Mike and Kenny discuss the faith elements spotted in the films Promising Young Woman and Nomadland. Both films were nominated for Golden Globe awards with Nomadland winning Best Dramatic Picture and Chloe Zhao winningh the Best Director globe. Promising Young Woman is available on Amazon Prime and Yahoo Video on Demand, and Nomadland is available on Hulu.

Follow link to listen to podcast episode:

‎Faithspotting: Faithspotting “Promising Young Woman” and “Nomadland” on Apple Podcasts

 Faith Elements Spotted:

Processing Grief and Loss:

The two films demonstrate the consequences in trying to avoid or ignore dealing with and processing grief and loss vs working through loss, grief, and anger.

Cassie in Promising Young Woman responds to the attack and loss of her friend by withdrawing from others and holding on to much of her pain and anger. This results in her leading a life of self-imposed segregation built on and fueled by anger and resentment and seeking retribution and revenge rather than accountibility for those responsible. Rather than filling her voids of pain and loss with peace, seeking revenge only feeds her appetite for more vengence.

Seeking and Living in and by the Peace of God offered in Christ. John 14 and Philippians 4. The place and work of community to be a source of exeriencing and accepting the Peace of God. 

Nomadland offers an example of living the peace that is of God and found through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Such peace is experienced through taking time and reflection as well as through the care and love within community. This peace of God is in contrast to the peace that the world offers that is in reality not peace. Revenge may seem to offer peace or closure, but such is not the peace of God, that Christ offers and is not truly peace.

The place and work of community as an agency of God’s peace: The journey motif as an avenue to God’s Peace:

The place and role of time within community in preparing for the new life of peace found in God. The Wilderness experience of the Isrealites: Numbers 14 to Joshua though not easy, allowed the Israelites time and opportunity to better understand themselves and their God.

In Christian worship, Passing the Peace prior to the sacrament of Communion as ways to prepare to receive the true peace of God and the new life such peace provides.

Lastly, one of the over-arching themes in Nomadland is not judging others for answering and following different callings in life. Those who believe they are called to live differently than others are not less than, just living a life that is not conventional, and visa versa. Also, there is the recognition that that callings and circumstances change in life, and persons should not be judged for turning into different roads in their life journeys.