Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
Movie Review

Because of my schedule, I was unable to watch the movie at the Gideon. A few months passed and people began flooding my inbox, asking me if I had seen Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. Next my phone started ringing, and then the Facebook messages came. I finally turned to my Executive Project Manager for HOSFU and asked, "Do we have this film?"

"Nope, but we can get it." came the answer.

A few days later, the 100-minute documentary was screened by HOSFU. Within minutes of the screening, I was on the phone with Dan Merchant, the creator of Lord, Save Us.

There are many reasons for making a documentary. Some documentaries are intended to pull at your heartstrings, while others vie for you to rally to a cause. Then there are those that are designed to cause you to think and discuss. Lord, Save Us accomplishes all of the above and more. But here is the kicker: Merchant conducts the making of his documentary from a point of view that is respectful to all people, from atheists to agnostics to devout followers of Christ.

Dan Merchant begins with the premise that, statistically, 9 out of 10 people will tell you they believe in God. He then takes to the streets to find the answer to the question, "Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?"

Throughout Lord, Save Us, Merchant does "man on the street"-type interviews with dozens of people, while wearing a bumper sticker-clad jumpsuit. The jumpsuit has all sorts of symbols and stickers on it – both religious and anti-religious – that beg the question, "Which of these stand out to you and why?" The answers that he receives because of his conversation starter cover the spectrum of the American populace, and are extremely interesting and engaging.

In addition, Merchant takes the time to interview many well known activists, documenting their political ramblings and statements of faith. But the jewel of this documentary is the manner in which Merchant conducts himself in this film, with everyone he encounters.

Regardless of race, color, creed, origin, belief system, sexual preference or any other factor which could divide those he meets, Dan Merchant approaches each individual even-handedly, as a responsible human being who has something important to contribute.

Lord, Save Us is provocative, to say the least, but it is also humorous, touching and insightful.

Featuring bits with such well known individuals such as Pat Robertson, George Clooney, Bill Maher, Bono, Rick Warren, Janeane Garofalo and more, this is a film that is sure to cause discussion.

There are many great moments in Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. But to give you an idea of Merchant’s approach, my favorite moment of the film had to be when he set up a "confessional booth" at Portland, Oregon’s Gay Pride celebration: Pride Northwest. In the confessional sat Merchant, not knowing what to expect. Instead of "taking" confessions from those who entered, he offered his confession on behalf of the church. It was a fantastic and innovative approach to opening up dialogue with this group of folks.

At its core, this documentary does something very special. It invites all of us to consider the way we interact with one another, regardless of our background or beliefs. It encourages unity without compromising position. It offers hope and love in a dark world that so desperately needs so much more of both.

Here’s the scoop:


Good

• The innovative, gentle, even-handed and unique approach that Merchant takes in his interviews should be a standard among all who wish to interact with one another in a meaningful way.
• Specifically, the high quality of the interviews with well known persons provokes their helpful input and furthers the discussion.





Al Franken interview in Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

• There is sincerity across the board throughout the film in the equal screen time that Merchant gives the various viewpoints that can each be respected, regardless of the viewer's background or beliefs.
• Lord, Save Us encourages civility in any discussion that might take place after the viewing of the documentary (and believe me, you will want to discuss this movie). This is a refreshing change from the hostility, accusations of hypocrisy and flame-throwing that often tend to accompany discussions on religion and faith among mixed groups.
• The film as a whole is creative, with artwork, interactive maps, game show sequences, fun celebrity parts, etc. The film doesn’t feel cheap in its production. Rather, Merchant and his team took their time to craft a fine documentary from start to finish. The production quality is solid!

• Because there is no real linear story line, Lord, Save Us can come across as somewhat disjointed.
• The documentary seems to be a little on the long side, to communicate what Merchant was communicating. Having said that, this probably has to do more with my attention span than the 100 minutes of the film.

• I think every atheist, agnostic, Christian, homosexual and heterosexual person should take the time to watch Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. Don’t we all need a good dose of love and civility?

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a truly innovative approach to opening dialogue among all who are willing to watch it. Invite your atheist and agnostic friends over. Invite your pastor, the youth group at your church and that guy who is totally opposed to any kind of religion, but doesn’t have a clue as to what he believes. Pop some popcorn and watch Lord, Save Us together. Who knows, at the end of the show, a dialogue unlike any you’ve ever had might take place.

Thank you, Dan, for spearheading this film and persevering. I’m sure there were times – as there always is with any film – where you wondered if the whole thing was worth it. Well, now both of us know the answer to that question: it was worth it and more. I pray that you will have continued success with this work and anything else you feel Led to do. Keep us at HOSFU posted!

Check out Christian-Movie.com's exclusive interview
with creator Dan Merchant!

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