You may have heard us mention it before, but did you know Darkroom is based on true stories we collected from students across the US? Our Doubt episode retells the experiences of two students we interviewed from Houston and Chicago who shared their personal stories.
One young student recalled how he was particularly shaken by the deconstruction story of Rhett and Link, massively popular YouTube celebrities who in February of 2020 did a special episode on their show “Good Mythical Morning” renouncing their Christian faith. The pair detailed the logic behind their decision, poking holes in Christianity in a particularly compelling argument to their teen audience who had grown to admire and respect them. The duo had formerly been Christian missionaries and Cru (previously Campus Crusade) staff members.
Just as the character Jared recounted in the Doubt episode, this student was so shaken and scared he might lose faith, he quickly closed his laptop to not hear anything further. You could hear the confusion and pain as he retold his story to us. And like Jared, this student had to do the hard work of wrestling with his doubts honestly, talking candidly with his youth pastor and other believers, who were able to counsel him and provide scripture along with counter-arguments to the anti-Christian message Rhett and Link espoused. Here is a more in-depth review of the Rhett & Link deconstruction story and a thoughtful response from apologist Alisa Childers in The Gospel Coalition.
Later on in the episode, another doubt is uncovered within the biblical story of Moses and the burning bush. This narrative line was based on our interview with a student in Chicago who struggled with the validity of the Bible and sometimes hard-to-believe tales. It had been suggested to this teen that Moses’ story could have been influenced by hallucinogens (“DMT from the Acacia tree”).
Through the retelling of actual Gen Z student stories in a visually appealing cinematic format, Darkroom has been consistently engaging teens who relate to the questions and struggles of the characters portrayed.
Teens are able to see themselves in the videos, “Hey that’s me, I’ve been there before.” This emotional connection helps them reflect and talk openly about their own thoughts and beliefs. It also leads naturally into a long-time concept in education called “student-owned” learning. Students are self-motivated and genuinely interested in the exploration of knowledge.
Here are a handful of student responses to Darkroom:
When students are able to relate, they’re able to open up and let God in. We are praising God that he is working through Darkroom to address hard questions and help students go deeper in their relationship with Jesus.
Join us in helping more students build lasting faith by donating today. Let’s ensure that every young person knows that their questions are welcome and that they can find answers in the unchanging love of Christ.