San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
‘A Journal for Jordan’ opens Christmas Day
Longtime actor Denzel Washington said his faith was a part of every decision he made in directing the new movie, “A Journal For Jordan,” based on the writings of an Army sergeant who was killed in action.
First Sgt. Charles Monroe King died in Iraq in 2006 and left behind his partner, Dana Canedy, and their infant son. Canedy, a former New York Times journalist and now publisher at Simon & Schuster, wrote a New Year’s Day article in the newspaper about King’s devotion to faith, the military and his family. The article eventually led to a book, and now a movie to be released in theaters on Christmas Day.
Washington, 66, who has played a Christmas angel in “The Preacher’s Wife” and Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X, said the new film projects a message about love lasting beyond the grave.
“It’s cliche to say, but I’m a living witness, having gotten to know Dana,” he said. “True love never dies. That’s what they have — not had — have.”
Canedy, 56, whose now-15-year-old son Jordan reads his father’s journal “pretty regularly,” agrees.
“Love, true love, never leaves you; if I drew my last breath today, I would still be Jordan’s mother and still love him,” she said.
Washington and Canedy spoke to Religion News Service on Dec. 10 about their faith, King’s journal and the staying power of his words 15 years after his death.
Q: Denzel, I understand you started scenes of “A Journal For Jordan” by gathering the cast and crew for prayer.
A: Sometimes. The spirit of God is throughout the film. Charles is an angel. I’m a believer. Dana’s a believer. So that was a part of every decision that I tried to make. I wanted to please God, and I wanted to please Charles, and I wanted to please Dana.
Q: Denzel, how much are you involved in West Angeles Church of God in Christ?
A: Washington: I helped build it. I am a member, also a member of the (Cultural Christian Center) out here in New York. I have more than one spiritual leader in my life.
Q: Dana, how did your faith help you cope?
A: Canedy: The older I get the stronger it gets. I didn’t grow up in a traditional Christian home. My parents were believers, but we didn’t attend church regularly.
And so when Charles died, I always assumed if someone close to me died, I’d be angry with God. But I felt enveloped in his love and uplifted by knowing that I can get through this with my faith . ...
And I thought, Charles, how am I going to do this? Please give me a sign you’re still here . ... I turned on the answering machine. And one of his soldiers is calling from Iraq, saying, “He gave me your phone number and made me promise that if anything ever happened to him, I would call you and tell you he loves you and you’re going to be OK.”
That was God.
Q: I wondered about the journal specifically and how much Charles talked about faith.
A: Canedy: There are themes in the journal that come through: his dedication to military service, his absolute respect for women, which is one of the things that comes through the most, and his religious faith. He put Bible verses in there for Jordan. He writes and speaks about religion at least a dozen times throughout the journal.
Q: Dana, will you go to the movie on Christmas Day?
A: Canedy: We have a party every year — we didn’t do it during COVID — with about 25 of our friends. I cook. My mother cooks. And some of our friends only see each other that one time a year. I started that when Jordan was a baby because I wanted him to feel surrounded with love and family. So family flies in, friends fly in. And this year we’re going to do that. And then we’re all gonna try to go to the movie to see it. And Chanté (Adams, the actress who portrays Canedy in the movie) and her mother and father will be joining us.