We at the Harvestlands Foursquare Church in Salinas were privileged to have
David DiSabatino give us a private screening of his film Lonnie
Frisbee: Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher. The church was pretty
packed out for 8 pm on a Saturday night. The 95-minute documentary,
which will be shown in condensed version on PBS this fall, was billed
as “inspirational and controversial”. I don’t know if I’d have used
the first adjective, as it sounds rather sappy and this film was
anything but. Probing, genuinely moving, painful to watch at
times–it certainly was all these as well. It’s not a perfect film in
its present version. For one thing, the narrator, who sounded more
like a 50’s game show announcer, was was all wrong. DiSabatino
acknowledged as much to me and said a new narrator was already in the
works. Good thing, since this film is going worldwide.
What will “The Bible Answer Man” Hank Hannegraff say, I wonder?
Nothing good, I’m sure. He’s already castigated Lonnie as a
“homosexual hypnotist” and written him off, as did some of the
big-name church leaders of the Jesus movement of the 60’s, 70’s, and
80’s whose church movements would’ve never moved past the “Go” square
if not for Lonnie. However, Frisbee’s life stands as both a testimony
to the grace and power of God, and also a conundrum: why would the
holy Lord of Heaven and Earth be pleased to use such a flawed vessel?
Does He have to tell us why He chooses a King David or a Lonnie
Frisbee? Where is the Church’s responsibility in the life story of a
man whose gifts were so prized, Â but who was discarded when he didn’t
live up to expectations?
I’m no film reviewer, but this one delivers. A little more attention
to detail and DiSabatino has a home run.