This past weekend, my family rented a handful of movies. Lately, we've actually been able to find several faith-based films to view together. The one we saw this weekend was no exception.
UNCONDITIONAL begins with a near suicide, a petty theft and a car accident involving a young child.
If the filmmakers' goal was to test my tear glands in under a minute, they succeeded. As if the first few scenes weren't emotion-fueled enough, the actors provided poignant, perfectly delivered performances that made me forget I wasn't witnessing real life events.
Or was I?
Mere moments before the closing credits began to scroll up the screen, I found out this story of hope and unconditional love was, in fact, based on real events in the life of Joe Bradford.
Uniquely presented in flashback style, UNCONDITIONAL tells the equally unique story of a gifted young man who suffered adversity in several forms before committing his life to God's call. Now that he's been redeemed, Joe Bradford -- or Papa Joe, as "his kids" call him -- brings hope and unconditional love to the children of the Commons, the most at-risk area of town. With a beautiful fictional storyline linking the real life events in a creative way that is sure to have you reaching for a tissue, UNCONDITIONAL is a must-see movie for anyone who could use a dose of encouragement.
Next time you're bogged down in the murkiness of life, remember what Papa Joe says in the film: "No matter how hard life gets, you're never alone."
This hope is echoed in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (NIV)
Hope and love are meant to be shared. If that's the only thing you learn from UNCONDITIONAL, it was definitely worth making. Thanks to the film crew, actors and Papa Joe for sharing this incredible story. It has swiftly become one of my favorites, and I'm happy to recommend it to all of my readers here at Writing To Inspire.
Be sure to view the behind-the-scenes featurettes to get an inside peek into the making of the film and the life of the man who lived the story, Papa Joe Bradford. Also, you might like to visit the movie's website: http://unconditionalthemovie.com. Or you may want to visit Papa Joe's website: http://elijahsheart.com/.
What do you think unconditional love is worth?
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