“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.
In Matthew’s genealogy, we read a short sentence that packs a punch. “David was the father of Solomon.” David, the man after God’s own heart, was also the man who coveted another man’s wife and arranged the man’s death. His life reads like an ancient portrait of a flawed leader who loved his people, led them into victory, and committed sins that would have destroyed the reputations of most modern figures.
Yet Scripture holds him up as both sinner and servant. Redeemed and redeemable. Capable of being lifted, even after falling. David was a man who was the embodiment of strength.
Finding Strength through Faith
Two Broadway songs capture that same spirit of strength & faith in a different language. “Something Good” from The Sound of Music reminds us that grace & faith shows up even in a life that was in the past ‘wicked & miserable!”. Somewhere in each of us dwells that spark of good & that moment of truth. Maybe that moment is why love arrives. Maybe it is why mercy breaks through.
Then there is “Something Wonderful” from The King and I. A powerful, imperfect man is capable of surprising tenderness. Something wonderful. Something redeeming. It is the old story all over again. People fall short. God finds a way to lift them. Someone sees the good that still lives inside them.
The Power of Film and the Need for Redemption
Film does this better than almost any other medium. Great movies show us people at their worst and then reveals the hidden spark that pushes them toward change. Many of the strongest stories on screen mirror the stories in Scripture. They give us characters who are both feared and judged. They show the dangers of power, ego, and pride. Then they remind us that every human being carries a shadow and a light.
It is why compassion matters. It is why forgiveness matters. We know what we are capable of. We know the harm we can do. We also know how deeply we long to rise above our failures and let redemption do its work.
Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus lives on as a metaphor for this kind of turning. People still say someone had a “road to Damascus” moment. It means the they had their ‘moment of truth.’. A new light came in.
My Own Road to Damascus
My own turning came when I began serving in nonprofits and churches. I learned that giving my time to others woke something in me. It made me aware of gifts I did not know I had. It gave me joy that outmatched any project or position I had taken on before.
Even the smallest job carried weight. Once, I was the only one available to answer the phone at work. A woman called in distress. She had found a beloved church member who had suddenly passed away. I connected her with the pastor she desperately needed. It struck me that the arguments about who should pick up the phone meant nothing. Life and death were on the other end of the line. That moment stayed with me. It reminded me that God meets us in the ordinary, and sometimes the ordinary becomes holy.
The Power of Redemption
Our mistakes do not disqualify us from God’s table. They point us back to who we really are. We repent. We learn. We change. We find humility again. And we give grace to ourselves when we fall short of the person we want to be.
Psalm 73:25 says, “There is nothing on Earth I desire besides you.” It reminds us to hold the world loosely. People change. Loss hurts. Life shifts. But God stays, and in His presence we are sustained.
“Joy comes in the morning.”
We hear that promise and often wonder if we can make it through the night. The world moves fast. Illness and fear rise up. Anxiety crowds our thoughts. Paul wrote “Rejoice in the Lord” because he understood hardship. He understood the long nights.
The phrase “I alone can fix it” belongs to only one-Christ. God can mend what feels broken beyond repair. In God we trust in the good seasons and the hard ones.