Review Of The Christian, Pro-life Movie — “Like Arrows”

   MOVIE FOUND ON NETFLIX

“ Children are the living messages that we send forth to a time that we will not see”

“LikeArrows” is a life-affirming movie in so many ways. It starts off with two university students — Charlie and Alice — discussing their pregnancy.  She’s about 12-13 weeks along and because of her upbringing, she has reservations about bring a baby into the world.

“ I don’t know how to be a mom. I don’t want to mess up some poor kid’s life.”

“ We already screwed up the plan. This wasn’t supposed to happen first” . . .”I’m going to start my Spring semester with a baby.”

Supportive Charlie, reassures her that — in spite of her upbringing — everything is going to be just fine. That she 
was not like her mom, and besides, he liked how she turned out. 

After the ultrasound Alice crosses paths with a woman who she confides in saying that the ultrasound made her realize how much she really did want him here, but she didn’t know what to do when he does arrive , to which Theresa (the sonographer) says:

“ Honey, you don’t have to be afraid of a child. You’re going to be a great mom. You’re gonna mess up, he’s, but all you gotta do is love ‘em.”

During their preparation for the baby, Alice makes the comment that this is a living, human being they are having. They both recognize the precious gift of humanity that they they have been given. 

Theresa (the sonographer) and her husband Kenneth stays

 in touch with Alice and Charlie. They mentor them in what it means to develop a personal and family environment that nurtures the truth of what it means to live in, love like — and walk in — Christ.They also go to parenting class at church where they learn and grow together. I must note that I absolutely love how the mentoring couple are minorities because it breaks down the stigma that black people are less stable in life. 

“ I know our job as parents is to make sure our kids are well taken care of, and to keep them out of trouble. Theresa and I began to realize that we had our priorities all wrong. We were looking at the spiritual development of our children as only part of their lives, but not the centrepiece. We cared more about how they acted than we did about teaching them what loving and trusting and walking with Jesus everyday looks like. What they learned from us was how to stay away from sin. Don’t mess up, and if you do, don’t tell anybody or you’ll be in big trouble. We taught them how to hide their sin, instead of how to confess it. They never saw us confessing anything.” — Kenneth 

Theresa, Kenneth’s wife , tells Alice:

“ Oh you already got it honey, and it’s all there. In the Bible. I mean I had all of my kids learn Proverbs 23, 13, and 14, as soon as they were old enough to talk.” — Theresa

The movie also deals with adoption.

“ I wanna talk to you about the things that you said to your sister today.” 
— Alice 

“ I was just kidding with her.”
— Josh

“ Honey, it’s not kidding if you tell her I’m not her real mommy.”
— Alice

“ Well you’re not, that’s what you told me.” 

— Josh

“ Well I’m not her birth-mom, but I’m still her real mommy. God had her planned for our family before she was even born.” 
— Alice 

“ Well why didn’t he put her in your tummy?” 
— Josh 

“ God just has different plans sometimes , that’s all.”
— Alice 

The rest of the movie continues to chronicle the growth of Alice & Charlie’s family throughout the years up to their 50th wedding anniversary where each of their children highlights how their parents helped them develop into the people they are today. 

It’s important that we, as the pro-life community, never cease breathing life into the we encounter in our daily lives whether it’s being gentle with and showing understanding to a mom whose child is crying in the store, to the in-depth interactions we have. Families are being destroyed all around us because Satan knows that the best way to get to the next generation is through the this unit. That’s why there’s so much rebellion against the Gospel today. So much hurt has been brought down through the generations, both spiritually — and otherwise. Family operations  have gone from staunchly legalistic to being to permissive.Family environments are now often led by electronics and schools, instead of their parents. There lacks balance.I could go on and on, but I digress. 

We need to get back to basics . We need to target our arrow towards love and intentional interactions towards others.  Most  importantly,  our own families. That’s where societal changes truly begins.

If you want to change the world, go home and love your family. 
— Mother Theresa