A Charlotte church headquartered in the SouthPark area can lay claim to going viral with a video that is both comic and poignant in its message of gratitude.
Forest Hill Church’s video “Christmas Presents” is only one minute and 45 seconds long, but has been viewed 20.5 million times and shared 72,000 times since being posted Dec. 3 on Facebook. The numbers are even higher for global viewership, church officials said.
The video’s theme is reminiscent of the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” featuring a man who wakes up gift wrapped from head to toe, alongside a gift wrapped wife. His two gift-wrapped children walk into the bedroom, and what follows is a series of subtle reminders of the gifts average Americans take for granted, including food and transportation.
It ends with the phrase: “This Christmas may you be grateful for all the gifts around you.”
The video was created by Forest Hill’s Creative Media team. The director, Forest Hill member Matt Nunn, also plays the man who shows so much gratitude. The actors playing his wife and children are either congregants or church staff, officials said.
“This video has struck a chord with people all over the world,” said Stacey Martin, the Forest Hill communication’s director.
“It can be hard to remember all that we have to be thankful for – including waking up in the morning, our jobs, clean water, even coffee. Our hope was to create a piece that made people – including us – stop and thank God for all the He gives us each and every day.”
