Reviewed by Ajibare Abioye
You’re welcome to the review of the first part of “High Calling” from The Mount Zion Film Productions. It was written and produced by Gloria Bamiloye. A nostalgic aspect of this production was the soundtrack which was a remake of Like a Tree from Jay-Mikee’s 2013 album A Living Sacrifice. This one was so much better and was accompanied by some really nice chants. The use of portraits in some settings in “High Calling” was to great aesthetic effect.
Ajibare Abioye
The acting in “High Calling” Part 1 was excellent. I love the way Fiyinfolu CP Okedare who plays John delivers his dialogue; very impressive. My favourite scene was where he and Kayode Owojori wonderfully portray the nature of the relationship between John and his father respectively.
I also love the characterization in “High Calling” Part 1. John is a lover of God who has finished his undergraduate studies with a third class degree and his brother Edward, played by Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and his father point to what they perceive as John’s over-zealousness for church activities as the cause. I think this is a scenario that sometimes occurs in university campus fellowships. John however makes it clear that he studied his books and didn’t tempt God by being unserious. He doesn’t let the result get to him much though, as he believes that he is not defined by that result but by God’s high calling upon his life.
In John, we find a man who sees and glorifies God in everything. Edward, on the other hand, is non-chalant towards his relationship with God; their father as well sees involvement in service to God in a church as “religious stuffs”. The film counters wrong notions of who a believer is; it corrects the stereotype about people actively involved in service to God being termed as pastors, thereby speaking against the spirit of religion that limits Christianity to the going around doing religious activities. John makes us see that it means rather, to have the spirit of Christ inside you.
Busy but not in the Father’s business
My take-away from this first part is the very thin line at surface value, in being a disciple of Jesus or just a nominal Christian. Edward and his father place reason OVER faith; to them, being a Christian is merely something fashionable on the outside, and so, dedication to God’s service doesn’t make too much meaning to them. Similarly, they regard secular activities much more than spiritual exercises and activities. We see Edward claiming to be so busy that he doesn’t have time for his relationship with God. A brother of mine once said that many Christians claim to be busy but are not in the Father’s business; I think this is true and calls for reflection on our parts.
Another thing for me is that we see the movie painted and driven by the plans that John’s and Edward’s dad has for them. I would say that Mr Johnson did have a beautiful plan for his sons, but it was a plan motivated by the fear of suffering and propelled by his harsh experience of life. However, nothing can be greater than the plans of the One who made us, who created us; His calling is higher than the troubles of this country. He calls us to something higher, something bigger than ourselves, even bigger than our natural abilities and talents. The Bible says that as far as the heavens are to the earth are His thoughts higher than our thoughts: God’s purpose for our lives is so grand that we cannot accomplish it in our own strength alone; we’d have to cry out to God to help us in accomplishing it.
That’s what happens in another scene that really gladdened my heart; the Holy Spirit tugged at John’s heart to tell his boss about the Good News that Jesus Christ saves. The first thing that flashed through my mind was that stage drama in “The Train” where an employee took steps to obey the Holy Spirit in a similar situation but ended up telling his boss about candles. John however, obeyed God and it turns out that all his boss needed to hear was the truth, and that set him, as well as his family, free from sin and bondage to the afflictions of the devil. He was only able to do this because He asked God to help Him.
I also observed that there is a need to really know what we are doing, to know when it’s time to pray and when it’s time to obey. For those who are yet to really commit themselves to God, when obedience is required, the usual response, like Edward gives, is “just be praying for us”.
Towards the end of Part 1, we begin to see some results in John’s life and we see the importance of seeking God’s will. John has built the practice of doing this to the extent that he is even certain that God has a mission for Edward in the United States. That’s the reason I don’t believe that God “allowed” him to have that grade from the university because one, even if he had had a first class like his brother, he would have still told his father that he sensed that God had something for him to do in the country at that moment; two, despite his result, his father later decides to send him overseas and he still refuses. So, for one reason or the other, he finished with a third class result; what is sure nonetheless is that God used that less-than-desirable situation and still glorified Himself in it.
Alright, we’ve come to the end of the review of “High Calling” Part 1. Click below to watch it.
Next, we’ll be reviewing the “High Calling” Part 2. Till then, stay blessed!