Three Movie Recommendations

We took a family vacation/retreat this week, and we watched three movies that were great examples of good entertainment with thought-provoking spiritual themes...

Remains of the Day has been one of my favorite movies for years, but I hadn't watched it for a long time, and loved re-experiencing it. Most of the kids fell asleep during it, so it's not for those easily bored by "no action," but it is for those who like great acting, beautiful locations, and a powerful lesson about "casting your bread upon the waters," as Ecclesiastes 11 says. Stevens the butler is a profound metaphor for the opportunities we all have missed in our lives because of fear, selfishness, pride, and even unbiblical traditions.

Jeremiah is a made-for-TV Bible epic that I had seen good reviews for on Amazon, and picked up for $9.99 at my local Genuardis. It was great! I identified with Jeremiah in some ways in his ministry, but also was made grateful that I don't have to suffer quite as much as he did! It has almost as bleak of an ending as Remains of the Day, but hope breaks through in the form of the gospel (missing from the secular movie, of course), when Jeremiah prophesies that God would make a new covenant with His people...in Jesus Christ!!

The Blind Side is one of the few bright spots in Hollywood's recent history...most really good movies are outside of Hollywood in some way, but this one not only was made by a major studio but garnered Oscar nods as well... and it's true! And it's about Christians!! And it's about Christians who actually live like Christians (at least in their ministry of mercy, which is a big part of being a Christian...see Matthew 25:31-46)!!! The movie is a great illustration of what I've said for years...if every Christian family would help just one needy individual or family, the world would be changed in a significant way.