By Sharayah Colter
Aug. 16, 2024
From its inception, The Danbury Institute has held that America is plagued by two problems simultaneously: a spiritual problem and a leadership problem. On the leadership front, America is in desperate need of godly men and women in the private and public sectors stepping forward to lead the nation well in the spheres of public policy, government, academia, religion and so forth. But a nation will never be changed solely through brute legislative force and the sheer willpower to change laws, policies, and even culture. At the same time as we advocate for God-honoring laws, court decisions, and leaders, we must also appeal to God to heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). America’s serious spiritual predicament demands the arrival of revival, and as creators of the newest Kendrick Brothers film, The Forge, demonstrate, revival starts on a micro level with one person willing to reach another person with the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The heart of this forthcoming film echoes the words of the 1905 Daniel B. Towner hymn: “O Lord, send a revival, and let it begin in me.”
(Spoiler forewarning)
In The Forge, we see a dejected and despondent boy – the son of an absent father and a prayerful mother – wandering toward early adulthood with no purpose, no respect for himself or anyone else, and no prospect of changing either of those negative realities. Bitterness and apathy have entangled the young man in a thicket of emotional thorns it seems he may never escape. The constant prayers of his mother and the selfless intervention of a local Christian business man, however, slowly chip away at the rigid exterior of this hurting young man allowing the truth and grace of Jesus Christ an entry point into his soul.
The remainder of the storyline highlights the very real influence one person – and especially one godly man – can have on another. If Christians take seriously Christ’s call to become fishers of men and to make disciples of all the world, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all Christ commands (Mt. 28:19-20), we could see the waves of revival wash over our nation once again.
The Forge offers a beautiful display of the multiplication aspect of evangelism and discipleship against the real-life backdrop of broken relationships, inner struggles, and the everyday difficulties of life. With God, though the circumstances may look bleak on both a micro and macro level, change could yet come in families, churches, communities, and even in an entire nation. Christian: Go see The Forge, and then ask yourself what role you can play in helping to mitigate our country’s spiritual problem and her leadership problem.
Watch the official trailer: The Forge
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