For those who might roll their eyes at Hallmark but appreciate the grittiness of a drama or horror, other films also serve as art that reminds us we are not alone. It is cathartic to watch a movie or read a book that moves us. The Glass Castle may help you feel less alone knowing that others faced tumultuous upbringings and still found health and wholeness in adulthood despite their family. You may have related to Manchester by the Sea in the grief you’ve experienced by portraying the rawness of that pain. Beautiful Boy might highlight the tension between love and boundaries when parenting a child who is an addict. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road may have given you hope that even in the darkest, most violent and dystopian moments, hope can still survive when it is built on an enduring love for another. These movies help us understand that our pain is seen and understood. How much more does our God see us and understand our suffering? Our lives may sometimes feel worthy of a Hallmark movie and at other times closer to horror. We aren’t alone in our journeys. We don’t have a Moses to set us straight when our fears and doubts arise, but we do have the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the ambiguity and unpredictability of life. And if we are especially fortunate, we also have a community to surround us in our times of need.
