‘The Forge’ Shows The Power Of Mentorship, Forgiveness And Discipleship

Aspen Kennedy portrays Isaiah Wright in “The Forge.” The movie opens in exclusive theaters on Friday, August 23rd. PHOTO BY L.M. WARBINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY.
Aspen Kennedy portrays Isaiah Wright in “The Forge.” The movie opens in exclusive theaters on Friday, August 23rd. PHOTO BY L.M. WARBINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY.

‘The Forge’ Shows The Power Of Mentorship, Forgiveness And Discipleship

By Tia Carol Jones

“The Forge” tells the story of Isaiah Wright and his mother Cynthia and how the power of mentorship can help a person find their purpose. The movie is opening exclusively in theaters on Friday, Aug. 23rd.

“The Forge” comes from the Kendrick Brothers, the creator of “Overcomer,” “Courageous,” and “War Room.” Isaiah is a 19-year-old who gets employed at Moore Fitness and meets the owner introduces him to a group of men who can change his life.

Priscilla Shirer, who plays the mother Cynthia, also was in “War Room.” Shirer has such admiration for the Kendrick Brothers and said they have so much integrity in their writing.

“They really want to unapologetically honor the Lord and they write good stories. So, I wanted to be a part of it because I appreciate their integrity in that way,” Shirer said.

She also wanted to be part of “The Forge” because when she read the script, they wanted her to play the part of a mother with a 19-year old son. Shirer has three sons who are 22, 20 and 15 and so it felt very personal to her. While Shirer has raised sons, she had questions that she asked other women because she wanted their vantage point and perspective how they dealt with their sons and daughters in the transitions of the end of teenage years to adult years. She also wanted to know about the impact other people had in the transition for those children.

“As parents, we do what we can, but you can say the exact same thing that a coach says or a teacher says or an influential person says and somehow they absorb it differently,” Shirer said.

Aspen Kennedy, who plays Isaiah, said it was very personal to him. Working with the Kendrick Brothers and seeing how they honor the Lord, resonated with him. Kennedy grew up without his father and seeing what he went through in script form playing Isaiah really sparked his heart. He was grateful to be part of the movie. To prepare for his role, Kennedy did a lot of praying and training with his coach. He dived in and got his heart ready.

Kennedy said the prevailing themes of the movie are discipleship, forgiveness, keeping Christ at the center and truly having faith in God. Shirer added, the power of mentorship is another prevailing theme of the movie. She said the value placed on mentorship is being lost.

“It mattered when an adult looked a kid in the eyes and vice versa and that young person felt valued because they were listened to, someone cares enough about them to ask them questions, and to correct them, to challenge them, to offer them some discipline and insight,” Shirer said. She added, there is so much strength when someone with more wisdom, strength and maturity really invest in the life of someone who is younger than them.

Kennedy said the prayers of his mother changed his life because it showed him who God was in his life. No matter what they did not have, his mother gave her best. The first example of prayer came from his mother. It is something he has kept with him on his journey.

Shirer who has been married for 25 years and her husband’s mother prayed that her two sons would be different than their father, uncles and grandfather. Those men hadn’t been faithful to God or their families.

“Miss Mary, my mother-in-law, who is now in heaven, prayed that her sons would be different and the result of that prayer is that I’ve been married for 25 years to a man who has character and has integrity and he has broken the generational line of their family line. That means everything to me because now we have three sons, who have an entirely new legacy because one woman decided to shift the trajectory of her family,” Shirer said.

Kennedy said he wants people to take away from the film what happens when you truly forgive someone, trust the Lord, when people pour into other people, without expectations, and just truly want to help people. Shirer said there is a strong lesson in what it means to be a disciple of Christ. She said it is one thing to be a believer, it is another thing to be a disciple; it is a higher cost than being a believer, which is a free gift. Being a disciple, Shirer said, requires sacrifice and surrender.

Kennedy hopes people who see the film will start their own “forges” and allow the Lord to pour into them so they can pour into someone else. Shirer said when people see the representation of the men’s discipleship group, they will form groups where men and women who are more seasoned will connect with those who are less experienced and come alongside them and share what they’ve learned.

For more information about “The Forge,” visit www.theforgemovie.com.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

Laticia Holbert of ComEd