Multicultural ministry requires us to consider the unique background and need of each adolescent. Jesus responds to the people with remarkable particularity. Good news might include seeing for one, living water for another. Films introduce us to characters and subcultures we may overlook. They can challenge our stereotypes and equip us to put Jesus’ particularized gospel into practice.
The Dark Knight plays with our tendency to pre-judge others. Gotham City features a Cuban mayor, a black police chief and criminals from every ethnic group. The dramatic finale explores the ethical dilemma of characters trapped on two boats (warning: spoilers ahead!). The diabolical Joker asks if a ship laden with convicts is more disposable than a boat of upstanding citizens? Who is worthy to be saved? An imposing African-American prisoner takes the choice into his massive hands. A surprisingly gracious act of mercy, bathed in prayer, results. The Dark Knight reminds us, “Do not judge, lest we be judged.”
Diversity hasn’t reached the heartland in the documentary American Teen. Director Nanette Burstein followed five high school seniors in rural Indiana. Each conforms to our notion of the jock, the popular girl or the artsy type; but by the conclusion, we see how desperately each of them needs caring adults to come alongside them in their struggles.
Smaller, independent films often provide glimpses into the margins of society. Before she sparkled as Ugly Betty, actress America Ferrera struggled with self-image in Real Women Have Curves. Will she follow her Mexican-American family into the garment industry or pursue a college scholarship? Real Women is a funny film laden with beauty.
Better Luck Tomorrow shows the pressures accompanying the “model minority” label. These Asian-American guys choose crime and danger over a fast-track to college. It is a dark, depressing film laden with spiritual emptiness. In Eve and the Fire Horse, a young Chinese immigrant uses her lively imagination to navigate a culture clash. Her family shifts their allegiance from Buddha to Jesus with surprising and humorous results.
The Visitor puts a human face on the immigration issue. A bored college professor is brought to life by his encounter with a vibrant Muslim couple. They teach the uptight prof how to play the African djembe drum, but the Muslims’ American dreams are shattered by detention and deportation. The Visitor asks the enduring question, “Who is my neighbor?”
The award-winning drama Frozen River explores the struggles of single parents and their children. Rough economic times turn two women into coyotes, smuggling refugees across an icy Native American reservation along the U.S./Canadian border. Frozen River reminds us Jesus entered the world as a refugee, fleeing from persecution. We must recover this overlooked aspect of the Christmas story in our multicultural ministries.
