Movie selection #7

Guten Tag, family! Buongiorno, family in CHRIST! ‘May grace, compassion, and peace be given to you from GOD our FATHER and JESUS CHRIST our LORD!’ (1 Timothy 1:2) May the LORD be the judge between you and your enemies. May the angels freely deliver the answers to your prayers.

I don't exclusively watch Christian films. I exclusively watch films that edify me. The fact that a film is produced by Christians does not necessarily mean that it is edifying. The fact that a film does not refer to the Bible does not mean that it is not inspired by GOD. I like films and series whose theme, message, script and images teach me, encourage me, inspire me, challenge me and reflect my values. I have no shortage of books and DVDs at home. On a personal basis and through my association Partage Ton Rhema, I regularly give away Christian books and DVDs of Christian and inspirational films.

A Man called Jon

❖ "  And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.  Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren. " (1 Corinthians 16 :10-11, NKJV)

In the eyes of his congregation, Pastor Jon Terrell Carson is too demonstrative in his worship style. They do not appreciate his exuberance during services. Following a collective vote by the congregation, Senior Pastor Stannum decides to request Pastor Jon's transfer to a church more suited to his style of worship. Due to an administrative error, Jon and his family find themselves in an African-American church, where he is confronted by Associate Pastor Dickens. He does not agree with Pastor Jon's arrival and will do everything in his power to provoke his departure.

🙂 Oh, how I enjoyed this film! We need more like it. With humour and sincerity, the film presents the everyday realities of local churches. It is a wonderful encouragement to integration, to abandoning prejudice and, above all, a magnificent testimony to the fact that GOD looks at the heart before appearances.

Just Mercy

❖ " Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9, NKJV)

The film is secular and inspired by a true story.

After studying at the prestigious Harvard University, Bryan Stevenson is promised a brilliant and lucrative career as a lawyer. However, he decides to go to Alabama to defend people sentenced to death. He is helped by Eva Ansley, a local white activist. One of his first cases was the case of Walter McMillian (nicknamed “Johnny D.”), a black man who was wrongfully convicted, without a preliminary investigation, and sentenced to death in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old white girl. He reopened the case and secured Walter's release. The film presents the tragedies of racism without inciting hatred. But above all, it shows the commitment, humility, frustration and determination of a man who saves lives and inspires generations.

Bryan A. Stevenson (born in 1959 in the United States) is an American lawyer and the founder and president of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a private American non-profit organisation based in Montgomery, Alabama. He also teaches law at various prestigious universities. Bryan A. Stevenson has successfully argued a number of cases before the US Supreme Court and has received numerous honours for his work on prison reform. As founder and director of the EJI, Stevenson has focused on ending mass incarceration and excessive sentencing in the United States. He provides free legal assistance to death row inmates, those who have been wrongfully or unjustly convicted, children sentenced to die in adult prisons, people with disabilities, and other marginalised and disenfranchised individuals.

Until The Last Promise

❖ " But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8, NKJV)

The film is inspired by a true story and the best-selling book of the same name published in 2019. It tells the story of Pamela Kennedy, wife of doctor and pastor Richard Kennedy. In the middle of his career, Pastor Richard is diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Pamela chooses to manage the family and care for her husband until he returns to the LORD. This film reminds us that even in difficult times, we can see GOD's faithfulness. It is a wonderful lesson in resilience, in the importance of choosing your spouse wisely and building your family on the right foundations: those of GOD.

🙂 I hope you enjoyed this selection. See you next time! Until then, I encourage you to remain faithful to CHRIST, to your calling, and to your family!

** Guten Tag = Good morning in german

** Buongiorno = Good morning in italian