The Church is made up of Christians from a myriad of different professions, and yet their ordinary tales of God at work rarely get told. In this series, we bring you stories of faith on the frontline
My name is Abhinav Varun Revis. I’m a filmmaker who tells stories, especially of persecuted people around the world.
I grew up in India and wanted to communicate the gospel to others. I thought I would go to college, study theology and start a church, but a cousin of mine was making films and asked if I could help him out. I was blown away when I saw the final cut of the film we had made, and I realised that this was something I wanted to do. If you tell stories through film, the sky’s the limit in terms of those you can reach. The Bible is full of stories. If Jesus was here today, I think he might be a film producer.
As a child, I was taught that “your work is your worship”. It’s a popular proverb in India that I still follow today. I am inspired by Colossians 3, where Paul writes that whatever we do, we should work as if we are “working for the Lord” (v23). In my job, I am assigned various tasks and directed to specific locations to document different situations. I then go out to the location to meet people and build trust with them. This is really important, as I could be an undercover agent or working for the police. I enable people to share their stories, bring back the footage and put it together.
I seek to be a mouthpiece for truth and justice in my work. The films I make can speak deeply to people. If you see someone suffering unjustly, especially for their faith, that can draw you to God. There have been times when I’ve made mistakes, but the stories I’ve told have changed me. They have challenged my own faith and any tendencies towards complacency.
I am profoundly inspired by Malala Yousafzai who said: “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” I am a creative person. I love writing, photography and music. I strive to contribute what little I possess as I create films and teach others the art of filmmaking. When I offer my talents to God, he can use and multiply them.
Life is short, and our time is limited. Please pray that I will make an impact in the lives of people as I tell their stories using the gifts God has given me.
Abhinav was speaking to Paul Woolley
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