Grace is defined as God’s kindness towards us even when we don’t deserve it.
The most beautiful example of grace is God sending his son Jesus to die in our place. He completely and freely paid for our entrance to Heaven INSPITE of the sin in our lives. He was and continues to be kind to us even though we don’t deserve it.
Why is it then, when He provides such a deeply personal and compelling example, that grace is so tough for us to give and receive in our relationships with friends and family?
I think the key lies in being vulnerable enough to do two things:
- admit our own failures
- appreciate the need for and extent of God’s grace in our own lives.
The film Grace Of God: A STORY of EASTER TRADITIONS allows us to quietly watch as God weaves grace into a hurting congregation after $30,000 goes missing. Unable to locate the missing money on their own, and hoping to avoid a public scandal, the church staff hires a private investigator. The unsuspected thief, as well as the cynical private investigator, both find grace in the end. And it comes, largely, because so many people are willing to become vulnerable and admit their own failings.
This was definitely a different kind of film. It wasn’t overtly about Easter. And it wasn’t so much entertaining or what I would call a fun family film. Instead, it played out kind of like a courtroom drama as the investigator worked his way through interviews with everyone who had access to the church safe.
The film provides an opportunity for each of us to examine our own heart. I found it convicting in a number of ways. Although the person who took the money was definitely guilty of stealing, (and of unbelievably bad judgment) we were reminded that we have ALL stolen in various ways. We ALL fail in different ways. And we are ALL in need of grace from both God and others.
Watching this film would be a great springboard into a small-group study or discussion of integrity and grace.
Here are a few details about the film:
- Released on DVD March 24, 2015
- 99 Minutes // Genre: Family, Inspirational // Rating: NR
- John Ratzenberger (not a main character), Julia Parker, Vincent Duvall, Erin Bethea Kelsey Sanders, and Lorenzo Lamas
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