"It's Just a Movie!"... Heart Sinks!
Allow me to be real for a moment with you... there exists within me a tension that is very difficult to navigate. It is the tension between when to speak out against the moral decay I see unfolding around me and when to shut up and pray. I had this conversation earlier today with my two teenagers. One of them said, "Dad, trying to fight for traditional marriage is a lost cause." There was something about that tone of surrender that did not sit well with me. Now, they were not saying that traditional marriage was old fashion and should be given up on, but rather that gay marriage will inevitably be legalized in every state. Additionally, our culture is all hyped up to see the book turned movie, "Fifty-Shades of Grey." I have seen many posts about it and have been guilty of reading the comments. One comment made my heart sink further into grieving. The comment simply said, "People, it's just a movie... geeez." As I unpack these emotions and thoughts from within there are two realities present...
First, there is the reality that I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God. I am a child of God who has been called to shepherd a group of other Kingdom citizens, as we eagerly await the return of our King. King Jesus, before He ascended into heaven, left His people with a mission... make disciples/be My witnesses. That mission exists today, which means that a person's soul is much more valuable than a person's outward actions. It means that I have been redeemed
and recruited to win people not arguments. My great God has, does, and will continue to rescue what we might determine are the most vile people on earth. There is nothing too big for the grace of God to cover! I believe that! This is why I choose to love even those who hate God. God can get a hold of their soul! However, my love cannot cross the line into calling what is wrong, right. I have no jurisdiction over that area. As a citizen of the Kingdom and a pastor, I have a responsibility to guard the church from running down the path of moral desensitization, lest we call wrong, right and spit on the character and authority of God Almighty. As far as our culture is concerned, I do not expect them to hold the same values that I cling to... and for good reason. My values are based on my faith that God has revealed Himself through the Word (Bible); therefore, moral values are objective and rooted in God's character and design. Others discover their values in other ways, and quite frankly, most logically land in the area of subjectivity. If there is no standard for determining objective moral values apart from God, then they essentially become subjective. If they are subjective, then one would logically conclude that, "what is right for you, may not be right for me." OK... enough of the philosophy, my point is I understand that people, who do not claim the authority of the Bible, will logically think very different than I. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, my desire is to see them turn to Christ, not merely modify or suppress their behavior. This is why you will not see me out on a picket line shouting what I am against... I really don't think that is helpful in winning a soul to Jesus, but there is more...
Second, there is the reality that I am a citizen of the USA. As a citizen of this country, I am concerned about the moral decay that has, does, and will continue to affect our way of living. When someone can look at a movie like "Fifty-Shades" and conclude that it is just a movie, then I want to ask, "Does a movie like this not affect that moral temperature of the society that we live in?" How can it be just a movie? Now, I will admit that I do not feel completely qualified to speak on this, for I have not read the books, nor do I plan on watching the movie... and I have no desire to do so. All the information I have received is from news articles, personal stories, and blogs. However, the amount of information I have received should suffice. Additionally, this is not the only movie... there have been a ton down through the years, but what makes this one so incredibly disturbing is the nature of the sexual encounters, and all the women raving to go see it. Our society is completely (not becoming) over sexualized. Sports Illustrated is pushing the envelop with the latest cover, although this is no surprise. I invite anyone to show me how the over sexualization of our culture benefits it in any way. Better yet, make the case that it is NOT destructive to the lives of people. Do women really like to be looked at as objects of lust? If so, I would ask them why they fell the need to objectify themselves that way. And men, you cannot not honestly say that exposure to our overly sexualized culture does not affect your mind and consequently your relationships. On another note, regarding the rhetoric surrounding the traditional marriage issue, it scares me that my values will come in conflict with the state. What will happen to those who hold public positions who voice that they are for traditional marriage? What will happen when I refuse to officiate the ceremony of a gay couple because my values will not allow me to do so? Listen, I am prepared for those consequences, but why does my voice as a citizen of this country have to be met with names such as bigot. I do not hate people, but I cannot actively support behavior that I see as against God's design. What kind of Christ-follower would I be if that happened? Jesus was all about grace, but it was combined with truth. So here is the tension......... Grace and Truth! Yet I will contend that grace without truth is impossible. If truth is not held, then there is no need for grace, because that person has done nothing wrong. Truth without grace is a failure to look at the cross and our own pitiful failure to meet God's righteousness. Grace and truth have to be held together. This means that I will continue to stand for what the Scriptures teach as right, but I will choose to demonstrate grace with the hopes a person's soul might be won over by Christ.
