Dunkirk

It’s a Wonderful Life

I was asked to contribute a short piece for the April edition of the Church of Scotland’s magazine, Life and Work, as part of the publication’s “The Big Question”

This being the Easter edition, the “question” was “What is the best depiction of the Easter story that you have seen?”

This is what I wrote:

I’m going to be a little controversial here, and plump for a film that we would not normally consider to be an obvious Easter depiction.

Almost every Christmas, many of us, gathered round the TV set, tune in to a beloved old family film: “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

It’s an all time favourite , essential viewing at that Holy Season.

Yet, it’s one of the darkest movies ever (it was a failure when first released in the cinema).

We all know the story; how Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailley, thinking that his life has amounted to nothing and that he is a complete failure, is on the verge of suicide, but is ‘saved’ by the ‘angel’ Clarence.

He is shown – in flashback – what life in his small town would have been like had he not intervened, even in a small way.

It’s a picture of awfulness and hopelessness and more.

As a result, horrified and contrite at what his society (the world in microcosm) could have become without his positive interactions, he is saved…….. if you like, resurrected to a new and positive outlook and mission.

This is not just a film for Christmas nor Easter, but for all times and seasons – when we realise that our post-resurrection acts and deeds can indeed make for a better world.

Because of Christ, we live.  May we make our life more than just existence- and give life to those around us.

This is, because of the Risen Christ, a “Wonderful Life”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like a real stinker!

 

 

Rachel Whitaker, a Christian girl, heads off to college for her much-anticipated freshman year. New friends create situations that require important, quick decisions—some about her social life, some about her core beliefs! Rachel begins to embrace the ideas of the university’s immensely popular biology professor (Harry Anderson) who boldly teaches that Darwinian evolution is the only logical explanation for the origin of life, and the Bible therefore cannot be true. When Rachel’s father (Jay Pickett) senses something changing in his daughter while she is home on a weekend visit; he begins to look into the situation and what he discovers catches him completely off guard. Now very concerned about Rachel drifting away from her Christian faith and the clear teachings of the Bible, he accepts an impossible challenge and tries to do something about it!

 

The Flood – part 2

A screening of the film Noah was cancelled last week due to flooding in a cinema

In a case of ‘epic’ irony, cinemagoers were turned away from the first viewing of the biblical movie last Friday due to excess water found in Exeter Vue.

One tweeted: “#Irony. The day Noah was released Exeter Vue was flooded overnight.”

Staff discovered the low level flooding when they arrived for work just after 7am, the Exeter Express and Echo reports.

The venue closed to the public until 2pm, forcing the first showing of Noah at 12.15pm to be cancelled.

A spokesperson for Vue said: “We can confirm that there was flooding at Vue Exeter on Friday 4 April due to a fault with an ice machine.”

Noah, created by Oscar-winning director Darren Aronofsky, is set to become one of this season’s biggest blockbusters.

 

What Would Jesus Do – Film

“Taken”

“The Free Church of Scotland? I don’t know who you are, but I will find you and join you”