My Kids Couldn’t Stop Talking About This Jesus Film

Last updated on: September 5, 2025 at 10:44 am by Billy Kangas

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My Kids Couldn’t Stop Talking About This Jesus Film 2025-09-05T10:44:05-04:00 Billy Kangas

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Today marks the theatrical release of Light of the World, a new animated film about the life of Jesus. Normally, I wouldn’t pay much attention to a movie release—especially a Christian children’s film. I rarely go to the theater, and am generally skeptical of faith-based films. But today, I want to share a few thoughts on Light of the World from the perspective of a father.

In my work in Catholic communications, I had the opportunity to preview the film through conversations with its publicists. I was given an advance copy to help discern whether the Catholic media apostolate I serve should engage with it in any way. It’s important to note upfront: this is a Protestant film. That’s clear in several moments throughout, and it doesn’t aim to present a Catholic understanding of Jesus. Instead, it reflects a revivalist, evangelical American perspective.

Given that, I had reservations. I was concerned that promoting the film might inadvertently endorse theological views on conversion and sacramentality that diverge from Catholic teaching. But I didn’t want to make that judgment without watching it. So I invited my children to join me for a screening, hoping to see how it resonated with its intended audience.

To my surprise, I genuinely enjoyed many aspects of the film. I laughed out loud with my kids more than once. The imagery of light woven throughout is beautifully executed. I appreciated that the film doesn’t shy away from the miraculous elements of the Gospels, and the storytelling is heartfelt and engaging. Some viewers might question the youthful portrayal of the Apostle John, but I see it as artistic license. Tradition holds that John was the youngest of the Apostles, and disciples were often called by rabbis at a relatively young age—so it’s not necessarily inconsistent with Scripture.

Overall, the experience was positive. My biggest theological concern came at the end, when John leads his father in the “sinner’s prayer” following the Great Commission. As a former Protestant, I understand its significance in some traditions, but it’s not part of Catholic initiation. My children, unfamiliar with that background, were confused. One of my sons asked, “What is this weird prayer? Why didn’t he teach him something from the Bible, like the Our Father?” His comment struck me as both insightful and amusing.

The film also links to a “new believers” course, which likely shares the same evangelical framework. That’s another area where the film diverges from a sacramental view of how Christ remains present in His Church.

Yet despite these concerns, the most striking takeaway is how deeply the film resonated with my children. We watched it a month ago, and they’ve continued to ask about it ever since. They’ve requested to see it again, and one of my sons was thrilled to learn it was coming to theaters today.

So here we are. And despite the theological differences and the concerns I anticipated—some of which were confirmed—I believe Light of the World is a wonderful film for young children curious about Jesus. I’m even considering buying a few tickets and taking my kids and their cousins to see it together.

If you’ve seen the film or plan to, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I hope you enjoy it as much as my children did. To me, this film is part of a broader trend: Christian media is making meaningful inroads into our culture. The quality of these productions is improving, and interest in their content is growing. That’s a hopeful sign. People are hungry for the story of Jesus, for Scripture, and for the lives of the saints. And that, to me, is deeply encouraging.

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Family, Parenting and Religion

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