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The Open Letter to Movies You Never Knew You Needed

Photo courtesy of Peter Lewicki via Unsplash

The Open Letter to Movies You Never Knew You Needed

By Tess Farrand, Associate Content Editor

Dear Movies,

Thank you.

You probably don’t get thanked all too often, so please, let this letter encourage you.

The first movie I went to see in theaters was MULAN. Although I was too young to remember the experience in its entirety, I’ve cultivated a love for motion pictures over the course of my life.

As I grew older and could begin to comprehend the complexities of stories, cultures and other aspects of life and knowledge, movies meant even more to me.

I adore how the 1956 classic GIANT, makes me reminisce about my childhood in Texas. I smile every time I see THE WIZARD OF OZ and think of my 4th birthday party on my grandparents’ property in Alabama.

Recent movies, however, have captivated my heart with their strong demonstrations of faith, and spoken to my soul, enhancing my personal relationship with Christ.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE reminded me of some relational wounds in my life and helped me recall the hope I have in Jesus Christ.

AUGUST RUSH moved me to a posture of worship and reminded me that I need to fix my eyes of the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

You see, dear movies, you can mean so many things to so many different people. In my life, dear movies, you have been a predominant way in which I’ve wrestled with my faith and marveled at the blessing of being able to create, just as my heavenly Father did at the dawn of time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not

-John 1:1-5 (NASB)

The Bible points to God as the creator of all. We are able to create only because He did first. That includes lighting, dialogue, set design, and more!

Dear movies, you are a gift from God.

Still, you don’t always do it right, and this grieves my spirit.

There are plenty of movies out there that attack the virtues the Lord wants honored, glorify the corruption of our world and revel in debauchery…  you get my point, I hope.

The Bible warns us about the evils of this age, and how Satan roams over this earth to deceive and destory. If people don’t have the Lord, they will, of course, turn to entertainment that breaks God’s heart.

However, dear movies, that’s not necessarily your fault.

Rather, this is a clarion call for Christians to pray that filmmakers will come to know Jesus and change the industry by spreading His truth one movie at a time.

I am optimistic. In fact, I’ll continue to pray that movies will improve in quality and convict audiences of the radical saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Since Thanksgiving, a time of gratitude, is in the near future, I wanted to thank you for all you’ve meant to me.

Keep on being you.

 

Sincerely,

Tess Farrand