Category: Uncategorized

Why Visual Stories Matter

Meet Yuseff and Andrea – two people who represent billions who communicate, learn, and connect in a post-literate world.

Meet Yuseff and Andrea – two people who represent billions who communicate, learn, and connect in a post-literate world.

This is a short film, created for the Visual Story Network, that explains the urgent need for compelling visual stories to communicate the fullness of God’s love for the world. I’m a part of VSN and share this vision.

A Willing Heart – Joe Dawson

Mourned by his Yanomamö friends, Joe Dawson passed away on Thursday night in Coshilowateli, Venezuela.

Joe Dawson passed away on Thursday night in Coshilowateli, Venezuela. He and his wife, Millie, have lived among the Yanomamö since 1953, giving their lives to learn from,  love, and serve their adopted indigenous community. Through Joe and Millie and their 10 children, the Yanomamö in the Amazonas region came to understand that the Great Spirit that they feared as their Enemy, Yai Wanonabalewa, was really their Creator who loves them. For those who accepted this news, it meant the end of a life of constant fear and bloodshed that was driven by the spirits they possessed. Many Yanomamö today are mourning the loss of their true brother, Pepiwa (Joe’s Yanomamö nickname), but are thankful for his life.

Here’s a short documentary video featuring Joe and Millie, telling their story of how God first called them to go serve the Yanomamö. It’s part of a series that gives a background to the feature film, Yai Wanonabalewa: The Enemy God. That film tells the story of the how the Yanomamö discovered the truth about the spirits and the one Great Spirit who brought them peace.

You can find more information about The Enemy God film on DVD, including more documentary segments that tell Joe and Millie’s story on the film’s web site: www.TheEnemyGod.com

Fingerprints of God in ‘Secular’ Film – Article

Can we find the fingerprints of God in the stories of our culture?

There is a great book by Don Richardson called “Eternity In Their Hearts” that talks about the ways every culture has remnants of God’s truth remaining from creation. The book approaches the subject from a point-of-view of cross-cultural missions, but I find that it helps me to think about how my own multi-faceted culture also bears the fingerprints of God in its stories, even if God is rejected on the surface.

TEG PosterOur film, The Enemy God, tells the story of the Yanomamö people in the Amazon and  how there were seeds of truth about God present in their own traditional stories. However, these truths were twisted until they became a curse to the people.

Rather than merely react and shun the creative work of our culture, is it possible to use the stories and myths and passions that we find in Hollywood and independent films to point people to Christ? The article below by Garrett Brown encourages us to look into popular film to see the points of connection, the ways ‘Common Grace’ may be found, as a means to build understanding and relationship. These conversations, in relationship, may be the beginning of a journey to faith, even if the starting point of the story is despair. Perhaps, especially when the story begins with despair?

Article: Temple of the Unknown God

What ways do you see bridges to conversations about God in the popular culture around you, in the lives of your neighbors and friends?