“The Drop Box” Is A Great Film; And Soon, It May Be A Reality In Indiana

“The Drop Box” will be opening in theaters tomorrow for a limited three-day engagement. You really should try to see the film, which tells the story of South Korean pastor Lee Jong-rak’s efforts to save babies who might otherwise be abandoned on the streets.

Pastor Lee builds a “drop box”, a rudimentary wooden box with a bell, in the wall of his home in Seoul, South Korea. There, mothers can place their babies knowing that their own identity will remain anonymous, and that the babies will be cared for and loved.

* * * * *

Here in the United States, the state of Indiana is considering whether to implement a drop-box program on a wide scale. This week, the Indiana House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill introduced by State Representative Casey Cox to install drop boxes in hospitals, fire stations, churches, and selected nonprofits. If the State Senate also approves the proposed legislation, Indiana could be the first state to implement wide-scale use of the baby boxes.

Representative Cox called his bill a natural progression of “safe haven” laws, which give parents a legal way to surrender newborns at hospitals and other facilities without fear of criminal prosecution for abandonment. According to Newser, there have been more than 2,800 safe surrenders since 1999; but more than 1,400 other children have been found illegally abandoned, nearly two-thirds of whom died.

* * * * *

I previewed “The Drop Box” film a few weeks ago. I was tired the night I first opened the link on my laptop; and for a moment, I was concerned that it was in Korean with subtitles. I set it aside.

I’m so glad, though, that I took time the following night to watch the whole movie. It is not all subtitled; but much more important, it is a story of hope, an emotional story about a modern-day hero. It’s a reminder that every life is precious. The joy and the love that are evident in “The Drop Box” are infectious.

* * * * *

I know it’s a weeknight.