LITTLE BOY- 
A MOVIE THAT WILL MOVE YOU! My family and I loved it, so will you!

A “Little Boy” and Faith

October 5, 2015 Anthony Adams Leave a comment

Dr. Anthony W. Adams

Recently at the Venue (a special service on Saturday Night in the Vision Center) we showed the film, “Little Boy.” This film is a parable about faith. Although there are some Theological points of difference that I might have with the film (this film was written and produced from a Catholic perspective) yet there are a great many truths that cannot be ignored.
Film Overview
The film is about a boy, Pepper or “Little Boy” as he is called, whose father is sent to war.  As part of his act, a magician brings Pepper up on stage and convinces him that he has the power to move a bottle. The little boy eventually ends up in the office of the parish priest where the priest explains to him that if it is God’s will, God will act, and the miraculous can take place. “Little Boy” asked, “How can I make my faith bigger?” So the priest takes out the “ancient” list, which is really the seven Corporal Works of Mercy that is based on Matthew 25:35-40. He then added an eighth work, befriend the friendless. It is a wonderful family film that truly celebrates family, love, devotion, and faith. It is this last point however, “faith” that I would like to discuss in this week’s article.
Questions About Faith Worthy of Discussion
“I solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt at all in his heart, but has faith that what he says will take place, shall have it. So then I tell you, whenever you pray and ask for anything, have faith that it has been granted you, and you will get it” (Mark 11:23-24, Williams).

1. What role does hate have as it relates to faith? In other words, can hatred negate your faith?

The Bible has quite a bit to say about love and hate. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you… But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27-28; 35-36, ESV, emphasis mine).
Jesus is telling us that we are to be intentional about loving people, even our enemies. In fact, Jesus declared that if we refuse to forgive others, we will not be forgiven. “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25, ESV, emphasis mine). It is also important to note that this statement is on the heels of Jesus’ discussion about moving mountains.

2. How do we make our faith greater?

In the movie, Pepper asked the priest how he could make his faith bigger. The priest took out what he called, “The Ancient List” which was really the Corporal Works of Mercy. He told the young boy that doing these things would increase his faith.
Corporal Works of Mercy:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To shelter the homeless;
To visit the sick;
To visit the imprisoned;
To bury the dead.
Now I must interject here that you cannot buy God, and Miracles are a product of God’s Grace which, by definition, is unmerited favor from God. However, even the disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). And James declared that faith and works were inseparable and that faith without works was dead (James 2:14-26). We know that faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), but I also believe that when we practice our faith; when we act on the revealed will of God, we not only become more mature in our Christianity but also in our faith.

3. What constitutes a miracle?

In the movie, Pepper stretches out his hands in belief to move the mountain, and at that very moment the mountain shakes by an earthquake. Some in the movie said that the earthquake would have hit whether the child had tried to move the mountain or not- it was pure coincidence. Others said it was a miracle from God and people should not be too quick to dismiss it as happenstance.
A similar incident happened to Jesus. “‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine’” (John 12:28-30, NIV, emphasis mine). The fact is, regardless of what you see or experience, miracles will always be interpreted largely by one’s faith or lack thereof.
Question: Do you believe parables are helpful or hurtful when discussing religious topics?

(Source: http://nvcog.org/2015/10/a-little-boy-and-faith/)