By Cecelia Campbell Livingston
God Is Not Dead 2, a movie about enduring faith, triumph, and the power of God to deliver from any situation, is filled with even more drama than in God Is Not Dead 1. Melissa Joan Hart, who plays history teacher Grace Lesley in the movies My Fake Fiance and Holiday in Handcuffs, draws criticism for responding to a straightforward question about Jesus from one of her students, Hayley Orrantia.
When Grace refuses to apologise for the answer she provided, the school board votes to suspend her and threatens to revoke her teaching certificate. Forced to stand trial to save her career, Grace hires young lawyer Tom Endler (Jesse Metcalfe) to defend her in court. Endler devises a powerful strategy to demonstrate the historical significance of Wesley’s classroom discussions to the jury.
It is hard not to get caught up in the drama that is unfolding on the screen as you experience the highs and lows of Grace as she looks at her future slipping away. In one of her lowest moments, she confessed to her father that she does not think God is listening, as He is so quiet and she is not hearing from Him.
His response is one every Christian who is going through trials and hardship can embrace: “The teacher is always silent during the test”.
Grace’s spirit was lifted with a knock at the door, which revealed something heartwarming in a tear-jerking moment. I will not give away the secret; you can watch the movie on YouTube. It is definitely something that is worth two hours of your time.
The movie gets the thumbs up for me, as not only did it come with plausible acting and a realistic script, but the courtroom drama was a lesson in itself. Reading the Bible after watching this film will not be the same. One particular scene was a real eye-opener as a witness drew the connection between two of the gospels. He alluded to Jesus being hit with the words “prophecy who hit you.” It made sense when he quoted the Scriptures from another gospel showing that Christ was blindfolded at the time, hence the reason for the taunts.
The music from Newsboys added an interesting dimension to the movie experience. The Newsboys recorded the title song, God Is Not Dead. Part 2 is definitely the perfect follow-up to God Is Not Dead and a must-watch.
Harbour Road Church of God of Prophecy features performances from Darwin, Petra Kaye, Triumphant Singers, and Minister Jermaine Johnson.
