The Whole Spectrum - Episode 1 - Spotlight

We take a look at the faith themes of "Spotlight"

I grew up in a film family, cutting my teeth on classic Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock movies. Then I married a guy who takes the love of film to a whole new level--from his own productions to the annual list of foreign and indie features he gets excited about. We rarely see a movie without discussing it afterward, and we frequently disagree (lovingly) about our takes on various aspects of the production and stories. Discussing film with friends and family is also a favorite pastime, so we thought, "What could be better than having those discussions and inviting others to listen in and contribute?"

So today we are launching The Whole Spectrum, our collaborative faith and film podcast. This is a podcast influenced by the words of Francis Schaeffer, who wrote that "Christians have largely shut up their spirituality into a small corner of life--Sunday church or their Bible studies--instead of realizing that the Lordship of Christ is to permeate the whole spectrum of life." Erik and I love discussing movies, and consider them a fun and meaningful part of "the whole spectrum" of our lives. So please take a listen, and join in the conversation in the comments here, or on Twitter (@Erik_Parks1 and @CathParks). 

Our first episode focuses on the movie, "Spotlight," which is a favorite of many critics to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. Centered on The Boston Globe's investigation of the covering up of child sexual abuse at the hand of Catholic priests in Boston, it's a journalistic thriller that we believe has a lot to say to the Evangelical church as well.

Highlights:

It has something to say to us as truth-tellers. Journalists have to do so much research to get the facts straight, and yet our culture does not do that work. We risk losing the case against abusers when we rely on rumor.

We think our evil deeds are actually the right thing to do to serve the greater good.

To churches: we can do better than this. ... It's not just physical and sexual abuse, but spiritual abuse as well.