“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”
- Amos 5:21-24, The Message
I have no words [ that's rare ].
I’m just getting back from the movie theater after having my world absolutely rocked by what I just saw.
Two years ago when Hillsong United announced they were making a documentary I had no idea what to expect, and what I witnessed tonight without a doubt was one of the most beautiful, creative, compelling, thought-provoking pieces of art/cinema/story I’ve seen the Church create.
It played tonight only in theaters in the USA and Canada and will release soon in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. I was able to catch in the heart of downtown Chicago with some of my friends from Park and City Church.
We’re All in This Together is part-documentary, part-apologetic for social justice, a picture of a generation and the Church waking up to see that things aren’t right… and a challenge to do something about it.
It shows the journeys of Hillsong United across the globe, but more importantly the inward journey God took them through to begin to see the cultures and people of this world through His eyes. It includes footage taken from their travels around the globe and includes interviews with the United team and guests including Brother Andrew, Martin Smith [of Delirious], Gary Skinner, Zach Hunter, Jamie Tworkowski, and many others.
This movie is a call to the Church to wake up and see that maybe we’ve been missing the point.
Maybe that in us building what we’ve built, we’ve neglected the key thing God has called us to do. That maybe that in trying to communicate the Gospel we’ve complicated a very simple message: LOVE. That maybe in trying to advance the cause of Christ we’ve alienated people from seeing and hearing about Him and His love. It was a call for us to see the world how He sees it and to be the Church He’s called us to be… with open hands and hearts to demonstrate His love and compassion to our neighbors and to the world.
This message isn’t a lofty idea or a fading thought, it’s our calling. It’s what God commanded us to do. I think we’ve just been overwhelmed with the task or felt paralyzed by our own sense of insignificance to do something… but I think this film is going to serve as wake-up call to the Church to see the role God is calling us to play.
Social justice is such a fad right now. Celebrities are talking about, politicians are standing up for it, and everywhere you look people are behind some kind of cause. But this isn’t something new, it’s been God’s heart for humanity all along. God has called us to stand for justice… to speak for those who have no voice… to bring freedom to those who are captive… to care for the orphans and the widows… to care for the sick, the poor and the elderly… to right that which is wrong. That’s the ultimate expression of what it means to love our neighbor as ourself.
This movie was not about Hillsong United… it was about all of us.
About midway through the movie I busted out my phone and started Tweeting what I could get from the movie… this was the first time I’ve ever taken notes during a movie! But, I knew there were so many people who couldn’t be there that need to hear this… so, I’ll shut up with my reflections… here you go…
- Maybe the human race [ for possessions, fame, power ] isn’t meant to be a race at all.
- The deepest human need is to know who you are.
- Loneliness is one of the most extreme forms of poverty.
- This moment is the moment we have to do something.
- Too often we dwell in the past or focus too much on the future that we miss this moment.
- The future will be written by the way we respond to moment that’s in front of us.
- We all share the same moment.
- If what happens inside the four walls of the church doesn’t make a difference in the streets that people travel to get there, then maybe we are missing the point.
- We’ve trained ourselves to look past the needs.
- Injustice and indifference walk together hand-in-hand.
- Ignorance isn’t just sleeping through the fire, it’s really just fanning the flame.
- Our generation has lost the meaning of the word love.
- Love has been reduced to define what makes us feel good.
- Love has become all about us.
- At the core of who we are, every single human being craves the same thing… love.
- Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love to humanity.
- The message is simple… love.
- The Church and Christians have messed up the message.
- We’ve complicated and misconstrued it.
- Jesus didn’t die to give us religion, He died to give us love.
- Our weakness is a place for God to show His strength.
- God’s picture for the Church for us to be the light to the world around us.
- Isaiah 58:9-10 - ”If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
- The church does not exist to meet our personal needs, the church exists to meet the needs of the world around us.
- For too long the Church has made a big deal about the small things, and a small deal about the big things.
- Preaching does not come from the pulpit, it comes from the people of God living their lives out for Him – Brother Andrew
- We don’t just attend church, we are the church.
- The church exists for those outside of it.
- The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.
- Talk is cheap, put feet to your vision.
- If we want to make history, we have to remember history is ultimately His Story.
- If we want to make history, we need find our place in His Story.
- The love of God cannot be measured but it can be demonstrated.
- Jesus is found in unexpected places.
- We need to preach the Gospel with our actions.
- We’ve made a dangerous division between what’s sacred and what’s secular; nothing is secular, everything belongs to God.
- If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.
- God’s work must be our own work.
- What we are not, He is.
- We are all in this together.
- These three things remain… faith, hope and love.
- The greatest of these is love.
So where do you go from here?
Well, Hillsong United has created a new website, www.i-heart.org. The site focuses on 20 of the top causes they see in the world and seeks to connect people with ideas to solutions and create a network of people around the globe who can work together to combat injustice. I’m still exploring the site but I think it’s a pretty sweet idea.
This started and ended in the Church…
The thing that stood out to me most about this movie was that this all came out of one local church and a handful of people who are passionate for God and honoring Him with their gifts, talents and creativity. There wasn’t a huge studio or massive amounts of money backing this, it was literally a group of young people who wanted to make a difference and did something. Throughout the entire movie they kept going back to the local church and the importance it plays in making all of this happen. Immense props go to Hillsong Church, Brian and Bobbie Houston, Joel Houston and the entire team at Hillsong… what you guys are doing is changing the world. You are all seriously an incredible example of a Church that is creating culture and empowering the next generation to live out all that God has created them to be. I’m so in awe of what God is doing through them and their obedience to God’s call.
Closing Thoughts…
If you missed it… I’m sorry. Hopefully there will be an encore presentation — or maybe it will find it’s way to DVD soon. Regardless, find a way to see it.
This movie wrecked me [and all of my friends] in a good way. On the way out of the theater one of my friends said, “Wow, who wants to be normal? Not me!”
I think that sums it up.
The need is huge, but we serve a great, big God… and we’re not alone.
We’re all in this together.
