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Irreplaceable

I attended the encore presentation of the film "Irreplaceable" on May 28. While it may not be a Hollywood blockbuster, I found it very impactful and quite emotional.

 

It's produced by Focus on the Family, a Christian organization that specializes in marriage and family issues. This documentary is a journey with the film's host, Tim Sisarich who travels around the world to discover why all humans yearn to be in a family. He interviews experts in the field, people on the street, parents, young people, those incarcerated in prison to get their views on the current state of the family in today's society, on marriage, sexuality, the value of children, the importance of a father and a mother and the impact of family breakdown. Divorce, abuse, abandonment, addictions, poverty, all can be tied to the disintegration of the family. In discovering the importance of a traditional, nuclear family in raising children Tim also goes on a personal emotional journey of reconciliation with his father and a strengthening of his own strong desire to be the best dad he can be to his own children and best husband to his wife.

A few things really struck me and brought tears to my eyes. One in particular was the statement made in the film that in today's culture some view children as a commodity rather than a blessing meaning they can be abandoned, abused, aborted if they are unwanted or not healthy. In South Korea a pastor has set up a place (a drop box) where mothers can anonymously drop off an unwanted baby and the child can be cared for; this has saved countless numbers of babies' lives. Another emotional point was a series of interviews done in a prison where all 3 prisoners interviewed spoke emotionally about how their lives would have turned out much differently if they would have had a positive father figure when growing up. I realize how blessed I have been to have had a loving mother and father in the home. One female prisoner spoke about how she is now able to forgive what happened as a child after having accepted Christ in her life. I find it so impactful to hear the testimony of someone who has faced extreme challenges in their life but, by the grace of God, has been able to forgive and turn their life around.

The film was made to encourage Christians to more closely examine the family as a revelation of the nature of God and to inspire them to begin small groups in their communities to study why family matters and what they can do to change families in Canada for the better. To accompany the documentary, a DVD curriculum has been developed consisting of 12 sessions with discussion guides for leaders and participants of small groups. For more information and to order a copy of this program visit thefamilyproject.ca.