7 min read ⭑

When he’s not providing legal advice and services for his family’s waste-to-green fuels business, Raven SR, John Scanlon is pouring his energy into his next film project. Since producing and directing his first film in 2006, he’s helped to create documentaries and faith-based movies like “Neat: The Story of Bourbon,” “Clemente” and “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.” Join us for today’s interview as John discusses finding eternal truth and beauty in movies, mistakes he made when he first started in the film industry and how imaginative prayer helps him fall asleep each night.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I now live in rural Wyoming, but I’ve spent most of my life in Washington, D.C., so I’ll set my story there.

The meal that comes to mind is my daughter’s birthday dinner at Sushi Nakazawa, a short walk from the Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall. The minimalist decor, tranquil atmosphere and meticulously crafted dishes at this Michelin-starred restaurant were enjoyable but really just settings for the true jewel of the evening: a delightful two hours with my wonderful wife and two amazing adult children. My kids now lead their own lives in separate cities, but for one evening, they were by our side again. 

We spent the time hearing about the lives they were building on their own and happily recounting family memories of other times and adventures together. As the omakase courses came and went, we created another milestone in our lives together, and I look forward to every time we sit down to share another meal.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity (or activities) do you love engaging in, which also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

I love movies. Finding the true, beautiful and good in stories told on screen is magical for me. I’m blessed to have a family that feels the same way. Our conversations are as likely to start with “Have you seen any good shows lately?” as with any other topic. 

My daughter is a screenwriter and aspiring director, so we often discuss technical aspects of filmmaking and how best to advance in those crafts. My son is a storehouse of movie trivia, and his recall of such minutiae as actors’ heights astonishes me. My wife has the uncanny ability to grasp the significance of minor events unfolding on-screen immediately. She usually guesses the hidden villain of a piece within a few moments of their first appearance and has the ending figured out before the third act begins. (I can’t keep up with her. I’d like to think it’s because I suspend those analytical functions to enjoy the story better, but I think she’s just smarter than me.) 

Best of all are films with surprising ways of illustrating how they align with the One True Story that all compelling stories represent.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you hide it?

I was called into the film industry in a compelling and undeniable way. But I stumbled in the very beginning of that story because I wasn’t willing to wait on God to show me the first steps. I rushed into doing it as I thought best. As a result, I wasted years of time, effort and resources before finally hitting my stride. I take some comfort from the fact that Moses had a similar experience. God told Moses he was going to free his people. He then impetuously killed an Egyptian who was abusing one of Moses’ countrymen, and as a result, he had to flee into the obscurity of the desert for decades. Yet God was still able to use him in powerful ways, and I hope that will be true for me too. I long to contribute something meaningful and lasting to film and perhaps even to share what I’ve learned with others who want to do the same.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

I’m pouring every spare moment into “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.,” a movie 12 years in the making about the great German pastor and WWII resistance leader. Bonhoeffer was an amazing human being who made the most of his dedication to Jesus in one of humanity’s darkest times. From a filmmaking perspective, this movie is like a diamond: it was created over a long period of time under immense pressure, it’s multifaceted and brilliant, and whatever angle you look at it from, it amplifies light.

Artistically speaking, it’s a stunning achievement thanks to our amazing cast, led by the incredibly talented Jonas Dassler with August Diehl, Flula Borg, Nadine Heidenreich, Clarke Peters and so many others; legendary cinematographer John Mathieson (“Gladiator” and “Gladiator II”); gorgeous production design by John Beard; incredibly skillful editing by Blu Murray; the miraculous genius of our writer-director, Todd Komarnicki; and last but not least, the vision, skill and perseverance of lead producers Mano and Camille Kampouris.

I hope you can see this film when it’s released in theaters on Nov. 22 — you’ll want to see it again and again.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

There are moments when I feel the Holy Spirit smile on a film. It might be the way a particular line is said or the way a scene is lit. Sometimes it’s a key reveal or callback that makes the story hit home in a surprising or unusual way. Often, though, it has to do with the way the score heightens the emotional impact of the images on screen. When I get goose bumps and the shivers watching and listening to a scene, God is usually up to something good.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you right now?

Pick your favorite story from Scripture. Now imagine yourself as a real-time, live witness to a particular scene in that story. Maybe you’re watching David readying to battle Goliath. Maybe you’re watching as Jesus defends the woman accused of adultery from a hostile crowd. The specifics don’t matter (and you can always change them), but the key is to make it a real event with an emotional punch.

Next, imagine all the sensations you’re experiencing as a witness to that scene. Look around you. What do you see? What do you hear — both in the main drama and the ambient noise? Can you feel the clothes you’re wearing? Is there a staff or something else in your hand? What do you smell?

Now that you’ve involved all your senses in the scene, focus on the main action. Listen and look for what God wants to reveal to you.

I use this technique when falling asleep. To be honest, I usually don’t make it past “What do you hear?” But it’s a great way to meditate on Scripture. And it makes for some interesting dreams.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed the game and changed your heart? What radically altered your life? What changed your reality?

Three books that changed my life: the Gospel of John, “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young and “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge. The first taught me dimensions of God’s love I could not have imagined and the second how to relate to God as a friend. The third set me free.

Three movies I love: “The Matrix,” a near-perfect film in technique that densely layers spiritual truths under some of cinema’s greatest action; “Bruce Almighty,” which paints one of the best pictures of the Trinity in film without using words; and “Shrek” because my son still marvels at how hard I laughed in the theater when I first saw it. (“Who wants eggs?”)

Three favorite musical acts: DC Talk, whose album “Jesus Freak” may be the apotheosis of CCM; David Crowder because of the story the author tells about him in “Body Piercing Saved My Life”; and the 77s (aka the Seventy Sevens, 7&7is, etc.), which provided the soundtrack for my first years following Jesus.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times — times like these! Name one resource you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.

To use a King James word, I’m cleaving to Lectio 365 these days. There’s always some gem to treasure throughout the day from this thoughtful audio devotional.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I would love to create a space where emerging screenwriters can be supported, inspired and set up for success as they pursue their passion. Screenplays are the fuel of film, and those who write them are artists and craftspeople of the highest worth. I want it to be a place where writers’ hearts and imaginations come alive, a reification of the prophetic blessing that should surround and enable artists in pursuit of excellence.

John’s habit of imagining himself in a story from Scripture as he drifts off to sleep is a powerful one. But did you know imaginative prayer is not a new practice? It actually traces back to St. Ignatius of Loyola, who lived in the 16th century and founded the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits).

Ignatius believed that we could know Jesus and his Word more intimately by imagining ourselves in scenes from Scripture — mostly focusing on the birth, life and death of Jesus.

Why is this method of prayer and contemplation so impactful? Because it allows us to appreciate details we might otherwise ignore, like a loving gleam in Jesus’ eyes as he instructs his disciples or the trembling of his voice as he cries out to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.

What moments from Jesus’ life and ministry could you imagine yourself in today? What do they teach you about God?

John Scanlon makes movies and practices law in Pinedale, Wyoming. After 30 years in Washington, D.C., and 20 at National Community Church (where his wife, Heidi, served as pastor of prayer), John moved to Pinedale to join his family’s waste-to-green fuels business, Raven SR. John’s film credits include “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.,” “Clemente” and “Neat: The Story of Bourbon.” He produced and directed his first film in 2006. John earned his law degree at Georgetown and his B.A. from the University of California, Davis, where he was also a professional firefighter and EMT.

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