An Insightful Look Into “Father of Lights”

It all began with a simple question.  “Who is God?”

That question, more than any other, drove filmmaker Darren Wilson to begin making his third feature film, Father of Lights, in 2011.  Little did he know he was about to embark on a journey that would reshape everything he knew about the God of the Bible, and ultimately lead him away from service, and into friendship with the Father.

Through a miraculous set of circumstances, a Hindu Maharishi finds Christ, and it was all captured for Father of Lights

Even before this movie, though, Darren had already been on a wild journey of discovery.  Raised in the arms of mainline evangelical Christianity, and a college professor since 2000 at Judson University near Chicago, Illinois, by the time he reached 30 Darren had grown weary of Christianity, and had, in a sense, checked out of the faith.  He was still very much a Christian, still loved God (although he didn’t trust Him much), but had resigned himself to simply go through the motions of going to church, trying to be a good person, and trying to raise good kids.  All the while, though, his spirit was yearning for something real.  Something authentic.

One scene in Father of Lights includes a trip to a remote village in Southern India where a fearless man preaches the Gospel in the face of danger.

Then in 2006, Darren had a profound experience with God that led him to start making his first feature film, Finger of God.  This movie, made on a shoestring budget ($20,000) and filmed entirely by Darren alone as he traveled the world looking into the miraculous, went on to become a massive underground hit, selling over 100,000 copies with little to no marketing.

Darren’s follow up, Furious Love, honed in on God’s love in the midst of a dark and dying world.  Here Darren focused on the concept of spiritual warfare, and his eyes were opened anew to the power and grandeur of a God who is still highly active in the world today.

Darren traveled to Siliguri, India to document the extreme conditions of modern-day child slave labor, and find how God is working in the midst of it.

Despite four years of chasing after God and seeing some of the most amazing things ever caught on film, Darren realized he still had an issue with the Father.  Jesus was fine, but the Father caused him no end of consternation and worry.  So Darren set out to make a movie tackling the very nature and character of the Father; the God of the Bible.

The movie that grew from this question is Father of Lights, and many are calling it the most powerful film they have ever seen.  In it, Darren tackles the many misconceptions of the Father, the concepts of grace, the religious spirit, judgment, and evangelism.  But more than anything, the film is becoming increasingly known for the “God adventures” Darren and his crew were able to capture, including Latin King gang members and an Indian Maharishi (a guru of gurus) coming to Christ on film, a showdown with a powerful witch doctor, and most stunningly, an incredible series of events that leads Darren and his team into an historic moment inside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Todd White accompanies Darren to Jerusalem, where they encounter the biggest surprise in Father of Lights.

Darren is often asked who he makes his movies for, and his answer is always the same. “I make them for the old me,” he says, “the me that was sick of toothless faith, sick of hypocrisy, sick of the “game” of Christianity.  God is calling His bride into relationship with Him, not service. This film, more than anything I’ve ever made, invites the viewer into that very thing. A relationship with a loving, wonderful Father who only wants the best for His children.”

Mike Van't Hul, of Loaves and Fishes International, and his wife, Deena, display the Father's love like you've never seen before.

Who is God?

You might want to watch Father of Lights to find out.

Father of Lights is the much awaited sequel to the first two feature length documentaries by Wanderlust Productions.

Discover a brief glimpse of the incredible film Father of Lights here and watch the official movie trailer Father of Lights