One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the movies. White Christmas is my favorite … but I have a special fondness for The Muppets’ Christmas Carol and The Holiday as well. I love a great story — especially one filled with hope and redemption.
Christmas is one of my favorite times of year but for many it is not the joyful celebration my family shares.
In Alabama, 22% of adults live below the poverty line. {source}
1 out of 6 people in America faces hunger. {source}
On any given night, over 500,000 people are homeless in the United States. {source}
These are just a few of the heartbreaking statistics I was able to find with a quick Google search. And as terrible as these numbers are, they pale in comparison with the tragedy facing people in other parts of the world.
About 21,000 people die every day from hunger. {source}
There are currently at least eight wars occurring in Africa. {source}
This morning I watched The Good Lie … a powerful movie about “the lost boys” of Sudan. I tried to imagine what it must have been like for these children to travel over 700 miles to find a safe place to live after watching their families and villages destroyed by war. As the tree lights twinkled and the stockings hung above my fireplace, I cried for the horrifying experiences of four children whose experiences were beyond what I could ever imagine.
Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Carrie Davis, the job placement worker assigned to help the three boys find jobs after their arrival in Kansas City, is perfect. As she pours into their lives, her own life is changed.
This movie has left me undone — and is there a better season for being undone by the darkness of this world than Christmas?
Jesus came into the darkness on that silent, holy night so long ago in Bethlehem. And He brought light.
In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men. The LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. {John 1:4-5, emphasis added}
Born into a culture that was oppressed and hopeless, the Baby lying in a manger offered freedom and hope.
The Good Lie is a reminder that hope is real and powerful. And honestly, I can’t think of a better message for anyone during Christmas. While the world around us is dark and full of sorrow and pain — there is hope. Hope wrapped Himself in flesh and came to live among us, to die for us, and He will one day come back to bring us to Him.
The Good Lie will be available for purchase December 23 and it would make a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list. Read more about the movie and the true story that inspired it on The Good Lie official website. And if you want to learn more about the crisis in South Sudan, visit The Good Lie Fund website.
I’m thrilled to be able to give away a copy of The Good Lie to one of you. In order to enter, simply leave a comment on this post about hope. Giveaway ends at midnight tomorrow, December 23. I will notify the winner via email.
Merry Christmas!
Choosing hope,
Teri Lynne
Special thanks to Grace Hill Media who provided me with a copy of The Good Lie to review and a copy to give away as well. My review is based entirely on my own opinions of the film.
Oh, how we need hope in this world. Hopelessness is the worst thing. Thank you for your review. I’ll be watching this one.
The hope of heaven sustains me daily for so many reasons <3. He is faithful always and His faithfulness gives me hope on the hard days.
this didn’t come to our theatre, would love to win it and share with my friends.
Thank you for sharing about this movie! I hadn’t heard about it before but now want to see it and would love to win a copy! Merry Christmas and many blessings to you!!
Wow, just your description and review of this pulls at my heartstrings. I hadn’t heard about this movie until your mention of it. During this season of so much commercialism and listing of our own wants, it’s also the perfect time to think about those who are struggling to to survive. Thank you for that reminder.