Over last week I saw a commercial for the new movie, Amazing Grace. I’ve heard good things about this movie and want to see it myself, but I am currently disciplining myself to not spend ten dollars each for a movie in a theater that will soon be two dollars each in a theater or five dollars to rent between my wife and I and able to watch at our leisure.
Back to the commercial. In big, bold letters it says, “EVERY CHRISTIAN MUST GO SEE THIS MOVIE.” Taking for granted that this is a quote from some review, this doesn’t cause a pause in anyone else?
Out of everything that we could say a Christian “must” do … seeing a movie is one of them? God help us.
Now, please understand that I’m sure that it will be inspiring once I get around to seeing it. God can use media at His behest, but out of all the things Jesus said were necessary to be His disciples, are we gonna now include paying money to see a movie among them? I guess part of my issue (and yes … I have issues) is that I would rather see about ten things at the end of that statement than “go see this movie.”
Every Christian must ….
feed the hungry?
give to the poor?
make disciples?
love one another as Christ loved us?
forgive as you have been forgiven?
There are others. What would you put there?
Peace.
I think you’ve got the basics covered. But one I might add would be “ignore calls for Christians to go see a particular movie.”
I’ve read that “Amazing Grace” actually downplays William Wilberforce’s spiritual motivations in banning the slave trade, and portrays him primarily as a secular humanitarian rather than as an evangelical contemporary of John Wesley, who encouraged Wilberforce to stay the course.
In fact, the original screenwriter was the guy who wrote the screenplay for “Chariots of Fire,” and was replaced with someone who would put more of a secular, political bent on it, rather than a Christian one.
All of which is to say – I’m quite surprised that they’d promote the movie in that way.
The column I read that talked about all of this was Hollywood’s ‘Amazing’ Glaze. Interesting read.
Now, Britt, you know that a “good” Christian must spend a sizeable chunk of their income (often more than they give to the church) seeing Christian movies, buying the DVDs, worship CDs, tickets to the concerts or conferences of their choice, the Christian book of the month (so you can have all the “important” parts of the Bible condensed into an easy to read format…and a calendar, journal, magnet, keychain, etc…and not have to be bothered reading the actual Bible), and, of course, the fish for the back of the car.
It’s also important to live a holy(er than thou) life and be sure to point out to those who aren’t Christians just how lost and sinful they are, so they can clean up their act and become a Christian. (It goes in that order, right??) And, as always, when you turn it at night give thanks that you see Jesus for who He is, unlike those poor blind Pharisees in the Bible.
I love you people … Wendy, you made me laugh out loud!
peace.