My friend Darren Wilson wrote an amazing blog on chapter 2 of the revised and expanded Heavy Rain
book. Darren is the Founder of Wanderlust Productions and producer of five films: Finger of God, Furious Love, Father of Lights, Holy Ghost, and Holy Ghost Reborn.
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While reading Kris Vallotton’s take on the kingdom of God being a family affair in his book, Heavy Rain
, I couldn’t help but smile, thinking back two weeks earlier to a moment where the truths he was teaching in his book became very real for me.
I was shooting a series of roundtable discussions for my new television show, Adventures With God, and one of the episodes had to do with whether or not it was possible to find unity between Catholics and Protestants. At the round table sat a protestant Biblical scholar, an evangelist, a former southern baptist preacher, and a Catholic priest. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we all had a few differing views on theology!
WALKING IN UNITY
A frustration that has been growing inside of me lately is the seeming lack of ability for the worldwide church to truly walk in unity with one another. We throw the word around like a happy buzzword, content that voicing our support for unity is the same as actually walking in that unity. But the problem as I see it is that most people don’t actually know what it means to walk in unity with people they disagree with. We think that unity is simply tolerating people. But in Heavy Rain, Kris nails the true DNA of unity, particularly when it comes to the church.
“Unity is not conformity, but the celebration of diversity.” Notice that he doesn’t write that it is the toleration of diversity? Tolerating people and their differences and celebrating them are two very different things. One is easy to do because it simply requires you to hold your spiritual breath until the warring opinion is over. But celebrating diversity? That’s something else entirely.
PICTURE OF THE KINGDOM
Kris points out that doctrinal agreement should never trump the idea that we are all one family with one Father. When I sat at that table filming with four very different people, this concept was put to the test. Thankfully, I was filming with men who all valued love and honor, even in disagreement, and by the end of our time my protestant friends had learned a great deal from their Catholic brother, and my Catholic brother was blessed immensely by his protestant siblings. It was a small picture of the kingdom, and it was beautiful to watch.
In the end, my friend who was the biblical scholar made the ultimate point that I think Kris is also making in Heavy Rain. I’m pretty sure when I get to heaven, God isn’t going to pull me aside and point me out to everyone saying, “See this one here? He’s the only one who got all of my theology perfectly correct. He’s the only one who’s doctrine was perfect!” We’re all wrong in some respect, because we see through a glass darkly, and to forfeit our unity over doctrinal differences isn’t just dangerous, it actually grieves the Father. No parent wants to watch His children fighting one another. But like Kris mentions in his book, the Father is willing to take the risk because He wants a family. Doctrinal differences and all.
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For more on this subject, check out the Revised and Updated Edition of Heavy Rain: How to Flood Your World with God’s Transforming Power at HeavyRainBook.com
and watch the video below!
Are you part of a church that values family over doctrine? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Darren Wilson
is the Founder of Wanderlust Productions, a film/television production company that focuses on creating media that creatively and powerfully advances the kingdom of God around the world. Darren’s films have been seen by millions around the world. His first five films, Finger of God, Furious Love, Father of Lights, Holy Ghost, and Holy Ghost Reborn have helped change the spiritual temperature of the worldwide church. He is currently working on a new film and a variety of television shows. Darren has also written two books, Filming God, which details his journey out of skepticism into faith in the supernatural; and his latest, Finding God in the Bible, which is a book about friendship with God. He also has a regular blog for Charisma Magazine called Behind the Lens, where he writes about current events, spiritual questions, and the entertainment industry. Devon Franklin, VP of Production for Columbia Pictures, calls Darren “one of the most innovative filmmakers and authors of faith today.” Darren lives with his wife, Jenell, and their three children, Serenity, Stryder, and River in Greenville, SC.
