You call that a Christian Film?

Dear 168,

I received an anonymous question about one of the films on the BEST OF 168 DVD (08) entitled "The Visit." It does merit some explanation.

The films shows a nurse making a home visit to a mentally handicapped man and talking with him. She is obviously not a person of faith and in her soliloquy, she imagines what it would be like to be posessed by a spirit like people of faith claim to be. Without knowing it, she is wondering about the presence of the Holy Spirit. Here's the question from the anonymous emailer:

THE QUESTION:

I saw "The Visit"on the (Best Of 168) 2008 DVD...How does that qualify as a Christian Film and get to be a top 20? The woman in it was major worldly and talking about how cool it would be to be possessed by something...

I'm serious, I watched that with a couple of friends and we were all three clueless as to how that film made it into the top 20 AND how that film is considered a Christian film at all. Where was the redemptive value in it? How were people pointed to Scriptural truth in it? We sincerely don't understand...so I am asking.

THE ANSWER:

From the world's point of view, this film is an explanation of an outsider's view of what faith and the Holy Spirit might be like. The film truthfully explores the subject from the point of view of one who does not know anything about the truth of the Christian faith.

The film is an important one and it is on the DVD to be used in this way: 1. To generate discussion for non-Christians who can relate to this point of view with absolutely no hindrance. 2. To provide a view of from the other side for Christians who have so long been in the "Holy Huddle" (so to speak) that they have forgotten how the world thinks of spiritual things.

The film is very well acted and simple, yet profound.