The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

December, 1923 603 Pictures and the Church Conducted by Chester C. Marshall, D. D. Preaching With Motion Pictures THE title of this article may come with something of a shock to some of our readers. To such we would recall that our Lord in the days of the flesh preached with pictures. To be sure he did not use the stereopticon or motion picture. Such things would have been astounding miracles in His day. Nevertheless, He used the picture method. When He wanted to bring to men a full realization of the love and mercy of God, when He wanted to present God in His truest form, He took His brush and in such vivid colors as were never mixed by artist, painted the picture known as the Prodigal Son. There is the picture of God at His best, and of man in his greatest need. The picture method was the way to make it remembered. True, this was a word picture — the only kind He could well employ. Only once, so far as our record goes, did He ever write — but when He did write He stooped down and wrote in the sand. The very picturesqueness of His method made an indelible impression upon His spectators. When the church of today considers the possibility of visual teaching and appeal, it is well for those whose sensibilities are offended to remember the picture and parable methods of our Lord. The objection may be made that there are not suitable films for religious work, even though this may be a permissible method. It is granted that there is a great lack of pictures for this express purpose. It would be strange if there were many such pictures so long as there has been no realization on the part of the church that here was a great instrument awaiting the utilization, and so long as there was a hostility to their use in connection with church activity. If the churches are to stand aloof until there is a great library of films expressly made for them, they will wait in vain while a golden opportunity passes by. Films are exceedingly expensive, and the demand in the entertainment field is so tremendous and profitable that no worth-while attempt will be made to exploit a new field until it is reasonably certain that a ♦Reprinted from the Chrisrtian Herald, May 15, 1920, by permission. fair revenue may be derived from rentals. As the number of churches with projection equipment increases, the number of films for church use will increase, and this in turn will encourage many more churches to prepare for the use of this new method of work. But if churches are really anxious to see the existence of a large library of religious and educational films, let them help along their coming by the immediate installation of equipment. One is not to infer that there are no pictures now available for church use. There are enough already to keep any church going until such time as new and better ones are forthcoming. There is one picture which perhaps more than any other demonstrates the power of motion pictures in evangelistic use — a sevenreel film entitled "The Stream of Life." The scenario was written by a clergyman, Dr. James K. Shields, and the picture was produced under his personal supervision. It is a simple analogy between a human life and a stream, starting as a mere rill up in the hills, broadening out and deepening into the brook and then the great, strong river current that is borne out into the sea. The story is of a boy, Philip Maynard, reared in a country home, surrounded by the best and most wholesome simplicity and religious influences. Anon, he is a young man, hearing the call of the city. To the city he goes, with the little Bible incribed by his mother. He finds success and social prominence, but, like a multitude of others, in so doing he loses his religion. We are introduced into a home of rare refinement and culture, where all the hopes of life are centered in the beautiful daughter, Marjorie. A visit from the delightful old mother brings embarrassing reminders of the omission of grace at meals, family prayers, and neglect of the dust-covered Bible, which mother had given him when he left for the city. At length a dark shadow falls upon the home in the death of the little daughter. To grief is added rebellion and unbelief. Business grows by leaps and bounds but money cannot buy happiness. Riches avail naught when one has lost his own soul. He plunges deeper into business to drown his sorrow and the grieving