https://vimeo.com/305151148

If you鈥檝e ever met Bob, you know that he is a man of apparent contradictions. He speaks with a calm gentleness, meaning you might miss the pointed fierceness of his indictments of oppressive powers. One moment he鈥檚 decrying the injustice of nationalistic capitalism, and the next he鈥檚 leading a charismatic prayer for healing.

But the more you get to know him, you realize these aren鈥檛 contradictions for Bob. His political and social convictions are intimately connected to and informed by his vibrant faith in a God who is near and active in human affairs, especially in places of injustice and marginalization. It wasn鈥檛 always this way, though. In the post-9/11 atmosphere of fear and distrust of outsiders, Bob often felt like his faith had nothing to offer those who most needed good news. He was intrigued by Christians who spoke of miracles and prayed for healing, but he knew that those more charismatic circles were so often connected with harmful conservative and nationalist politics. The chasm between Christianity and social justice felt devastatingly vast.

鈥淭he evangelical and charismatic churches would be promoting the Reagan and Bush administrations鈥� policies, always dismissing everything we had to say,鈥� says Bob. 鈥淲e鈥檇 speak in churches and people would just oppose us. So we were getting more and more frustrated and feeling quite antagonistic toward the United States.鈥�

Bob鈥檚 journey of working to reconcile that divide is chronicled in this documentary from the , a short film series 鈥渆xploring the crossroads of God鈥檚 presence in our lives and justice on the earth.鈥� The film offers an overview of Bob鈥檚 story, documenting the progression of his faith, his encounters with both liberation theology and the charismatic movement, and his work in Washington and around the world.

鈥淭he places of deepest brokenness and marginalization everywhere in the world require a united body of Christ.鈥�

This is a beautiful, compelling film, and it reminds us that a meaningful pilgrimage is not just about leaving home embark on something new; there is, eventually, a return to service. For Bob and Gracie Ekblad, that meant returning to the United States to work within the Church instead of outside it, helping to foster reconciliation in places that had been divided for too long.

鈥淚n our ministry, God is doing a work where word鈥攔eading Scriptures for good news at the margins鈥攕pirit鈥攖he gifts of the Holy Spirit, moving in the power of the Holy Spirit鈥攁nd street鈥攋ustice, advocacy, peacemaking, confronting the powers, standing with the downtrodden鈥攖hose three pieces we feel called to champion together, in a united way,鈥� says Bob. 鈥淲e see that the places of deepest brokenness and marginalization everywhere in the world require a united body of Christ. So we feel called to a ministry of reconciliation, and there鈥檚 a need for repentance on lots of fronts. We needed to repent of all of our judgements, harsh judgements against evangelicals and charismatics. And churches that endorse the status quo need to repent of that and be about Jesus and the kingdom of God. Without that happening, we鈥檙e going to see increasing division and ineffective ministry, because the body of Christ isn鈥檛 going to be trusted around the world.鈥�

Our thanks to filmmaker Fred Sprinkle and the Wind Vane Project for helping tell Bob鈥檚 story, and for offering a compelling picture of a vibrant, active faith that does not shy away from the darkest injustices in our world. You can learn more about their project , and more about Bob and Gracie Ekblad and their work .

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What a cinematic year uplifting the underdogs, the outsiders, and those on the margins. Our finest filmmakers dignify the oppressed and elevate the overlooked (as in the instant classic, Roma). Empathy can arise from unlikely sources, from a western rodeo story directed by a woman from Beijing (The Rider) to a nuanced portrait of 13 year-old girl made by a seemingly crass YouTube comedian (Eighth Grade). Such compassion and decency rose far above our hard-headed and hard-hearted politics. Righteous anger drove so many pictures towards savage satire and social commentary (like Sorry to Bother You). Mr. Rogers demonstrated how revolutionary kindness remains in Won鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor? Enduring films like Shoplifters continue to answer the ancient question, 鈥淎m I my brother and sister鈥檚 keeper?鈥� with an emphatic, 鈥淵es.鈥�

