Review – God's Not Dead: A light in the darkness

David A.R. White (Reverend Dave) and Shane Harper (Josh Wheaton) star in God's Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness, opening this weekend. PURE FLIX ENTERTAINMENT/Special

There is a new movie from the God’s Not Dead series – “God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness” coming to a theater near you this week – March 30, to be exact. The film is a marvelous production with superb acting, great cinematography and a beautifully-crafted storyline.

I have often been critical of the fare coming from Hollywood, but recently there has been a rash of really good, wholesome films coming to theaters all cross the nation. This one is really worth viewing, because it beautifully illustrates how love and forgiveness ultimately prevails.

As I watched this movie from Pureflix, a LifeWay film, I was impressed with the cast assembled for the production. David A. R. White, John Corbett, Ted McGinley, and Tatum O’Neal are all well-known and accomplished actors.

The plot was created with a keen understanding of the dynamics that prevail in our society. In this film you will see the struggle for religious liberty, individuals earnestly searching for answers to personal and eternal questions, social strife, relationships in conflict, and the role of the church in a secular society.  

As the plot deepens and the personal agendas are revealed, as the intricate emotional twists and turns emerge, as the accompanying actions and reactions to a conflict between a college and a church surface, I began to wonder if there was a solution to the societal and spiritual problems that seemed to intensify as the movie progressed.

The relevancy of this third film in the God’s Not Dead series was almost surreal. It was as if the plot was taken off the recent pages of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The threat to religious liberty is a real and present danger where I live and sometimes I fear that those of us in the church react in kind to those who want to infringe upon our liberty.

This movie is a fitting reminder that there are times when we can win battles in the culture war, but loose the very people we are trying to reach for Christ. This film reminds us that Jesus is not only our Savior, but also our example and the Bible is our guidebook for dealing with the troubling and challenging issues of our day.

Ultimately, the movie is a beautiful reminder that obedience to God’s Word and way is the requisite to the bestowal of God’s richest blessings. Make plans to see this film and take someone with you who needs to see God’s truths enacted in the lives of the actors.