Light on the Edge of Darkness

Mel Gibson's new film is an interesting beast: he plays a cop (nothing new there) pursuing those responsible for the death of his daughter (this is a new twist). It's a movie that features the violence one has come to expect from a Gibson flick but it also has a heart.

In one exchange, Ray Winstone's character tells Gibson's grieving father character: "I've never had kids but I'm not sure which is worse - to not have children or to have them and see them die." It's the loss of a child that drives Craven (Gibson) and also which underpins this comeback vehicle for the now much maligned actor.

As a father who has buried his daughter, I responded to Edge of Darkness in a way that I didn't expect. To come home and have my wife, Celena, then share about her research into medical options for our son, Brodie, was a challenging juxtaposition.

Like Gibson, I grieve for what I have lost. Unlike his character, who discovers he has little to live for, I look inside the bedroom down the hall and see a whole lot of living to be experienced.

Sometimes, when you live on the edge of darkness, even the smallest light of hope shines brightly.