As John teaches his father “The Salvation Poem,” viewers are left with a profound feeling of hope, as John demonstrates how young people can inspire their own parents and elders to follow in the light of Jesus, and answers: “It starts with a prayer.”
By Julia Rose
Jesus, You died upon a cross
And rose again to save the lost.
Forgive me now of all my sin.
Come be my Savior, Lord, and Friend.
Change my life and make it new.
And help me, Lord, to live for you.
— The Salvation Poem
A wonderful new family-friendly animated film, “Light of the World,” immerses children in the Gospel through the lens of one of Jesus’ youngest Apostles, John, and introduces them to prominent Biblical figures such as Mary, Mary Magdalene, Matthew, Peter, and John the Baptist. The film arrives in cinemas on Sept. 5, the feast day of St. Mother Teresa.
While this is Salvation Poem Project’s first feature film, their song, “The Salvation Poem,” was also featured as the theme song for the popular Christian children’s show Superbook, which was produced by John Schafer, director of “Light of the World.” Families may also recognize the co-director, Tom Bancroft, who animated many beloved Disney characters, including Mushu from “Mulan” and Young Simba in “The Lion King.”
Hand-drawn animation
According to the filmmakers, the choice of 2D hand-drawn animation was intentional, so as to allow the “flawed” artwork to be symbolic of all of humans’ flaws as well. The colorful and beautiful animation captures the expanse of emotions the Apostles, including John, and Jesus’ followers all experienced while watching him perform miracles and wash the feet of His people, be tortured and crucified, and then ultimately resurrected.
The film begins with John and James, two young boys, listening intently to their mother, Salome, about the coming of the Messiah. When John fails to bring back money from selling fish at the market, his father, Zebedee, is threatened with imprisonment should they not pay double their taxes in three days’ time. Desperate to right his wrong, John seeks out the Messiah to save his father.
After John witnesses Jesus turn water to wine and fill Zebedee’s nets with fish, he is invited to follow Jesus and be a “fisher of men,” and goes on to witness Jesus’ miracles, including the healing of Mary Magdalene. In one particularly moving scene, as Jesus walks through the streets of Jerusalem, also known as the Triumphal Entry, we see the crowds loudly cheering, and a little girl elated, exclaiming, “Did you see that? Jesus waved at me!”
Darkness and light
Throughout the film, darkness and light are consistent themes, and during particularly devastating moments we see the shadows of people depicted: Jesus being hit and questioned by Caiaphas, Peter running away after denying Jesus, and Jesus carrying the Cross.
In a particularly heartbreaking scene after The Last Supper, we see John beg Jesus not to let the Roman’s kill him. Jesus reminds him: “John, my death is not the end, it is the beginning. I’m choosing this, and I’m asking you to trust me.”
One of my favorite scenes is when Zebedee, a reluctant believer, kneels before his son, clutching his hands and saying desperately, “I ran out of reasons not to believe. It was your faith in Jesus that always led you down the right path, even when everything seemed hopeless, you believed. I’m ready, but how do I…?”
As John teaches his father “The Salvation Poem,” viewers are left with a profound feeling of hope, as John demonstrates how young people can inspire their own parents and elders to follow in the light of Jesus, and answers: “It starts with a prayer.”
For tickets and more information, visit lightoftheworld.com.
Movie still © The Salvation Poem Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
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