We were drawn to the film mostly because I am in the middle of a teaching series right now on Sundays at New Vision Church in which I am addressing the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" In this documentary film, a project that Cameron has called his most personal project yet, we see Kirk, his family, and everyone in the audience struggling with this same question. He refers to it as a "faith-wrecking" issue, and he is right!
In this film, Cameron, with Bible in hand, shares the story of creation, the fall, and the rest of the story of the Bible. With God as the main character, the hero, he creatively portrays Adam, Eve, the serpent, Cain and Able. In many of these scenes, the cinematography is beautiful and artistic. I am not sure the middle-aged viewers "got" it, but there was a lot of rich imagery.
While telling the biblical story, Cameron also told the story of a teenage boy from Bison, South Dakota, who came to Cameron's camps for kids, and then died of cancer. The movie includes powerful scenes from the boy's funeral as the entire town celebrated his life. I found myself wondering if I am really connecting with this topic as I teach it. Would I teach differently in the wake of personal tragedy?
The difficulty in addressing this issue of why evil and suffering exist is the task of offering some answer to this complex question in a short amount of time. As a communicator, you have the pick the angle from which you present the problem and the solution. In this regard, I think the film struggled to communicate its purpose. As I reflect, Cameron was not at all attempting to explain why bad things happen. He was asking one very clear question- but I missed it until I read the byline a few minutes ago on the website. The question he is really addressing is, "Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?" This question was very clear as Cameron introduced the film live and on location at Liberty University. But the focus on that one question was lost in the film (or I just wasn't paying attention). Had I heard that one question, I would have more easily engaged the film. In response to the question, "where is God..." Cameron clearly communicated God's purposeful and active work of redeeming humans through Jesus.
Due to the strong public support on this one-night showing, theaters will be offering a second showing on Thursday, October 3rd. Should you go? Yes. Be ready for a one-hour documentary narrated by Cameron. Don't go if you are expecting a Christian movie akin to Courageous or Fireproof. If you are ready to interact with the story of the Bible, then put on your thinking cap and see the movie. If you are expecting to find all of the answers to this problem, you will be disappointed. If you are seeking God in the midst of tragedy, go to the movie and then pray and talk to a Christian mentor or pastor. And remember, the real question addressed is, "where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?"
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