Dear Editor,
Good movies can be deeply spiritual events.
Meaningful insights occur but so also can a deeply satisfying feeling that the movie has been a realistic reflection of what really happens in life. The actual drama might have no clear semblance to what is going on in your life, but the emotions, struggles and values in movies can represent dynamics you yourself have encountered.
Two quite dissimilar movies, one a movie currently in theatres called, Paul, an apostle of Christ and the movie, Learning to drive out on Netflix, both embody the challenge of living in a world beset by conflict and hurt but also of values you cannot compromise. The movies themselves are as different as day is to night, but the eternal human dilemma of living a life of integrity in both movies powerfully represent what we humans are confronted by daily.
If spirituality is an ongoing process of reviewing our personal motivations with honesty and clarity, movies are an important medium. They can reawaken our thoughts as to what is important and how we should live. They can also augment difficult ideas and religious traditions by clarifying our personal responsibility to ourselves and to others.
George Jason