The world premiere of an independent movie about a Utah father who faced tragedy and learned to forgive included a panel discussion about the power of forgiving. Religious leaders, psychologist, and families attended Monday evening’s Night of Forgiveness.
Radio host Delilah welcomed the audience to the EcclesPeery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden. The theater was the host site for a national event that was broadcast to 500 theaters and was the venue for the premier showing of the independent film Just Let Go.
Delilah challenged audience members to participate in a one week journey to forgive at least one person. The idea to walk the path to forgiveness is part of Desmond Tutu's fourfold Forgiveness Challenge.
Utah was selected as a forgiveness event host site as a way to help introduce the public to the film about a father who survived an automobile accident that killed his wife and unborn child. Chris Williams also lost two of his four children on February 9, 2007 when a 17 year-old drunk driver veered head-on into their car.
Williams first shared his story about his path to forgiveness by publishing a book. The book soon became a screen play and now he hopes the movie will become a stepping stone for those seeking ways to forgive.
“This day is a day to just let go,” Williams said. “To say that from this day forward I am going to just let go of whatever it is that is holding him back.”
Williams is portrayed in the movie by Henry Ian Cusick who played Desmond in the television series Lost.
“How do you make the hero of the story a peaceful man and a strong man?” Cusick said. “While I did empathize and I could sort of feel and guess what it might have felt like, you can’t really know until it happens to you”.
Cusick said through the movie the audience will see what Williams did and be inspired by the idea that everyone can choose to forgive.
