before your time (and mine) but it was there and some may be aware of it. Of course, we know that the age of the Silent Pictures or Silent Movies came, and then finally the age of the “talkies” was next. The time of the “black and white” movies and television came and finally the color TV and color movies.

Today I was reminded of this and looked further. What a story was told and I felt like weeping.

As I read and understand, one of the famous and leading “movie stars” at the beginning of this time was John Wayne. Perhaps you have heard of him yourself. He was a “He-man” and we might call him a “man’s man.” As I understand the situation, he was in the leading part of many movies, in the 1930s and 1940s and later. Married several times, he had many women at his disposal.

Wayne was a chain smoker and finally contracted lung cancer. After the removal of one of his lungs, he continued his wild life. After his removal of the lung, he finally had an incurable cancer from which he died. Before his death, he “converted” to Catholicism. Apparently, he was a member of this false religion at the time of his death. He left many millions of American dollars and was on his fourth wife. He was somewhat conservative, and was part of the Republican Party, as was several others during the same time span (such as Ronald Regan, and others).

We find this whole account sorrowful for surely Wayne didn’t know Jesus and His salvation at all. He must have been utterly materialistic, with millions in his bank account. He was immoral and had many wives. Although he was a “he” man and people did admire him, he is now gone and his life was a wreck. He had many friends, and a host of admirers, and numerous movies to his credit, and had his name on the sidewalk in Hollywood, but we know that this is not the real John Wayne.

Wayne may have been admired by millions and owned mansions, but ; we know also that he was without eternal hope. He may have had many motion pictures and many millions, and many women, still he was wrong and without Jesus. Although he was admired by millions and found his mansions a refuge, he could not ward off death. Although he had multiple marriages (hence, was an adulterer all of his life), this could not bring him lasting happiness and sweet consolation.

What ever happened to repentance? What Jesus said about repentance still applies, doesn’t it? When Jesus and the apostles said that one needed to repent in order to be forgiven, doesn’t this still apply? (See Acts 2:38; 3:19; 20:21, 5:31; and Luke 24:47.) Did is apply to John Wayne? Did he need to repent (have a change of heart) regarding his multiple marriages, his materialism, and so forth? Or didn’t this apply to Him?

Would you want to be John Wayne? Or would you want to find peace and joy in Jesus? We would chose the latter.