With such loud and showy movies as “Gravity”, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, and “American Hustle” battling it out for Best Picture at The Academy Awards this year, it’s amazing to look back at the big award winner of 2012.

2 years ago “The Artist”, a black and white (and mostly silent) film took home Best Picture at The Oscars.

“The Artist” was a true throwback to the golden days of Hollywood. It was the first black and white film to win Best Picture in 50 years.

Black and white films resonate with people in ways color ones never will. Black and white speaks to something in the soul. It sparks memories of the olden days when life seemed simpler.

Black and white is simple. It is story and beauty at its most basic. There is something true in it.

Yet black and white movies are intimidating to some people. Some people won’t watch a movie if it’s in black and white. They think it’s outdated. As if a movie needs to have color and sound and CGI to be worth watching.

People who are prejudiced against black and white films miss out on classic and beautiful works of art for foolish reasons.

Color films can be certainly be beautiful too, but sometimes the simple, basic ones are even better. We overcomplicate things sometimes with all our million of dollars of special effects and 3D and IMAX and whatnot.

Of course, people have a tendency to overcomplicate things with God as well. 

A lot of people think God is outdated. They think the idea of God (or at least the idea of God presented in The Bible) is too simplistic and that people should expand their minds and add things to it.

Though there are many confusing and complicated things about God, there is much about Him that is black and white – simple and basic and true and beautiful.

For instance:

There are no restrictions for who God offers His love to – all are invited to the table. (John 6:37)

There is one and only one path to salvation. (John 14:6)

There is one simple commandment from where all others are based: Love God and love others. (Matthew 22:36-40)

God is the same through the ages. He is the only God we will ever need. (Revelation 1:8)

Just as we have a tendency to oversimplify God, we can overcomplicate Him as well. That is His great and comforting mystery. He is simple and knowable yet complex and overwhelming.

This is the God we worship. In full color and in glorious black and white.

Do you ever think our notions of God are outdated? What are some other black and white truths about God?

***Note: I’m so behind on this year’s field of Best Picture nominated movies (I’ve only seen one of the 9) that I forgot to mention this year’s winner could also be a black and white film. “Nebraska” starring Will Forte and Bruce Dern is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year. Though it’s not one of the front-runners, the nomination of “Nebraska” shows there is still some love being shown to black and white in 2014.