Where Is God’s Grace and Mercy in Hollywood?
When it comes to God’s character, filmmaker and actress Sam Sorbo says there is a great deal of misunderstanding on the part of human beings—even Christians.
While many want to paint the Almighty as a deity of anger, wrath and full of damnation, Sorbo says God is just the opposite and wants everyone to know that God is all about forgiveness. There is nothing you can do—outside of completely rejecting His love—for which you cannot be redeemed.
That is the central theme of Sorbo Studios’ new film “Miracle in East Texas,” which opened in theaters across the country on October 29. The movie, which stars herself, her husband Kevin and John Ratzenberger of “Cheers” fame, tells the true story of a pair of con men (Sorbo and Ratzenberger) who, during the dark days of the Great Depression in the 1930s, swindle newly widowed women out of money in exchange for phony shares in oil stock.
In this comedy, the two men are “lovable” criminals, but their exploits finally catch up with them and they are brought to justice. As they are about to suffer the wrath of the long arm of the law, God steps in an intervenes—as does Sam Sorbo—to rescue the pair from a life of imprisonment or even death by hanging.
It is an unbelievable example of how God can change the hearts of people and how forgiveness can truly “set people free.” It’s something you don’t see a lot of in this cancel culture world of ours today, Sam Sorbo says, and it’s a film that will touch the hearts of those filled with anger for just about any reason in today’s society.
“The film deals with this elusive theme of forgiveness—and redemption—and those are important themes in our world today,” Sam Sorbo says. “We have cancel culture, where you make one mistake and you’re gone.”
“Because you know that those people who do that are perfect human beings,” Kevin Sorbo said with sarcasm. “There is nothing wrong with them whatsoever.”
Sam Sorbo says, because of its godly themes, you can watch this movie “and come away a better person for it.
“A lot of the entertainment I see coming out of Hollywood is really just pablum. It doesn’t better you; it doesn’t help you. There’s a lot of anger, a lot of hate. You leave the theater kind of feeling exhausted. I suppose you have a little bit to talk about with your friends, but it’s not like a discussion of importance.
“The discussion of forgiveness is a big one for me. I’ve been writing about forgiveness for decades: it’s sort of a passion of mine … I’ve needed a lot of forgiveness (laughs); I’ve needed to offer a lot of forgiveness.”
Kevin Sorbo, who also starred in the recent hit film “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” says it’s time for Hollywood to clean up its act.
“That is why we want to keep making movies like this one, because Hollywood is doing a very good job of ‘where can you find Satan in this one,'” he says. “It’s because he is everywhere. So, we’re trying to do the opposite and do movies that have a positive effect on people’s lives.”
Perhaps the most touching scene, and the scene that is the biggest example of both human and God’s forgiveness, is the courtroom scene, which Sam Sorbo says is her favorite. She says it’s the pivotal scene in the movie and you can see God’s hand completely over it.
Sam Sorbo’s character, swindled by Kevin Sorbo’s character earlier in the movie, came to court with vengeance on her mind. But seeing past his “flim flam” mindset, Sam Sorbo’s character, Flora May Simms, she was able to convince the judge and those gathered in the courtroom that indeed Doc Boyd was deep down a good man.
“I know that the law might say they deserved prison, but I’m supposedly the one they wronged and I would ask you to set them free,” Flora May Simms says.
Just as Flora May Simms extended grace and mercy to Doc Boyd in Miracle in East Texas, God extends grace and mercy to us all every day. Shouldn’t we do the same for others? {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
