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Reviews
The Long Goodbye-The Kara Tippetts Story (2019)
The most meaningful documentary in the past 5 years.
"Why do we withhold LOVE?"
This is the question that opens this documentary on Kara Tippetts. Looming death has forced this pastor's wife to re-examine her life with unflinching frankness and consider how she will leave the relationships of her life.
And the lessons learned apply to everyone who will one day die.
The phrase "The Long Goodbye" refers to her knowing months or even over a year ahead of time of her terminal condition. Hers is not an instant death, but one drawn out in full knowledge--a knowledge that overlays all of her relationships and interactions with a perpetual state of saying "goodbye".
My life is haunted by Kara Tippetts. Do I love my wife and children unconditionally? Sometimes.
Do I withhold love as a form of "punishment"? Yes, I do. And this is the tragedy that Kara beseeches us to avoid. Kara never insinuates that the amount of time we have together is not important. It is. But most of us will never know how much time we will have together and therefore we need to LOVE TODAY and cherish the people in our lives.
If there is a silver lining to this tragic terminal condition it is that Kara found out a year or so prior just how much time she will have. And from that she can pass along a perspective to avoid regrets and make correct priorities about people vs. things vs. The Self.
Her message was one that resonates with me SINCE I viewed this--not necessarily during. The profundity of her life lived to the glory of God became evident in the months AFTER viewing this, like a slow burn of conviction with me and a loving constant of how to love my wife, children, parents and friends.
The Shack (2017)
Is God good and All-Powerful and All-Loving and just ... ?
Let's get one thing out the way: Production Value is not the issue with this film: it is well written, well lens-ed, well scored, well- acted, well directed, well edited.
There is no need to parse this film on its artistic merits. The money has been spent and it is technically on par and on the screen.
The reason some folks dismiss this as "re-hashed ancient Christian preaching" is, well, because it IS re-hashed ancient Christian preaching--but it is not irrelevant. Read on:
Quite the opposite: it is because it tangos with THE ONE QUESTION that EVERYONE OF ALL AGES has asked and continues to (atheists included): IS GOD GOOD?
And the manner in which God answers this question is, according to the Bible, THE REASON God created the universe and Mankind in His image and beer (okay, maybe not that last one, but I side with Ben Franklin, anyway).
And this film explores God's reasons for answering THE QUESTION OF ALL OF MANKIND in the manner that He did.
And if you already have made your mind up and judged God in the negative, then this film is not for you. You will find it "boring" and "repetitive" and "without depth".
However, if you are still open and looking for a glimpse into God's perspective on THE QUESTION OF THE AGES, this film was made just for you.
Enjoy it--without apology. I certainly did.