So, this recommendation is a little different from the previous two. It's not some website or newsletter. It's actually a movie. The movie is called To Save a Life.
A little history on how I came across it (for those who care). This movie had been recommended to me forever ago - in fact, I go to a youth/young adult group with one of the kids in the movie. I just never got around to actually watching it. But I really recommend it. It's not just a good movie; I'd argue that it's also a valuable resource. I know that for me, Christianity plays out very nicely in my head. By that I mean I'm really good dealing in the hypothetical. I will debate you for hours on any theological or moral issue - even if I myself don't know much about it to begin with. I also like to think I know how to live out Christianity (e.g. "if you came across <insert difficult situation here>, how would you respond?"). But when it comes to actually living it out (not just talking about living it out), I'm rather bad at it. I'll admit it.
For me, it's easy to get caught up in my life. My walk with God. My problems. My goals. My concerns. But at the end of the day, that's not really getting me anywhere. Jesus himself says that the second greatest commandment is to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (second only to "love thy God"). I need constant reminders of that. It's easy to forget that every person has a story and that my interaction with him/her is only catching a glimpse of that. And when I forget that, it's easy to get impatient or judgmental.
This movie is one of those wake-up calls I think we all need periodically - because I'd assert it's just human nature to get caught up in ourselves by default. Every once in a while, we each need a little reminder that there are people out there who are hurting and if we just make some simple efforts to be friendly, we can make a huge difference. And by "friendly", I don't mean preach to them. I don't mean try to fix their problems or pretend we have all the answers. But to listen. To sympathize with - empathize if we can. And to just be there for that person.
The movie raises some good question - I'd recommend this for maybe a youth group or Bible study night. What is the purpose of church (as in the building/gathering) - to form perfect people for the world to want to be like or to be a refuge for the hurting where it's okay to just be broken? What does it mean to be "religious"? Is it the same as being "Christian"? What more can each person do to show people they are not alone and not judged? Have we as the Church (big C this time) failed at that? Why do you go to church? And many more questions arise from this movie.
This movie is real, not as in a true story, but as in it doesn't try to put forward this fake, idealized idea of church or of life. It recognizes the shortcomings of society (and the Church) and doesn't attempt to make it more "Christian-afied," which makes it powerful. So I recommend this movie for everyone - especially those of middle school, high school, or college age for whom this is super relevant. This is probably the only time I'll recommend a movie in this blog, but this really has the possibility of impacting your life, if you choose to let it.
For more information go to: http://tosavealifemovie.com/
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