Leaving A Legacy

Film poster for Mr. Holland’s Opus – Copyright 1995,Hollywood Pictures (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We started a new message series at church, one which also included movie clips from one of my favorites to make the point.  If you have not seen “Mr. Holland’s Opus” I would highly recommend it.  The storyline is one of a life taking direction one didn’t plan, and realizing at the end that the impact on others was indeed profound, whether intended or not.  Mr. Holland is a composer turned music teacher because he wants a job that will give him time to write his symphony (teachers are laughing right now).  What he ends up with is 30 years of impacting students’ lives in and out of the classroom.

The main point of the message on Sunday was to consider the legacy we leave to the next generations.  Whether we intend or not, we do leave something for others to follow.  In that case, perhaps we should consider a little more carefully the values we pass on, the things that are really important to us by how we live and not just what we say.  Although the intended audience was parents, and fathers in particular, each one of us should consider how we impact the generations to come.

The ending to “Mr. Holland’s Opus” is classic, and you can watch it HERE.  One of my all-time favorite scenes starts at about minute 3:32. 🙂

What is the legacy you’re leaving?