Tomorrow night is Oscar night. The Academy Awards is the one award show I follow each year. There is such a range of award shows these days but this is the grand-daddy of them all and I love it!  This year I won’t get to enjoy the “Red Carpet” because I will be at the church for our Sunday Cinema viewing of “The Soloist” but I will be home in time to see the big awards.

Hollywood has had a growing impact over the last century. From its humble early beginnings it has become a multi-billion dollar industry and its cultural sway is mind-boggling. There is much about the cinematic industry that makes me roll my eyes or scratch my head but at the same time it is an art form that brings stories to us in transforming ways.

This year our Sunday Cinema is showing movies that are based on true stories of people who have made huge sacrifices or given their all for a cause they believed in. Once I started selecting the movies (I limit it to five shows) I had a hard time choosing the ones we would watch. There are a lot of incredible stories out there that have been picked up by directors, producers and actors; stories of amazing people who have transformed lives by their dedication and commitment.

Stories tell who we are. Stories change us.  Jesus knew this; he was a storyteller like no other. Not only did his story remain but also the stories he told.

The stories being honoured at this year’s academy awards range from the delightful animated story “Up” (which we will be showing at our March Break Picnic Potluck and Movie – a wonderful story for young and old) to the challenging and powerful movie “The Hurt Locker”. So who do you think will win? Will the winner be the mind stretching “Avatar” or the heart-warming “Blind Side”?  No matter, there will be lots of chatter about it on Monday morning. And the stories told this year will be a marker of who we are as a culture.

If you could, what story would you tell in order to make an impact on our culture?