While I haven鈥檛 seen all the highly acclaimed pictures from 2018 (including Cold War, Leave No Trace, and Burning), I have been so inspired by movies I did catch. This was the strongest year for African American stories that I have witnessed in my lifetime (including powerful films like The Hate U Give and Widows that didn鈥檛 make my Top 12). Filmmakers addressed ongoing cultural blindspots and the holes in our collective soul. Even Burden, the best unreleased film (and Sundance Audience Award Winner) embodied what we needed鈥攈ard-won hope amidst racial tension between Klan members and an African-American pastor. Burden occupied a painful spot that studios fear: too religious for mainstream audiences and too edgy for faith-based filmgoers. Will we have an opportunity to rally around this inspiring true story in 2019? We desperately need films that expand our empathy and embrace the Other.

The best actors in 2018 elevated stories we鈥檝e seen before to a new level of pathos. Rami Malek (in Bohemian Rhapsody) and Bradley Cooper (in A Star is Born) play tortured musicians who keep their demons at bay only while onstage. The gap between the joy of performing and the struggle to make peace with everyday life was so palpable in these musical biopics.

A Star is Born was also noteworthy in delivering the best song. The first hour of this old Hollywood story sizzles with romantic sparks that culminate in Lady Gaga busting out of her shell with 鈥淪hallow.鈥� What a grand moment of movie magic.

For best actress, Laura Dern in The Tale and Toni Collette in Hereditary both wade into family secrets and unaddressed trauma. Their emotions veer appropriately wild in these ghost stories rooted in horrific backstories. In stepping into Jennifer Fox鈥檚 confessional memoir, Dern gifted us with a timely #MeToo tale. Alas, since The Tale premiered on HBO rather than in theaters, Dern鈥檚 performance won鈥檛 even be considered for an Oscar. Same for Kathryn Hahn, who also deserves award consideration for her fierce and funny portrait of a woman determined to get pregnant in Private Life. Filmmaker Tamara Jenkins skewers the baby-making industry (and self-involved New Yorkers) in this Netflix comedy.

鈥淥ur finest filmmakers dignify the oppressed and elevate the overlooked.鈥�

Major shifts in finance and distribution will continue to challenge the Academy鈥檚 notion of what makes a film 鈥榝oreign鈥� or even a feature. The deep pockets of Netflix allow them to release features in theaters and on home video almost simultaneously. If Roma captures the Academy Award for Best Picture it deserves, then perhaps the old rules will go with the flow. While I cherish the big screen experience, increasingly, a movie is something we hold close, in our hearts as well as our hands. These were 12 truly moving pictures in 2018:

12. Foxtrot 鈥� A brilliant three-part exploration of life on the Israeli/Palestinian border with all the painful and absurdist realities of war we imagine. Director Samuel Maoz offered this moving rationale for his cautionary tale, 鈥淚f I criticize the place I live, I do it because I worry. I do it because I want to protect it. I do it from love.鈥�

11. Blindspotting 鈥� Oakland鈥檚 other outstanding film from 2018 (along with Black Panther and Sorry to Bother You). A frank exploration of how friendship can overcome the perils of incarceration, gentrification, and police violence from writers/actors Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal and first-time feature filmmaker Carlos L贸pez Estrada.

10. Green Book 鈥� A deeply satisfying inversion of Driving Miss Daisy as Viggo Mortensen鈥檚 tough Italian driver gets schooled by the refined musicality of Mahershala Ali during a jazz tour through the pre-Civil Rights South. Loosely based on the true story of 鈥淭ony Lip鈥� Vallelonga and pianist Don Shirley.

9. Won鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor? 鈥� The kindness and decency of Mr. Rogers can melt even the hardest hearts. No cinematic tricks are needed to convey how Fred Rogers鈥� PBS television ministry remains a bold, Christ-like, counter-cultural force even 50 years later. Bring your Kleenex鈥攖ears will be shed.

8. Sorry to Bother You 鈥� Oakland rapper Boots Riley takes on tech titans and the entire capitalist system in this savage satire that manages to connect telemarketers, code-switching, and Google鈥檚 monopolizing. Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson engage in some weird, wild, political performance art.

7. The Rider 鈥� Director Chloe Zhao chronicles what happens outside the rodeo ring in this painful and healing portrait of American manhood today. A strong, nearly silent affirmation of riding life out no matter how hard the bull or the circumstances kick.

6. Eighth Grade 鈥� Laugh until it hurts in this poignant peek into an exceptionally awkward age. Bo Burnham brings profound pathos to the plight of tween girls (and their fathers). Actor Elsie Fisher deserves some kind of special Oscar for her fearlessness.

5. BlackKklansman 鈥� A crackerjack undercover cop story and a searing exploration of how racism is passed on from generation to generation. Spike Lee connected resistance to black empowerment from the 鈥�60s up through the recent murder in Charlottesville. We sat in stunned and reverent silence afterwards.

4. If Beale Street Could Talk 鈥� The camera aches and swoons alongside the young lovers in 鈥�70s New York. Such a rich demonstration of the power of the African American intellectual tradition, from James Baldwin鈥檚 words to Nina Simone鈥檚 music through the direction of the brilliant Barry Jenkins. A timeless and heartbreaking commentary on the ongoing incarceration of black men.

3. Shoplifters 鈥� A warm, deeply humane portrait of family as well as a scathing critique of how Japan tosses aside far too many citizens. Hirokazu Kore-eda shows us how love can transcend biological ties and defy social mores. For those who have eyes to see…

2. First Reformed 鈥� Filmmaker Paul Schrader fuses the ominous dread of Taxi Driver with the spiritual longing of Diary of a Country Priest in this astonishing realization of his Transcendental Style. As a tortured pastor, Ethan Hawke ponders the vexing question, 鈥淐an God forgive us for what we鈥檝e done to this world?鈥� Austere and demanding.

1. Roma 鈥� Bracingly beautiful reminiscence of growing up in Mexico City by Alfonso Cuar贸n with four or five fully realized, instantly classic scenes. Instead of the usual childhood from the filmmaker鈥檚 perspective, we see life through the lens of a family鈥檚 live-in housekeeper, Cleo (played by Oaxacan actress Yalitza Aparicio). Cuaron merges Italian neo-realism with the long, master shots of Andrei Tarkovsky to create this utterly original cinematic event. Compassion abounds in every dreamlike frame.

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Crazy Rich Asians has become the most popular romantic comedy . Not since Pretty Woman () has a rom com topped the American box office for three weekends in a row. This remarkable reception is an overdue affirmation that moviegoers (and finally, maybe even Hollywood) see Asian actors and stories as significant and worthy of investment. In an era when questions of identity dominate academia and social media, Crazy Rich Asians overcame . Imagine the pressure on the cast and crew when film studios have only offered such an opportunity once a generation. Director John M. Chu and his talented cast rose to the occasion, delivering laughter, romance, and a refreshing range of representations.

Crazy Rich Asians is dedicated to upending鈥攐r at least expanding鈥攐ur understanding of how Asians live and work, play and pray. Viewers are whisked from the academic confines of NYU to the glittering streets of Singapore. What a perfect backdrop for rising Asian stars to shine, from Constance Wu (from the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat), to Malaysian TV host Henry Golding and his fabulous abs of steel. As Rachel and Nick, they are gorgeous, intelligent, charming, and complex. We all want to see characters who resemble us enter into vexing dilemmas and make wise choices. Aspirational images are important for kids of all ages to see on their array of screens. The love lavished upon Crazy Rich Asians corresponds to the pent-up longing to see roles move beyond tired stereotypes. For those burdened as a 鈥榤odel minority,鈥� what relief to discover that Asian families can be petty, conniving, and maddening, too!

Crazy Rich Asians does a great job of placing the familial ties in Singapore into conflict with the individualism that the American economic and educational system promotes, offering us the rare opportunity to eavesdrop on issues of shame, honor, and individualism within a single extended family (who happen to be billionaires!). Can Chinese values in the east be married to the personal expression endemic to the west? The power plays between Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick鈥檚 mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), are a consistent delight. They demonstrate the layers of class and cultural conflicts within the Chinese diaspora. Singaporeans who aren鈥檛 Chinese have valid reasons for wondering when their stories will be told with equal affection. And what about the many cultures contained within the broader Asian context? We need far more than one Hollywood film to reflect the diversity and wonder found across 40% of our global population.

The scene that aroused my curiosity arrived early: when we drop in on a Bible study within the palatial home of the Tai family. (Kevin Kwan鈥檚 Crazy Rich trilogy began with a poem he wrote in college entitled ) Fierce matriarch Eleanor Young and her fellow aunties are reading Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Colossians while updating each other on rumors regarding Nick鈥檚 date for an upcoming family wedding. Some viewers may be surprised to see Christianity associated with wealth, power, and status in Singapore. And yet, Eleanor reads, 鈥淪o if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above鈥et your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.鈥� The discrepancy between their opulent lifestyles and these heavenly virtues is quite apparent. Asian Christians deal with many of the same tensions and temptations that American churches struggle to address鈥攈ow to follow the sacrificial way of Jesus amidst such affluence.

But in this scene, we also are being invited into a discussion of family honor. What if a New Yorker like Rachel Chu shames a clan that has fled oppression and worked diligently across the generations to forge a bright future for the Young, T鈥檚ien, and Shang clan? Eleanor wonders how American of an Asian Rachel might be. The plot explores the tension between loyalty to the family and personal pursuit of the vagaries of love.

鈥淭he plot explores the tension between loyalty to the family and personal pursuit of the vagaries of love.鈥�

Crazy Rich Asians may be the most successful romantic comedy since Pretty Woman because it expands the Cinderella formula from fantasy into genuine cultural tensions. Yes, Rachel may not be as regal in her upbringing as Nick. And perhaps her single mother couldn鈥檛 afford to dress her in the most stylish gown. We wouldn鈥檛 necessarily consider Awkwafina a fairy godmother (although her hot pink Audi R8 makes a pretty effective chariot). The extreme makeover that Oliver T鈥檚ien (the charming Nico Santos) oversees is definitely magical. But the dramatic bind that Rachel finds herself within is rooted in genuine social, economic, and cultural chasms.

Crazy Rich Asians pivots upon Eleanor鈥檚 ability to reconcile her expectations for a future daughter-in-law with Rachel鈥檚 love for Nick. While Rachel is used to passing tests and performing at lofty levels, nothing seems to satisfy Eleanor鈥檚 demands. The conflict builds to a showdown at a mahjong parlor. Their dramatic turns when Rachel discards the tile (and power) she holds in her hands, allowing Eleanor to claim a pyrrhic victory. Rachel lays down her expertise in game theory. Winning this match would mean losing Nick. Such sacrificial love cuts through Eleanor鈥檚 defenses and calls her toward those 鈥渢hings that are above鈥� that dogged her throughout the story.

Smart movies manage to imbue remarkable power into a single prop or gesture. I got misty-eyed when Eleanor ultimately makes her own engagement ring available to Nick to place on Rachel鈥檚 finger. That ring conveys the full blessing and acceptance of the Young, T鈥檚ien, and Shang clan. The tensions of marrying for love and honoring the family have been resolved. The beauty of Crazy Rich Asians is not just in the clothes, cars, and cast, but in the reconciliation that occurs between east and west, individuals and families, beliefs and practices.

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