By MARILYN TINNIN
Same Kind of Different as Me
A Movie That Just Might Change Your Life
MCL: What do you think is the biggest “Aha!” moment in the story, Same Kind of Different as Me?
Ron: My biggest Aha moment was our catch-and-release meeting. Truthfully, I was only pursuing Denver to please Debbie and find out if her dream about a poor wise man was really from God.
When he stared into my eyes and said, “If you is just a white man fishin’ for a friend, and you gonna catch and release, I ain’t got no desire to be your friend.” That was a double-barreled shot of wisdom and in fact the wisest statement I’d ever heard on friendship. He hooked me and a great friendship began at the moment I agreed to be his friend and not catch and release.
MCL: What would you say to busy, ambitious, successful, hardworking Americans who travel in their own “bubble” and are, like you once were, oblivious to the worth and existence of people like Denver Moore?
Ron: In the words of my friend Denver, “You never know whose eyes God is watchin’ you out of, and it ain’t gonna be your preacher or Sunday school teacher.” He added, “It might just be a fella like me. It ain’t me, but it might be someone that looks like me.”
I used to marvel how God chose the most dangerous, crazy, homeless man to be the one to encourage Debbie and our family the most during the darkest days of our lives. But think about it, isn’t that just like God? I encourage everyday types of folks to keep their hearts and eyes open to surprise friendships that could be life-changing.
MCL: I read in the second book what a long journey this was to have this movie made with the integrity the story deserved. There were times when it didn’t look like it was going to happen. What are you proudest of in the way it finally came about and what did you learn in the process?
Ron: I am proudest that God orchestrated a group of friends from Mississippi who caught my vision and believed in the integrity of the truth. I never lost sight of the fact that God gave me an inspiring story to tell and I felt that every “NO” got me that much closer to a “YES.” There were many failures, but the last one that led me to Mississippi taught me to always trust in Christ but not necessarily those professing him.
MCL: In this secular culture, Pure Flix has chosen to do something slightly counter-cultural in the entertainment field in making top quality films with a Christian message. Tell us briefly about that mission—why it matters?
Pure Flix: Our mission is to be the leader in producing and distributing faith, family, and inspirational media and entertainment to the world and to influence the global culture for Christ.
We have strived to become the largest Christian entertainment studio with distributing over 100 films worldwide and counting.
Along with our theatrical releases that include God’s Not Dead, God’s Not Dead 2, Do You Believe, The Case for Christ, we have several others releasing in 2017 and 2018. We have also successfully launched the #1 faith-and-family streaming platform that started in 2015 with www.pureflix.com, which now features over 7,000 pieces of content that viewers can view any time.
MCL: How can Christians help strengthen your message?
Pure Flix: Audiences can enjoy the selection of entertainment featured at www.pureflix.com with a free 30-day trial. We hope they will utilize the feature films and programs for education, personal enjoyment, inspiration, and outreach to their families and friends and especially those who share a different faith or perspective on topics related to faith.
We also offer to organizational or church leaders an alliance partnership that will help them reach more people around the world with powerful spiritual messages through entertainment.
