The Torchlighters: The Jim Elliot Story

A new animated series aimed at children from ages 8-12, The Torchlighters “tells the story of Christian heroes who have risked their very lives to bring the message of Jesus Christ to an antagonistic world.” In this program, Wheaton College hunk Jim Elliot is wrestling with Ed McCulley, but instead of the usual trash talk amidst the grunting and fighting, Jim says, “You ought to be a missionary, Ed, and I'm praying God makes you one.” During the mid-1950s, the pair embarked (along with others) on a missionary expedition to locate and convert the Auca people of Ecuador, who initially extended a tentative welcome to the missionaries, but later killed them. While some might have taken this as a hint, the widows and children of the slain men eventually traveled to the Auca village to meet the people, forgive them, and teach them about Christianity. Regardless of one's feelings about Western Christianity's mission to save “savages,” this production should have spent more time on the women, who not only had the courage to meet their husbands' murderers but also to continue working towards fulfilling their goal. Still, this is a well-done program, overall, and DVD features include bonus live-action interviews with two other missionaries from Elliot's group. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)