This past week reminded me of how we Christians tend to miss the point on lots of things once we step outside of the church; the movies, for example.
The social media complaints began before the film had even opened, and long many of those making them had seen more than 9o seconds.
Noah, the motion picture loosely based on the Biblical story in Genesis, was a week away from its domestic premiere, and yet my news feed was dotted with the righteous indignation and long-distance condemnation that has become so commonplace in the exclusive little religious bubble that is now modern American Christianity.
I subsequently chuckled and did a facepalm, as I read the proud declarations of Christian friends and strangers, who after reading reviews about the film veering from its source material, vowed to boycott the movie, lamenting how “unBiblical” it was.
I wondered what other films have been on their family/date night multiplex trips and Netflix queues, and the “Biblical” nature of each of them, but that’s another discussion for another day. (I mean, we’re totally down with zombies, human games of sport, bachelor party hangovers and male strippers, but miss some Bible verses, and we’ll pass, thank you very much!)
Why is it that when Christians disagree with something, even something that provides such a clear, beautiful opportunity to engage the world outside our holy huddles in matters of faith, our only reponses are to complain and abstain; to loudly broadcast our displeasure, and then to opt-out, recruiting others to do the same?
Nevermind that millions of people who never would otherwise, might be inspired by such a film, to actually engage The Story, and crack open a Bible or step into churches, or perhaps to be drawn back into discussions and thoughts on a religion that they may have long since shelved. We don’t give that much thought.
Too many believers would rather make a hollow spiritual stand for absolute purity in their entertainment, than to literally sit alongside the seeking, curious, and casual folks, who have far more intelligence and can navigate much more complexity than we ever give them credit for.
Maybe it’s because we ourselves aren’t totally comfortable with the questions we’ll face, or maybe because we think that our complaints somehow honor God; that we’re proving our faith by our abstinence.
Whatever the reason we choose to curse the Hollywood darkness at times like these, I’m pretty sure there’s a better way.
Instead of boycotting and throwing stones at the plot points, and tearing down the director’s motivations, wouldn’t it be great to invite an unchurched/non-religious friend to simply see the movie, and actually have a conversation afterward on the differences between the story on the screen, and the one in your Sunday School class?
How refreshing and redemptive would it be to show someone outside of the Church, that people of this faith have a God and a Story, and that we’re secure enough in each of them to accept challenge, and to interact with a world that may misunderstand or misrepresent them both?
Sometimes the ways we chose to make our stands are so short-sighted, it’s sad.
When faced with a movie like Noah, instead of trying to prove to the world how religious we are, maybe the greatest spiritual act we can perform, is simply to call up a friend, get some popcorn, and enjoy the show.
