Be Kind Rewind

I was surprised by this movie. I figured it would be somewhat funny (I tend to like Jack Black more than more), but it also contained a message that has been on my heart. Jack Black plays a man who has recently been magnetized. He enters a struggling VHS-only video store and his condition erases all the tapes! Black and the stores only employee set out to re-make all the movies themselves. Not only does the neighborhood love the films, but they wish to participate in the movie making process.

It was pretty funny, but I really liked the message of the movie and how it relates to local church ministry. 'Be Kind Rewind' (the name of the store) couldn't compete with the DVD rental places in terms of video quality. And they certainly couldn't compete with Hollywood in terms of movie-making quality. So what made them successful? It was the fact that there movies were home-made. They included the community.

So often ministers (ordained and volunteer) struggle to compete with the local schools, clubs, and entertainment. But the reality is that we won't be able to compete in dollars and worldly quality. What we have to offer is relationship. Incarnation. The radio preacher from the mega-church may be a more inspiring speaker, but he's not present through the ups and downs of life. Be Kind Rewind confirmed, to me, the value of local church ministry.