One of my favorite things about the TV is it’s ability to tell stories. If you know me at all, you know that movies based on a true story are something that have always gravitated to. That’s why Schinder’s List is one of my all time favorite movies. Not because it tells a heart warming story, but because it tells of something that I’ll never hear about first hand.
God Grew Tired of Us is a fascinating story about the 25,000 boys that fled from the Sudan government to save their lives. By the time the Lost Boys of Sudan found their way into Kenya, there were only 10,000 that remained. The rest simply didn’t make it. The documentary is a two-part story: the first is about who the Lost Boys of Sudan are, and the second is that of three boys journey to restart their lives in the US.
From light switches, refrigerators, running water, air planes, to the grocery store, the documentary reveals their first encounters with what we know to be normal. While that is fascinating, what captures your attention is their first hand perspective on differences in each culture.To give you a sense, one of the boys had this to say about Christmas.
“I wish someone could explain to me who this Santa Claus is. Is he in the Bible? How does he welcome the birth of Christ?”
Obviously very confused, he goes on to say,
“This tree is very nice, very beautiful, but I do not understand what it has to do with Christmas.”
The documentary is full of this dialogue and it challenges me to not just notice the differences, but question if my commitment to what they declared as abnormal, should remain my normal.
I highly recommend that you check out this documentary. It’s well worth the 89 minutes.
