The Forge, the newest film from the Kendrick Brothers (Courageous, War Room) follows 19-year-old Isaiah (Aspen Kennedy) as he moves from being a boy obsessed with gaming, basketball, and himself to a man in love with the Lord.
Isaiah’s mom, Cynthia (Priscilla C. Shirer), gives him the ultimatum: you’ve got one month to find a job and contribute to the upkeep of the household, or you can find a friend who’s willing to loan his couch. As Isaiah sets off to seek employment, Cynthia recruits the customers at her hair salon to pray for him. When the ladies start praying, another woman enters and says, “Is this a hair salon or a prayer salon?” to which Cynthia replies, “Today it’s both. What do you need?”
When Isaiah walks into Moore Fitness, he’s doubtful he’d fit in there but fills out an application, nonetheless. Disrespectful to both the receptionist and the random guy who walks into the lobby, he is horrified to find out he’s just told off Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett), the CEO. When Moore doesn’t immediately dismiss him, Isaiah’s surprised and agrees to meet Moore to talk about the answers to two questions he proposes: 1. What kind of man do you want to be, and 2. What do you want people to think when they see you coming?
One of the terms Moore insists upon when hiring Isaiah is that he come in before his shift for mentoring by Moore himself. Just happy to have a job, Isaiah consents. Little does he know that his life is about to change, and change dramatically, for the better.
Filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick are well known to audiences who enjoy faith-based films. The Forge, like Overcomer and War Room before it, will be inspiring for many. Some audiences may be put off by the overt and vocal displays of prayer that are a bit more typical to the South (the film is set in North Carolina) and the seeming ease with which conversion is affected in Isaiah’s life. Be that as it may, this author believes the film could be well-used by youth and young adult groups to kick-start meaningful conversation about faith and life.
Also, one cannot deny that the kind of mentoring showcased in the film could be of spiritual benefit to teens and young adults, especially those looking for direction in their lives.
Joshua Moore, Isaiah Wright, and their friends may have The Forge, but in the Catholic Church, we have a real organization, the Knights of Columbus which is a men’s fraternity group that empowers men to live their faith at home, in the parish, at work, and in their community. They do much community outreach, charity work, offer scholarships, and so much more.
In the film, the spiritual mentoring the characters enter into is referred to as “discipling.” It means that one person chooses one other person to mentor in the faith, to be a model and guide for how to live discipleship with Jesus Christ. That very idea is at the core of “Walk With One,” the program coming out of the Eucharistic Revival that invites every Catholic to walk with just one other person, to accompany them as spiritual companions in their journey of faith.
The Forge opens in theaters on August 23rd. Go to THEFORGEMOVIE.COM for more information.
