Not Without Hope

Attempting to distinguish itself from the way TV handles disaster and tragedy, Not Without Hope tells us that "the TV cameras turn off" after scenes of quakes, fire, flood, and hurricanes, leaving the stories of the victims and survivors of tragedies untold. In what it apparently thinks is a novel concept, Not Without Hope interviews a handful of Christian families--who lost their homes, possessions, or even loved ones--about their experiences and the effects upon their faith. Just like television, we're given shots of nature run amok followed by sound bites with the people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their comments run the gamut: one couple calmly accepts the loss of their house to fire (they still have the important things--each other and God); another woman looks at the terrible flooding in the Midwest during 1993 as God's way of getting her attention (she'd become complacent in her belief). The couple's strength is as admirable as the woman's hubris is revolting (the notion that God personally cut such a wide swath of destruction--both of property and of people--merely to get her attention is, or should be, repugnant to the sensibilities of Christian and non-Christian alike). Overall, the video is no better or worse than similar fare on TV, which makes it a very optional purchase for larger inspirational collections. (R. Pitman)