On Having an Influence

We were saved to make a difference:

A week ago I posted an article about how we can all have an impact for the Kingdom. I said we never know when something we said or did, even many years ago, might have an impact on others. We will not fully know until we get to heaven just how much good we did and how many people we helped along the way. As I said in the piece:

Before I left my lunchtime get-together with my former student, he told me that I had a real impact on him all those years ago when I was teaching him things like apologetics, ethics and the like. I told him that I appreciated hearing those kind words, and that they help to offset all the regular criticism I get! To get a good report like that, to get a bit of praise like that, helps me to understand that I too am hopefully fulfilling the purposes of God for me. I, like many believers, can often get despondent and wonder if I am doing much good for the cause of Christ and the Kingdom. So encouragement such as this is always helpful and valued. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/12/11/have-you-served-the-purposes-of-god-in-your-generation/

I recently posted that paragraph on the social media, and one person replied by reminding me of an old Twilight Zone episode (many thanks Dean). It originally aired on June 1, 1962, and was titled “The Changing of the Guard.” It was written by the show’s host, Rod Serling. It is about an old teacher who sought to enlighten his young male students about the values and truths that make people great. He had been doing this for a half century.

But one day he discovered that the school was going to lay him off. That drove him to deep despair, and he began to wonder if any of his years of teaching did the slightest bit of good. He was so despondent that he was about to commit suicide one night, but the ringing of a school bell moved him to return to his empty classroom. Then his former students suddenly appeared, and told him of the impact he had on their lives. As a Wiki entry states:

The boys tell him of how he inspired them to become better men, and the difference he made in their lives. One posthumously received the Medal of Honor for actions at Iwo Jima; another died of leukemia after exposure to X-Rays during research into cancer treatments; another died at Pearl Harbor after saving 12 other men. All were inspired by Fowler’s teachings.

That of course radically changed his life, and made him realise that all his work was not in vain. He HAD made a difference. He HAD impacted his young students in ways he could not imagine. One write-up about this episode of the Twilight Zone appears on the site, Silver Screen Hub. What it says about the episode is worth sharing here in full:

The saddest episode of The Twilight Zone I’ve ever watched is undoubtedly “The Changing of the Guard.” It’s not just sad—it’s hauntingly beautiful, a testament to the enduring power of influence and the fragility of human purpose.

 

The story opens with the unassuming figure of Professor Fowler, portrayed by the masterful Donald Pleasence. His face is etched with years of gentle wisdom, and his demeanor is one of quiet dignity. Fowler has spent a lifetime teaching poetry and literature at a boys’ prep school. The scene is immediately set with the weight of his years: his tattered lesson books, his worn-down spectacles, the rhythm of his measured voice carrying verses of Tennyson and Keats into a classroom of young men.

 

The moment of heartbreak comes swiftly. Fowler, anticipating another year of guiding young minds, is called into the headmaster’s office. There, he learns that the school has decided to retire him. No warnings, no discussion—just a perfunctory announcement that his time has passed. Fowler’s protests are muted, his voice breaking as he attempts to argue his worth. The headmaster, though kind, is firm: the decision is final. For Fowler, this is more than the loss of a job; it’s the erasure of his identity, his life’s meaning slipping away like sand through his fingers.

 

As the snow begins to fall outside, Fowler returns to his modest home, drowning in despair. He sees himself as obsolete, a relic in a world that has moved on. His teaching, he believes, has been futile. The boys he taught, the words he imparted, all seem to have vanished into the ether. Alone with his thoughts, Fowler’s despair grows darker. He retrieves a pistol, contemplating the finality of his failure.

 

It’s then that the bells of the school chime, impossibly loud in the still night. Drawn by the sound, Fowler returns to his classroom. What follows is one of the most moving sequences in television history. The classroom, dark and empty moments before, is now illuminated with an eerie glow. In front of him stand the ghostly figures of his former students—not as boys, but as the men they became. They are soldiers, doctors, writers, and humanitarians. One by one, they speak, their voices carrying the weight of eternity.

 

Each of these spectral figures recounts how Fowler’s teaching shaped their lives, how his words gave them courage in moments of doubt and inspired them to rise above their challenges. One recalls how Fowler’s lessons on poetry gave him the strength to face death on the battlefield. Another speaks of how his words lit a path during a time of despair. The teacher, who moments ago saw his life as meaningless, is overcome with emotion. Tears stream down his face as he listens to his students—not students, but legacies of his life’s work—affirm his profound impact on the world.

 

By the end of the episode, Fowler’s despair has transformed into a quiet, humbled joy. He realizes that his life, though modest, has been anything but meaningless. As the ghostly figures fade away, Fowler stands in his classroom, the same room where he has spent decades, but now with a renewed sense of purpose. He leaves, walking into the snowy night with a newfound acceptance of his place in the world.

 

“The Changing of the Guard” is not just a story about a man confronting his mortality; it’s a story about legacy, the unseen ripples of influence, and the profound impact one person can have without ever knowing it. It’s a tale that lingers, leaving you with a bittersweet ache—a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there may be truths about our worth that we cannot yet see. The sadness of the episode lies not in its ending, but in the poignant realization that Fowler needed ghosts to understand what was always true: that he mattered deeply, and always had.

As I had said in my article, I often wonder if I am doing any good in this world. Am I making a difference? Am I really having an impact? I have taught many hundreds of students over the years, and I suspect some 95 per cent have forgotten all about me.

But maybe a handful still recall what I did and what I taught, and they still might be influenced by that. I will never really know until I get to the next world. In heaven I will certainly go up to others who impacted my life and thank them profusely. And perhaps a few folks will come up to me and do the same.

Since we are dealing with fictional stories here, another one that comes to mind is the old 1946 classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. The movie, like the Twilight Zone episode, is set during Christmas time. As I wrote in an article last year about this amazing and uplifting film:

Two lines spoken by Clarence to George are especially memorable and important, and are always worth keeping in mind:

 

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he.”

 

“You see George, you really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?” https://billmuehlenberg.com/2023/12/28/what-a-large-hole-there-would-be/

We are all here for a reason. We are here for a purpose. When God saves you, he has a mission for you. You may often wonder if you are doing much good for anyone, but God knows what you are accomplishing. So keep at it and do not despair.

As in the two fictional accounts mentioned here, we may not hear in this lifetime just how much good we might be doing. Most of us will have to wait until the next life when we will fully learn about the impact we have had. So hang in there and persevere.

Ignore the critics and say no to Satan’s discouraging lies. Keep on keeping on. One day we will see that our labour in the Lord has not been in vain.

And have a look at the story I have been talking about here. The full 25-minute video of “The Changing of the Guard” is found here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7yviat  

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