Kelsey walked down the aisle. But Braden, her groom to be, wasn’t there.
Braden left her at the altar, telling their church “the Lord told him” he wasn’t supposed to marry her. And though members of the congregation buy it, Kelsey doesn’t—especially when Braden calls to admit that he fell in love with Kelsey’s old roommate.
But wedding or not, now Kelsey must go back to the church to collect all her wedding stuff. In the process, she stumbles into a missions spotlight meeting, where a missionary is busy talking about his time in Taiwan. That’s when another (rather nosy) congregation member asks a pointed question:
“Do you have any advice for the young people who may be struggling with disappointment and need to listen to God?” she asks.
“I had plans that fell through and took a teaching job in Taiwan on a whim,” the missionary replies. “I think God uses everything—what you love, where you hurt, your mistakes, your whims. I guess if you’re stuck, maybe take a leap of faith.”
It’s the motivation Kelsey needs to escape her own rut. The missionary helps get her a job teaching English at a Christian school in Taiwan. Not only will it help her get over Braden, but it’ll also help her get money to support her mother’s medical bills.
But Taiwan is a whole world away. And Kelsey just might be in over her head.
Another teacher at Kelsey’s school, Horace, doesn’t speak English. However, he begins to learn it and corresponds with Kelsey using a translator app, attempting to help her assimilate into the culture. He also helps her connect with her class, and he teaches her how to ride a motor scooter.
At first, Kelsey has a tough time connecting with her class. And in particular, she has trouble with Trisha, whom she considers to be a “problem student.” But Kelsey slowly and surely learns how to connect with her students, and she manages to break through with Trisha.
Kelsey’s life changes when Braden leaves her at the altar. He also leaves Kelsey to grapple with people asking her why God didn’t tell her. We later learn that, in fact, the Lord didn’t tell Braden to abandon Kelsey—he was actually just attracted to Kelsey’s old roommate.
Not surprisingly, Kelsey’s also pretty angry at her heavenly Father. “God did not burn you,” Kelsey’s sister, Liz, tells her. “Braden did.” But Kelsey isn’t convinced. “I know, but He did let it happen.” Kelsey also grapples with a couple of other questions, such as how God chooses who will become a parent, and why should she commit to Him if He’s just going to take it all away.
Kelsey arrives in Taiwan to teach English at a Christian school, the Taiwan Adventist Academy. Students there put on a play recounting the biblical story of Ruth. One girl sings the Christmas carol “O Holy Night.” Horace practices his English by reciting Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
We hear a joke about Jesus feeding the 5000. When Kelsey asks her students to write letters to Santa for what they’d like as a way to practice English, a couple of them wondering why they’re asking Santa if God already gives everything. “Jesus says ask, and He give,” one student says.
A missionary talking about his work discusses how God uses everything for His purposes. In this scene and elsewhere, the film coneys the idea that what we see as misfortune might actually be God pushing us to something better that He has for us.
A missionary essentially says, “If complications disrupt your life, go on a mission trip,” which isn’t necessarily a good reason to consider that calling.
Horace takes Kelsey to Taoist Wen Wu Temple, which overlooks Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.
A male high school student dances what Kelsey later calls “sexy dancing” at a talent show, hip thrusting on the ground and intentionally pointing his rear at the audience before the principal kicks him off the stage. Two people share a kiss.
An earthquake shakes a building. We hear a reference to a couple of people who have passed away.
God’s name is misued once. Another character exclaims, “Thank God you don’t understand English. Someone says that she “has some magic words” she’d like to say to someone.
None.
Kelsey covers another woman’s car in cake.
As Christians, we believe that God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. But if we really believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present, it may force us to ask a difficult question.
Why did God let that happen?
There’s no single answer to that question, of course. That said, the movie Sun Moon, now streaming on Pure Flix, suggests that one of God’s purposes might be to propel us toward something better.
When Kelsey is left at the altar, she complains that God let it happen. And given our Christian faith, that’s true. Even if God did not support Braden’s selfish decision, He did allow it to occur. But ultimately, it pushed Kelsey towards a teaching career in Taiwan—one that changes her for the better.
And that message might connect deeply with some viewers, too, reminding us of God’s good, loving and sovereign character, even in the midst of deep disappointment.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
