This past week the MTV Movie and TV awards aired. The show was praised for their gender-less categories, which made all nominees equal regardless of gender. There were many messages shared by award recipients in their speeches. For example, Millie Bobby Brown gave a powerful anti-bullying speech and "Love, Simon" star Keiyan Lonsdale, who won 'Best Kiss,' focused his speech on the importance of being yourself. Of course, there were heartfelt 'thank you' messages and funny or witty speeches, all of which were shared endlessly on social media.
One speech, however was shared in all of the wrong ways. Chris Pratt won the Generation award. He shared what he called "Nine Rules From Chris Pratt." Of course, he being who he is, Pratt got some laughs from the crowd. Social Media reposts of his speech focused on the funny parts, for example, when he gave advice about how to use the bathroom at a party. Some accounts, dedicated posts about him to praising him for speaking about using your strengths for good and not being a bully.
Chris Pratt, however, shared one of the most powerful messages, and one that is almost never heard from Hollywood—the message of God's love and power. In Rule #6, Pratt proclaims something he fully believes: "God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you." It is very rare to hear Hollywood elites share that strong faith. He continued to share the importance of prayer, how easy it is, and how good it is for the soul.
Finally, Chris Pratt ended with what I find to be the most important and seldom shared messages: "Nobody is perfect. People are going to tell you [that] you are perfect just the way you are. You're not! You are imperfect. You always will be, but there is a powerful force that designed you that way and if you are willing to accept that you will have grace. And grace is a gift." He continued to say "Like the freedom we enjoy in this country that grace was paid for by somebody else's blood-- do not forget that! Don't take it for granted."
It is one thing to thank God in a speech. It is another to do what Chris Pratt did and share the message of God. Sometimes it can be scary to talk about faith. But just like the other speeches of the night said, it is important to be yourself, even when it seems like the rest of the world might not be on the same page. Personally, I wish the media shared Pratt's message of God a bit more. Kudos to Chris Pratt for winning the Generation Award and for fearlessly sharing his faith.
To watch Chris Pratt's full speech, click here.
