My Sunday evenings have been freed up a bit now since the end of Downton Abbey on PBS.
However, after a bit of channel surfing and a tip from Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP, film critic, I settled on The National Geographic Channel’s “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.”
For me, there were several appeals to tune in. First, National Geographic is by far my favorite magazine ever. They do great research and I have never been disappointed by their coverage of religion and culture, so I figured a series dedicated to God had to be a treat. And then there is the bonus of Morgan Freeman. I have to confess I would pretty much watch paint dry if it was narrated by Morgan Freeman. With that, my husband and I settled in for a look.
We were not disappointed. And apparently, neither were millions of other viewers. As I sat down to write this column it was reported on Live+3 ratings that the show garnered the highest viewership to date this year for the NGC.
The NGC miniseries follows Freeman as he travels to 20 cities in seven countries in a quest to find answers to the mysteries of faith. He visits some of the world’s holiest sites including the Vatican and the Holy Land and he talks to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddists and more.
In episode one, “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman: Beyond Death,” which aired April 3, Freeman explored the afterlife: how beliefs in the afterlife developed, how our reaction to the afterlife changed the way we live, and the rapid advances science is making for a “digital resurrection.” Seriously.
In episode two titled “Apocalypse,” Freeman sets off “on a journey to find out why so many religions predict an apocalypse, to discover the roots of Judgment Day, how ancient prophecies reverberate today, and to ask whether the end is really what we imagined, or if it’s all just in our minds.”
Keep in mind, this is not a one-sided look at God. So if you are looking for something in only a Catholic context, you’ll probably want to skip it. However, if you want to learn something outside what we Catholics already know, then this series is definitely worth your time.
In an interview with CBS News, Freeman said he hopes the series will help unite people of different religions.
“In this situation, we’re hoping that the public at large gets the lesson of the sameness of the human condition,” the Academy Award winning actor said.
“We’re not as different as we might think we are, we’re all seeking the same thing and asking the same questions, and basically coming up with the same ideas about who we are, what we are, and where we are going.”
Freeman’s hope for the series made me think of one my favorite books of the Bible. In fact, I thought so much about it that I picked up Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians and read it again. You could say the NGC series sent me right to the source.
In reflecting on St. Paul’s instructions, particularly in Chapters 12 and 13 (which are my favorites), I found again those words that can help us all put so many things of today into perspective. Those two chapters can also help guide us on how we are to act and view others, much like Freeman is trying to sort out in the series. Rather than distance ourselves from those with whom we disagree, I think St. Paul’s words urge us to work harder to appreciate the gifts of others and focus on that which unites us ... the Lord!
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord.” (1 Cor 12:4)
And instead of just an intellectual appreciation or because it is somehow “politically correct” to do or say certain things, Paul instructs us to do all things in the context of love.
“And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2)
Remembering that love bears all things and never fails is our best tool whether we are watching TV, listening to political candidates or working on our attitudes. Check it out for yourself in the Bible and to find out more about “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman,” visit http://www.natgeotv.com">http://www.natgeotv.com.