Saddleback pastor Rick Warren recently encouraged Christians to go see "The Good Lie," a film that tells the story of the lost boys of Sudan and their plight to escape civil war and join American culture.
The film, which opened in theaters last week, is set during the South Sudanese civil war of the 1980s and 90s that displaced and killed millions of natives, forcing them into refugee camps where some of them were able to gain access to living in the U.S through several faith-based and government initiatives.
Starring in the film are Hollywood heavyweights, including Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Walk the Line) and Corey Stole (Homeland) as well as Sudanese natives Emmanuel Jal and Ger Duany, who both experienced the horrors of the war firsthand.
"We were playing our lives, but this movie became a blessing because we had a chance to be a part of it to tell the combination of voices of many people out there," said Emmanuel.
"We came from the bottom like lobsters, and now we are rising to the top like lobsters."
In voicing his support for the film, Pastor Warren hosted an event at his Orange County campus where he interviewed the creators and actors of "The Good Lie." He discussed the movie's relevance to his own church in relation to the refugee camp shown in the film.
"The Good Lie' is a beautiful movie, well-acted with brilliant cinematography," said Warren in a press release about the film. "I've had over 1,000 members of my church serving in Kenya, over 1,200 of my members serving in Rwanda, and over 23,000 members in about 197 countries, and the most desperate things out there are these refugee camps. So I am just thrilled that 'The Good Lie' has been made. This is a movie I'm willing to put my name behind."
Related: Reese Witherspoon's New Movie 'The Good Lie' Shed Light on US Lives of Sudan's Lost Boys
The movie has already positively impacted those who participated in it; Witherspoon recently took her daughter to visit a Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and experience their condition firsthand.
Meanwhile, Duany works as a recording artist who speaks and performs around the world to raise awareness about refugees and to help his people of Sudan overcome the affects of war and poverty.
In concluding the interviews, Pastor Warren prayed that the film will likewise inspire Christians around the world to have a greater heart for those less fortunate.
"We pray that this film will bring awareness to the plight of so many people who don't have a home at all, and pray for all of the good people in all the different organizations who are trying to help and trying to make a difference," prayed Pastor Warren
"Thank you, Lord, for a movie thats not just entertaining or heartwarming but it really does have message to share, a message of compassion and grace."
To learn more about "The Good Lie" fund, click here.
