Page Turner here, back for day 13. Here's my review on Woodlawn--MAJOR spoiler alerts ahead!
The thump of the wooden crutch echoes through the high school gym, loud in the otherwise silent room. A team of football players sat comfortably slumped on the bleachers; it was 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama and the team was having a hard time accepting integration. Coach Gerelds, at his wits end from the violence allowed Hank Erwin, a visiting chaplain to speak to his team. Hank stood in front of the boys and paused. Then he began to speak. An hour later, the entire team had given their lives to God, Coach Gerelds told his wife in disbelief the next night. How was that possible? Although he didn't understand, he saw a change in the way his teammates played, and the way they acted toward one another. An African-American player, Tony Nathan, soon got to know Coach Gerelds, and even invited him to a Bible study. Gerelds declined, but Tony never stopped going, along with the rest of the team. He even invited a girl named Jonni to his church. A few weeks later, at that same church, Coach Gerelds stood up nervously before the whole audience and confessed that he had given his life to Christ. Now united because of God's love, the team worked harder than ever, winning game after game as they advanced toward the championship. Scouts began to notice Tony Nathan, who quickly and meteorically rose his way as a new football star. Lives were changed because of their commitment to Christ--another team came to God, prayers were held in school, and the boys all went to Bible study together, growing in their knowledge and love for the Lord. They only had one more game left, but the school committee realized things were getting 'out of hand', that the players were praying before and after each game, that he had invited a chaplain to speak, and that they all attended Bible study. They said that if any spiritual thing they did as group--even outside of school--persisted, then his position in the school would be terminated. The team refused to back down. The night before the game, in the empty stadium, the players and their family and friends stood on the bleachers and Hank on the field. He lit a single candle. "I never thought that I was significant," he said, leaning on his crutch, the candle in his other hand, "I never believed that God could use me. But look, team, even you in the back can see my candle. You can see the light, as small as it is." He walked over to the nearest player and lit a candle he was holding. The player did the same to his neighbor, until over 100 candles sparkled in the audience. "One because two, and two becomes ten, and ten becomes one thousand," Hank said. He put down his candle and pointed his index finger to the sky. "You know that's what we do when we want to show others we're glorifying God," Hank said, pointing. "But what is it? It's a one. We serve one God, and we get to heaven through One, the Lord Jesus. Tonight, we stand as one." The Woodlawn team didn't win the game that night, but in reality, they did. As Hank stood with Coach Geralds on the field before the game started, amid a turnout so large for a high school game that no crowd for high school football, has ever been so big again, Hank took the microphone. "Our Father, who art in heaven," he prayed. He continued, when suddenly the microphone was unplugged. Nevertheless, the entire stadium stood up and finished the prayer. Woodlawn had succeed, and God was glorified.
Woodlawn didn't win the game. Coach Geralds was fired, and had got a job as an insurance man, but it was worth it, they all knew. They had a gift more priceless than a cup or a medal--they had God and they continued to share him with others. Tony married Jonni and played for Alabama, and others from the team moved on to their own lives, never forgetting the day they had come to know God in the gym at Woodlawn.
I loved this movie! It shows how God's love can radically and powerfully change the hearts of millions! Pray this Valentine's Day that God will help us show His love to others. 5 stars!
The thump of the wooden crutch echoes through the high school gym, loud in the otherwise silent room. A team of football players sat comfortably slumped on the bleachers; it was 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama and the team was having a hard time accepting integration. Coach Gerelds, at his wits end from the violence allowed Hank Erwin, a visiting chaplain to speak to his team. Hank stood in front of the boys and paused. Then he began to speak. An hour later, the entire team had given their lives to God, Coach Gerelds told his wife in disbelief the next night. How was that possible? Although he didn't understand, he saw a change in the way his teammates played, and the way they acted toward one another. An African-American player, Tony Nathan, soon got to know Coach Gerelds, and even invited him to a Bible study. Gerelds declined, but Tony never stopped going, along with the rest of the team. He even invited a girl named Jonni to his church. A few weeks later, at that same church, Coach Gerelds stood up nervously before the whole audience and confessed that he had given his life to Christ. Now united because of God's love, the team worked harder than ever, winning game after game as they advanced toward the championship. Scouts began to notice Tony Nathan, who quickly and meteorically rose his way as a new football star. Lives were changed because of their commitment to Christ--another team came to God, prayers were held in school, and the boys all went to Bible study together, growing in their knowledge and love for the Lord. They only had one more game left, but the school committee realized things were getting 'out of hand', that the players were praying before and after each game, that he had invited a chaplain to speak, and that they all attended Bible study. They said that if any spiritual thing they did as group--even outside of school--persisted, then his position in the school would be terminated. The team refused to back down. The night before the game, in the empty stadium, the players and their family and friends stood on the bleachers and Hank on the field. He lit a single candle. "I never thought that I was significant," he said, leaning on his crutch, the candle in his other hand, "I never believed that God could use me. But look, team, even you in the back can see my candle. You can see the light, as small as it is." He walked over to the nearest player and lit a candle he was holding. The player did the same to his neighbor, until over 100 candles sparkled in the audience. "One because two, and two becomes ten, and ten becomes one thousand," Hank said. He put down his candle and pointed his index finger to the sky. "You know that's what we do when we want to show others we're glorifying God," Hank said, pointing. "But what is it? It's a one. We serve one God, and we get to heaven through One, the Lord Jesus. Tonight, we stand as one." The Woodlawn team didn't win the game that night, but in reality, they did. As Hank stood with Coach Geralds on the field before the game started, amid a turnout so large for a high school game that no crowd for high school football, has ever been so big again, Hank took the microphone. "Our Father, who art in heaven," he prayed. He continued, when suddenly the microphone was unplugged. Nevertheless, the entire stadium stood up and finished the prayer. Woodlawn had succeed, and God was glorified.
Woodlawn didn't win the game. Coach Geralds was fired, and had got a job as an insurance man, but it was worth it, they all knew. They had a gift more priceless than a cup or a medal--they had God and they continued to share him with others. Tony married Jonni and played for Alabama, and others from the team moved on to their own lives, never forgetting the day they had come to know God in the gym at Woodlawn.
I loved this movie! It shows how God's love can radically and powerfully change the hearts of millions! Pray this Valentine's Day that God will help us show His love to others. 5 stars!
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