Christ's Kingdom made Manifest in Mighty Macs?

Have you heard of the movie "The Mighty Macs"??  I was invited to a screening of the movie in August and am excited that it is finally being released this week.  I highly recommend the movie and on a number of different levels--here is the trailer for it:  http://www.themightymacs.com/ There is the basic story line which is a classic one of the underdogs win.  This is done with lots of humor which I appreciate and it is a "clean" movie!  It is a challenge in this day and age to find an inspiring, fun movie that is also clean.  After the screening of the movie we were told it was rated G.  I had to stop and think about the movie because it didn't seem like a rated G movie in the classic sense--kiddie animated film.  Sure enough, an entertaining movie without foul language, violence and sexual scenes.  So will the rating scare off viewers because they will think of it is as a kiddie movie?  I sure hope not!

As a vocation director for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, I also appreciated the subtle theme of "call" woven into the story.  In the movie Cathy Rush has only been married a couple of years and there is a young Sister, Sr. Sunday, who ends up getting involved with the team.  I don't know if Sr. Sunday was a real person, but I really enjoyed her role in the movie.  So, Cathy Rush and Sr. Sunday have both reached the post-honeymoon phase of their vocation.  They each want to make a difference with their lives and are searching for a way to do that in the context of their respective vocations.  It is clear that both are struggling with their life committment.  Through the story they each find their place to give from their gifts, but they don't do it alone.  Cathy struggles through this with her husband and Sr. Sunday with her superior.  They stick with their commitments and at the same time find their own place in the world--not in isolation, but with gradual understanding and support from loved ones.

We live in such a disposable society.  Unfortunately, that includes disposable vows and disposable people.  It is not unusual when I am doing a presentation on vocations that one of the first questions is can you quit or a paraphrase of that.  A year's posts could be about how people are disposed of--some of my posts do speak of some--trafficked persons, lives lost to abortion, people shunned due to their nationality or their "papers".

This movie holds on to values.  It teaches a lesson in perseverence in one's goals and vocation too.  It is exciting to see more "clean" movies with good messages making it to the theaters.  I haven't seen "The Way" yet, but the trailer looks great--starring Martin Sheen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqNn_kAh7Q.  I heard about another movie on the Christian radio station the other day "Courageous".  It is about dad's as heroes and men seeking to get fatherhood right.  Here is the trailer to that one--brought tears to my eyes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9VT_NBIVfs

Seeing these movies come out and the excitement around them gives me a shot of hope.  There is hope that the world can become a better place through awareness of who we are in God's eyes and who we are called to be for one another no matter our baggage or background.  Christ's kingdom can be manifest here on earth if we each do our part.  Something as simple as supporting good movies can help expose others to the Gospel and Gospel values.