The World's Ruined: Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - Brother in Christ

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (November 30, 1918 – May 2, 2014)

After moving back to Santa Barbara in 2003, having been on the Canterbury trail for a while, my wife and I visited the Anglican Church of Our Savior at which time met for worship at the Emanuel Lutheran Church in the afternoon on Sundays. After the reading of the Ten Commandments with the congregational responses, a gentlemen in a black gown took to the pulpit and began reading the Epistle lesson. As I listened, somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking that this elderly man seemed familiar. That voice... But who was he?

I grew up in the 1950s and 60s. Like many others, two of the shows I watched every week on TV were 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. Well, after the service we had the pleasure of meeting Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. My wife and I became members at that church, remaining there for several years before continuing our journey towards a more Reformed Christianity that brought us to El Camino Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Efrem was a devout Christian, someone worthy of emulating. He was a humble man who treated others as more important than himself. What I heard about him from others gave witness to my own experience. What I mean is, that though I only knew Efrem in the context of our church worship and fellowship, he always showed a genuine interest and care and made you feel that you were one of his friends. Although when I first met him I thought of him in terms of the TV characters he played. Since then and especially today I think of him in his real life role - that of a brother in Christ.

Below is a video from 2010 at the Bishop Diego High School chapel. It is Efrem reading from John 1 during the Lessons and Carols service:

3 comments:

AnonymousMay 15, 2014 at 3:04 PM
Thank you for this. He appears to have been a class act. My late mother-in-law remembers waiting on his Dad, the famous violinist, at times in a shop in Philadelphia; he taught for a time at the Curtis Institute, along with his son. Nice to know he was one of those the Lord redeemed.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Jack MillerMay 15, 2014 at 9:10 PM
A. - so glad this brought back some good memories. A friend of mine of 40 years wrote this to me after reading this post from link on Facebook:

Jack is this your blog? Back in the '50's when I was 10ish he made a movie at Castle AFB. Don't remember what it was called> my dad was the crew chief of the plane they used and he flew on. My dad respected him so much even then. they spent lots of time together between.shots. I never met him. But my dad spoke of him often. I would love to think he was a Christian and maybe shared his faith with my dad. I purposely saw all his movies etc. Thanks for sharing this.

The movie was...

Bombers B-52 is a 1957 Warner Bros.CinemaScope film starring Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Marsha Hunt and Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and directed by Gordon Douglas, It was adapted from a Sam Rolfe story by screenwriter Irving Wallace.
ReplyDelete
Replies
ChuckJanuary 6, 2021 at 2:26 PM
Thank you, Jack, for this post about Mr. Zimbalist. I am reminded of the impact of a godly and humble, Christ-like life. I am very encouraged by this post.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

The Mere Mercy of God

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favour? Nay, we must ever recall to mind that he was plunged in the filth of idolatry; and God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satan's wiles, the way of salvation.

But this is done designedly, in order that the manifestation of the grace of God might become the more conspicuous in his person. For he is an example of the vocation of us all; for in him we perceive, that, by the mere mercy of God, those things that are not are raised from nothing, in order that they may begin to be something.

-John Calvin, Genesis, (Banner of Truth), p. 343

"Nor the faith also does not shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards GOD (for we are most bounden to serve GOD, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludes them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God..." (Thomas Cranmer - Homily of Justification)

Justification-Sanctification/Law-Gospel

In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. (John Calvin, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote)

The law guides, directs, commands, all things that are against the interest and rule of sin. It judgeth and condemneth both the things that promote it and the persons that do them; it frightens and terrifies the consciences of those who are under its dominion. But if you shall say unto it, “What then shall we do? this tyrant, this enemy, is too hard for us. What aid and assistance against it will you afford unto us? what power will you communicate unto its destruction?” Here the law is utterly silent, or says that nothing of this nature is committed unto it of God: nay, the strength it hath it gives unto sin for the condemnation of the sinner: “The strength of sin is the law.” But the gospel, or the grace of it, is the means and instrument of God for the communication of internal spiritual strength unto believers. By it do they receive supplies of the Spirit or aids of grace for the subduing of sin and the destruction of its dominion… (John Owen, A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace)