The Hiding Place, based on a book by Corrie ten Boom, tells how the ten Boom family hid Jews in their home in the Netherlands after the occupation of the Nazis during World War II. The heart of the story is the harrowing depiction of the experiences and resilient faith of Corrie and her sister Betsy when they were later imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. However, we also see how Papa ten Boom proclaimed Christ, blessed his community, and discipled his own daughters while running a watch shop in Haarlem, Netherlands. The link below shows a flashback to Corrie’s childhood when her father taught her about how God provides sufficient grace for the moment.
Starring Ingrid Bergman, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness tells the story of Gladys Aylward, a British missionary to China. Despite significant license taken by the screenwriters and directors, resulting in numerous historical inaccuracies (Gladys Aylward herself reportedly disliked the film), it does capture many inspiring aspects of Gladys’s life and missionary service. Possibly best known for leading about 100 orphaned children out of China when Japanese soldiers invaded in 1938, Gladys also used her workplace to disciple others and transform the community. For instance, she used the platform of a guesthouse to teach the Bible, and the position of foot inspector to bring women freedom from the practice of foot-binding.
In the clip linked below, Yang, the cook in Glady’s guesthouse, tells Bible stories (with less than perfect accuracy) to the overnight lodgers.
It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, has become a Christmastime classic that many families rewatch every year. If that is true of you, pay attention this year to the way transformation through business features so prominently in the film. While the movie does not include explicit Christian discipleship (despite the abundant Christian themes), it does depict how our choices, including how we run our businesses, impact our friends, family, and community. Instead of traveling the world, George Baily seems stuck in an insignificant position in a small town. In the end, he sees the impact his life made (by seeing what the world might have been like without him) and much of that impact came through the transforming influence of his business – a small savings and loan. This last clip shows a moment when George confronts greedy banker Mr. Potter.