Only In the Movies?

My family and I recently went to see the movie, Disclosure Day.

I loved it.

I’ve always been drawn to stories that weave together faith, compassion, empathy, and awareness. The kinds of stories that leave you thinking long after the credits roll. The kinds of stories that remind us that there is more connecting us than dividing us.

As I sat in the theater, I found myself wondering something I often wonder when I watch movies with a meaningful message.

Do people see the message?

Or do they simply see the movie?

Of course, not every message is interpreted the same way. Two people can watch the exact same film and walk away with entirely different perspectives.

But when a story invites us to practice empathy, to understand someone else’s experience, or to recognize our shared humanity, what does it mean when we choose not to hear that message?

What does it say when we dismiss it?

What does it say when we explain it away?

What does it say when we leave the theater inspired but return to our lives unchanged?

We live in a time that often feels divided.

People argue about politics, religion, race, culture, identity, and countless other topics. We are constantly reminded of what separates us.

Yet some of the most powerful stories remind us of something else.

They remind us that every person has hopes.

Every person has fears.

Every person experiences loss.

Every person wants to belong.

Every person wants to be seen.

Every person wants to be loved.

The details may differ, but the human experience is remarkably familiar.

Sometimes I wonder what the world would look like if we approached one another with genuine curiosity instead of assumptions.

What if we were willing to learn about cultures different from our own instead of reducing them to stereotypes?

What if we stopped placing people into neat little boxes and allowed them to be fully human?

What if diversity wasn’t something to tolerate but something to appreciate?

Not because we agree on everything.

But because we understand that differences do not diminish our shared humanity.

I know it’s just a movie.

And there have been countless movies before it that carried important messages.

But maybe that’s exactly why I keep thinking about it.

Because so often we celebrate empathy on a screen while struggling to practice it in real life.

We applaud the character who extends compassion.

We cheer for the person who stands up for someone else.

We admire the individual who chooses understanding over judgment.

Yet outside the theater, those same choices can feel much harder.

One of my favorite movies has always been Signs.

On the surface, many people remember it as a suspenseful story.

But underneath, it was a story about faith.

About believing there is a purpose even when we cannot see it.

About trusting that our experiences, our struggles, and even our pain may have meaning we do not yet understand.

That message stayed with me.

And maybe that’s why stories matter.

Not because they entertain us for two hours.

But because they invite us to become something better afterward.

Maybe the real question isn’t whether a movie has a message.

Maybe the question is whether we’re willing to carry that message with us when the lights come back on.

Because loving humanity is a beautiful idea.

The challenge is choosing to practice it beyond the screen.