Second Chance: a challenging film

By Adam Graham

Second Chance is a rare movie. Movies often will preach to us from one side of an issue or another. Second Chance is a rare movie that opens the door to dialogue on tough issues, while also providing quality entertainment.

Michael W. Smith begins his acting career with a role that's hardly a stretch as the Assistant Pastor (and son of the Senior Pastor) of a mega church blessed with great musical talent. He's forced to work with Second Chance Ministries, which is headed by a street smart pastor played with intensity by Jeff Carr.

The Main Characters are not cardboard cutouts. Smith portrays a yuppie pastor (Ethan) who tries to help out, but is frightened by stepping outside his comfort zone. Ethan also views working at the inner city church as beneath him, given the success he's made his father's church into. Carr's character (Jake) is self-righteous, harsh, and untrusting. He finds opportunities to humiliate Smith's character and casts aspersions on the people who are trying to help out.

The film challenges us to bear one another's burdens, to be wise, and also to stand firm for what's right. It's a reminder that our faith must reflect works. We must as the Savior said, "Bring forth fruit fit for repentance."

The themes of mercy and forgiveness, mixed with heartfelt performances from an incredible cast, along with a smartly written script that includes an incredible ending are enough to make this movie worthwhile. There's an even great reason for the Church to take notice at this film. It raises some key issues that both mega churches and the Inner City Churches need to answer.

We'll start with Ethan's Church:

1. Not becoming personally involved in the suffering of others
   
   The movie makes the point that so often the church's response to a situation is to only send money, rather than becoming involved in people's problems, and being the hands that are needed to bring healing to people's lives.
   
   
2. Corporate Mindedness
   
   The movie is guilty of some exaggeration here. The church's board sounds like it should be worrying about share prices. That this does go on in any degree in the church should be a concern. Sadly, some churches act concerned only with bottom lines rather than the will of God or the demands of the Gospel, and excuse it by talk of being good stewards.
   
   
3. Comfort
   
   In Ethan's great epiphany, he talks about how he'd lived his life on sinking sand before coming to Christ. But, that his unspoken exception was to serve as long as it was comfortable. Finally, he realized that his own comfort was sinking sand. This is a tough lesson for the church to learn as so much of our modern church world is centered on the idea of comfort and making things easy on ourselves, rather than following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
   
   
4. Relationship With Other Ministries
   
   Be it an Inter-city Mission, Missionaries in the field, or the persecuted Church, ministries and churches often fall into the dangerous practice of believing those they sponsor are only their subsidiaries and they can make decisions and dictations to those ministries as they see fit, never considering them fellow-laborers who need to be in on important decisions.
   
   

On the other hand, Jake clearly struggles with self-righteousness. Ethan's church provides $2 million per year in funding, but it's all for naught. On National Television, Jake curses out the Church for not being more involved personally and tells them to keep their money.

Personal involvement is hindered, because short-term involvement isn't enough. Indeed, all Ethan's actions are looked down upon because his involvement in the church is short-term. Jake operates on the belief that as he's called to work at the "Second Chance" as a full-time calling, everyone is.

In one way, Jake serves as a warning to those any work or movement who believe theirs is the only cause, the only thing that God is doing in the world. When Ethan talks of how his church has had thousands come to Christ in Nigeria alone, Jake dismisses it by saying, "Nobody's keeping score." Perhaps not, but all the work of the Kingdom of God is valid.

Though Ethan's father led him to the Lord, Jake has become bitter against him. He rails against him for "leaving to go to the Suburbs." Ethan's Father tries to explain his calling and ministry is planting churches, but the point sails over Jake's head. Jake's all or nothing attitude, demands, and ungraciousness towards help that doesn't meet his expectations, creates unnecessary tension and conflict for everyone.

Others will walk away from the film with different thoughts, but the point is to think and reflect. The movie can be a starting point for dialogue between churches that talk past each other rather than talk to each other and that makes it well worth the price of admission.

© Adam Graham