Ask any filmmaker what the most important thing about a film is, and you’ll hear the same answer: It’s all about the story. As a documentary filmmaker, the raw power of stories fascinates me. Human beings crave them. But the best stories are the ones that cause us to entertain new ideas, teaching us how to think.
In my latest film, “CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?” I tackle the idea of modern prophecy — from a scientific, historical, theological, spiritual and even political viewpoint. Friends warned me not to tackle the subject. Part of my own brain objected. Entire groups of Christians no longer believe prophets exist today. After a recent screening, a gentleman cornered me in the lobby, determined to convince me prophecy and prophets no longer exist in our time.
There is a vigorous and necessary conversation around this today, particularly considering recent exposures in certain ministries that have misused and abused the gifts of the Spirit. However, most of the arguments I hear disavowing prophecy today are piecemeal theology — disembodied verses yanked out of Paul’s letters and stuffed with modern meaning. They import assumptions that would have been foreign to Paul and his first readers.
In John 13-17, the night before the cross, Jesus tells His confused friends the story isn't ending, it's changing narrators. He promises the Spirit, who would lead us into all truth, and says, “He will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:12–13). Before this, He said, “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27). Jesus Himself tells us we will hear and know His voice.
Now let’s look at how He taught us to reason through this by discussing parenthood.