On April 19, 1999, I was going about my regular business as a 16-year-old student. I was going to church, regularly involved in children’s ministry, trying to lead a couple groups at school, playing soccer, running track, and not really worrying much about life. The next day, though, things changed! On April 20, the Columbine High School shooting rocked the world.
The first student shot that day was Rachel Joy Scott. She is famous for being one of the Christians who stood up for her faith and declared Jesus as Lord before being shot. Her parents collected Rachel’s journal entries and drawings for the book Rachel’s Tears, but now her story has been made into a movie that launches on October 21, 2016, called I’m Not Ashamed.
Earlier this summer, I got the opportunity to see an early release of I’m Not Ashamed with several other youth ministers and student leaders. It was weird seeing it portrayed in front of me, because it was something I lived through. I imagine it will be a similar experience when I watch movies based on 9/11 or the Boston Marathon bombings. Part of it felt like a movie, but then there was the reality that kept coming back in my mind–I lived through this, and these people were my age!
Overall, I think all the actors, writers, directors, and crew did a great job on this story. It truly captured what I think Rachel went through. She didn’t always have a great life, and she had her struggles, even with God. But in the end, she held onto Him and the relationship she had with Him–even to the point of death. One of the coolest things I think this movie shows is her growth. You see her question and seek answers. You see what that does to her friendships and interactions with her parents. You also get to see the progression of the shooters. While it is obviously not an exact representation of what happened (you can’t really do that in a movie), I feel like it was really close, because it felt very real.
Many Christian movies come across pretty cheesy, but I did not get that from this one. It told a true story about a girl who grew in her faith until the day it cost her her life. Yes, there were times when the students are focused on dating and other teenage things that might seem childish to some adults, but please remember that the movie makers were just trying to capture what it was really like for high schoolers in 1999.
I highly recommend this movie. Not only is it well done, it will open up the doors for conversations. Parents, go with your teenagers. Then, make it a point to discuss the movie afterward. Talk about what stood out to you. Talk about how you think you would have reacted if you were in that situation. Talk about how it connects to what it’s like today to be a Christian in a public school. Above all, pray as a family that you will have the confidence to live out your faith every day, just like Rachel, even if it means a martyr’s death.
For youth groups wanting to go together, you can even purchase group tickets! You can also download the I am Hope app on your mobile device, which contains two four-week discipleship series to empower your group to share their faith.
Check out the movie website at imnotashamedfilm.com.
Steve Cullum 
Hello my namr is Christine Jaison I have been really really really good this year I have been listening to my mom and my dad I even help my parents by talking to them nicely and I was been praying with them so much so since I have been really really really good this year and I have been listening to my parents so much I just wanted to let you know that I talked to my mom and dad already and they said yes also they mention to me by letting you know as well so would you to get me something for me like would you be able to message The Real Jesus Christ on the Facebook messenger by letting him know that I want to have real magic powers like I want to go inside the real magic book cause that’s going to be my gift since I talked to my mom and dad already and they said yes even they told me to mention by letting you know as well so would you be able to message Lord Jesus on the Facebook messenger to use his real magic powers to make for me the real magic book like I’d really rather prefer to be in 2 drama movies one is Finding Mrs Clause number two is I’m Not Ashamed Movie like I’d rather prefer to be another person cause I don’t like the way I am so I really rather prefer to be another person like like I’d really rather prefer to be an Italian person with brown hair white skin and I really really rather be 16 years old like I’d rather prefer to be a teenager girl also I want 2004 to stay for the rest of the whole entire year I’d rather want 2004 to stay for the rest of the whole entire year I’d rather want summer to stay for the rest of the whole entire year also I’d rather prefer to be tall like Emilia De Cola and I’d really rather prefer to have another Italian parents another Italian older cousins and my another Italian younger cousins which that includes the missionaries Amanda Chris Maria Brown Reta Jirjees Daniel Tran Chris Bray Sister Jones Sister Procopio Sara Head Shayna Rose from The Fresh Beat Band Fr Matt McCarthy Stefania Pini which’s going to be my older Italian cousins which they were not married like they were in first year College or first year University and they can be born in Italy my older Italian cousins which they were not maried also my Italian baby cousins Eliza my other Italian baby cousins also my younger Italian cousins like Molly Bray Sophia & Luca which’s going to be my younger Italian cousins which that includes my dads Italian nieces and nephews which they can be born in Italy and I want to have another Italian parents which they can be born in Italy and I want to be born Italy as well especially my dads 5 Italian brothers like Fr Gianni Carparelli Fr Vito Marziliano Deacon Joe Murphy and Angelo Minardi Deacon Daniel Slat like I want them to be born in Italy like my dads 5 Italian brothers also my dads Italian nieces and nephew and I want them to be born in Italy as well so that I want to be in a movie with them I’m not ashamed movie especially Finding Mrs Clause movie with my another younger cousins my another younger family friends my another Italian aunts and Italian uncle so would you please be able to send a message to Lord Jesus Christ on the Facebook messenger to let him know cause I had talked to my parents about it and they said yes and they told me to mention to you by letting you know as well so will you please I know your really really nice so will you please