I enjoyed a day off from athletics at MMC Thursday by taking a drive up to Franklin, Tenn. to the Cool Springs shopping area. The main reason I wanted to go that way was to go by the movie theatre and check out the movie "The Second Chance." I first heard about the film on Donald Miller's website a couple of weeks ago when it came out. It opened in 87 theatres across the nation, after a poor showing at the box office it is down to 31 theatres as of March 2 according to the-numbers.com. You can track how it does at the box office, by clicking here.
Summary: The movie is filmed in Nashville and the surrounding metro area. The plot: a successful "mega church" has an urban mission in downtown around 2nd Ave. The "mega church" that was used to film the movie was Brentwood Baptist, while the urban ministry church was a small Church of Christ church located in the hood. (I actually think I drove right by this church last Saturday.) The associate pastor at The Rock (mega church) is played by Michael W. Smith and is the son of the senior pastor, who is nearing retirement and wanting to put his son as his replacement. Smith's character is a musician with gold and platinum albums, a successful book with his face on the cover...and a personality for the strictly scheduled, television aired Sunday worship services at The Rock (ironic in name for the end of the movie).
Ethan (played by Smith) goes to work at his father's direction at the Second Chance Community Church, a sister church to the Rock. He is there to "observe and learn" from Jake (played by jeff obafemi carr). Jake is a local black pastor in his 30s (most likely), who grew up in the same "worst part of town" of Nashville that he now serves as minister. He is loved and respected by his community...not just a showy pastor for TV, as most likely many observe Ethan to be. The two know each other, because Ethan's father Jeremiah used to be pastor of Second Chance before going to The Rock and Jeremiah is the one who encouraged Jake to join the ministry and hired him as the youth pastor at Second Chance.
Review: If you can get past the acting of Michael W. Smith that makes you feel like you are watching a made for TV movie instead of a feature film, this film has a great, to the heart, to the core of the gospel, true message of love, tolerance and truly living out Christ's commandments.
Steve Taylor of Third Day does a great job adapting the story into film. To be honest, I can see why it is not doing well at the box office. One, it hasn't been publicized well as far as I can tell. Two, it is not a film that will grab you into your seats like your top box office flicks, at least not at the beginning of the film. And three, the theatres where the film is showing are located in the heart of the areas where your white middle-to-upper-class people are residing, the same class of Christians that Jake says can "Keep your damn money" when TV crews force him to wrap up his sermon about the need for bodies not money for service is what the Second Chance can use the most.
I thrive for Jake. A guy who is willing to stand up for the real truth, yet has his flaws, who is supported by a strong wife who shares in his ministry with her own. While Jake is working with rehabbing men with drug, alcohol or gambling addictions, his wife Amanda is helping girls break out of prostitution and addiction also. One of the first introductory scenes of Ethan at Second Chance has him coming into one of these meetings with the men and being asked to lead the prayer at the end of the meeting. He starts out with his "look at me" preacher tone and approach...something we all probably have at times at least once in our life if we are "on fire for God" and asked to pray, but as time elapses it shows how they're all praying for Javier...and of course chimes in with a stab at the Powerball lottery.
As this film goes on you get to witness and most likely fell the calluses on Ethan's heart toward the inner city be picked away. Reality of gangs, poverty, power trips and more become his every day dealings...something that changes him. Which in turn leads him to reach toward Jake, who is unreceiving because of his own calluses toward Ethan, The Rock and the money giving "supporters" who are unwilling to serve.
But it takes the small step of faith of two servants at Second Chance, who were both given the second chances in their lives, to reveal the heart of both Ethan and Jake, which in turn reveals the true hear to Jeremiah, which had been almost absorbed by “successful ministry” and “God’s plan”.
I love the symbolism of the father’s name being Jeremiah, who at some point in his ministry turned away from what seemed to touch the most in the hood to go toward being the personality for a multi-media ministry…thinking maybe at the time that was the call of God, but in time becoming wrapped up in the “sinking sand” of the mega church life.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13
Jeremiah, Ethan, Jake, Amanda, everyone realizes their true desire and God’s true mission at the conclusion of the film.
It’s a feel good story, but will stretch your heart and make you think, challenging your mind and heart on how you view service, love, poverty and hypocrisy. The thing that each character in the film knows, most likely each actor, and hopefully each viewer will know, is that we can not walk away from such a film just feeling good…we cannot walk away from good days just feeling good. We must move forward with a monthly, weekly, or if possible, daily renewal of the same thoughts and feelings that we may feel and the same motivation we may receive after viewing the film for the first time. However, the kicker is, we must not just think, but act. Not just give our money, but our time. Because if we're not willing to give our time to some causes, then in some cases we might as well keep the money and give it elsewhere, especially if by giving the money we feel like we are doing all we can to serve the cause.
Just some food for thought. Go check out the film if you can in theatre, or be sure and get it when it's released on video.
No comments:
Post a Comment