Personal NewsWe are in Topeka, KS right now enjoying Thanksgiving with my in-laws. The cousins are having fun, the turkey was great, the laughter is refreshing to the soul, and the football is enjoyable to the football-starved like myself (even bad games like today's Falcons/Lions game!).
Personal Thoughts
On Monday night, since I was on "vacation" (even though I was still at home), I decided to watch a movie. A friend lent me the movie "Saved", saying it would make for a great discussion movie at our next Movie Night for one of the ABFs I oversee at New Covenant. He was right! This movie would generate a lot of discussion.
The movie is about a Christian high school in America. A very crude summation of the story is the "bad guys" are those who claim to be followers of Christ and the "good guys" are those who don't claim to follow Jesus. It was marketed as a "coming of age" story - a typical teen film.
I was familiar with the story before popping the DVD in the player, so as someone fully dedicated to Jesus, I was prepared to be offended. I'll admit, there were parts I was offended, but overall, my emotional response was one of sadness.
I was first sad for Christ. This was my Lord that was being made fun of. Well, I guess they weren't making fun of Him directly, but rather His followers. But if we are supposed to be "little Christs" (as the word "Christian" means), then they were slamming my Lord vicariously.
But I am also sad for anyone who does not know Jesus and watched the film. Unfortunately, the film portrays some Christians very accurately. Why? Because many of us have been extreme hypocrits.
The film's ultimate "moral" theme was that consistency of character counts. You end up hating the "Christian" girl (played by Mandy Moore) because she lacked integrity and Christlike character.
How are you living your life? Are you giving "props to the Big Man" verbally, but then living your life differently? Are you a Christian only because you're caught in a Christian circle of friends, or because you really have met the wonderful, yet terrifying Jesus? Is it evident in ALL you say and do Who you belong to?
Perhaps God can use "Saved!", which wanted to hurt the image of Christians, to actually save some of his followers from a life of inconsistency and characterlessness. I'm praying so...
1 comment:
I thought it was interesting that you posted about the movie "Saved." I watched that movie with my small group from church and it was interesting for me to watch it after attending a respected Christian college. My senior year my "bubble" was literally popped as I got to observe in person the pain and hurt caused by a model image of the "good" Christian. I learned that sometimes being a "model good" Christian isn't being that Christ-like. Thanks for daring to share about the movie "Saved."
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