One additional thought... my citizenship to the Kingdom of God will always trump my citizenship to the USA, but I am grieved to think of the world my teenagers will have to navigate. In spite of the grief, the mission must go on... Acts 1:8 is not finished!
First, there is the reality that I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God. I am a child of God who has been called to shepherd a group of other Kingdom citizens, as we eagerly await the return of our King. King Jesus, before He ascended into heaven, left His people with a mission... make disciples/be My witnesses. That mission exists today, which means that a person's soul is much more valuable than a person's outward actions. It means that I have been redeemed
and recruited to win people not arguments. My great God has, does, and will continue to rescue what we might determine are the most vile people on earth. There is nothing too big for the grace of God to cover! I believe that! This is why I choose to love even those who hate God. God can get a hold of their soul! However, my love cannot cross the line into calling what is wrong, right. I have no jurisdiction over that area. As a citizen of the Kingdom and a pastor, I have a responsibility to guard the church from running down the path of moral desensitization, lest we call wrong, right and spit on the character and authority of God Almighty. As far as our culture is concerned, I do not expect them to hold the same values that I cling to... and for good reason. My values are based on my faith that God has revealed Himself through the Word (Bible); therefore, moral values are objective and rooted in God's character and design. Others discover their values in other ways, and quite frankly, most logically land in the area of subjectivity. If there is no standard for determining objective moral values apart from God, then they essentially become subjective. If they are subjective, then one would logically conclude that, "what is right for you, may not be right for me." OK... enough of the philosophy, my point is I understand that people, who do not claim the authority of the Bible, will logically think very different than I. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, my desire is to see them turn to Christ, not merely modify or suppress their behavior. This is why you will not see me out on a picket line shouting what I am against... I really don't think that is helpful in winning a soul to Jesus, but there is more...Second, there is the reality that I am a citizen of the USA. As a citizen of this country, I am concerned about the moral decay that has, does, and will continue to affect our way of living. When someone can look at a movie like "Fifty-Shades" and conclude that it is just a movie, then I want to ask, "Does a movie like this not affect that moral temperature of the society that we live in?" How can it be just a movie? Now, I will admit that I do not feel completely
qualified to speak on this, for I have not read the books, nor do I plan on watching the movie... and I have no desire to do so. All the information I have received is from news articles, personal stories, and blogs. However, the amount of information I have received should suffice. Additionally, this is not the only movie... there have been a ton down through the years, but what makes this one so incredibly disturbing is the nature of the sexual encounters, and all the women raving to go see it. Our society is completely (not becoming) over sexualized. Sports Illustrated is pushing the envelop with the latest cover, although this is no surprise. I invite anyone to show me how the over sexualization of our culture benefits it in any way. Better yet, make the case that it is NOT destructive to the lives of people. Do women really like to be looked at as objects of lust? If so, I would ask them why they fell the need to objectify themselves that way. And men, you cannot not honestly say that exposure to our overly sexualized culture does not affect your mind and consequently your relationships. On another note, regarding the rhetoric surrounding the traditional marriage issue, it scares me that my values will come in conflict with the state. What will happen to those who hold public positions who voice that they are for traditional marriage? What will happen when I refuse to officiate the ceremony of a gay couple because my values will not allow me to do so? Listen, I am prepared for those consequences, but why does my voice as a citizen of this country have to be met with names such as bigot. I do not hate people, but I cannot actively support behavior that I see as against God's design. What kind of Christ-follower would I be if that happened? Jesus was all about grace, but it was combined with truth. So here is the tension......... Grace and Truth! Yet I will contend that grace without truth is impossible. If truth is not held, then there is no need for grace, because that person has done nothing wrong. Truth without grace is a failure to look at the cross and our own pitiful failure to meet God's righteousness. Grace and truth have to be held together. This means that I will continue to stand for what the Scriptures teach as right, but I will choose to demonstrate grace with the hopes a person's soul might be won over by Christ. One additional thought... my citizenship to the Kingdom of God will always trump my citizenship to the USA, but I am grieved to think of the world my teenagers will have to navigate. In spite of the grief, the mission must go on... Acts 1:8 is not finished!
Comments
On a side note, there is a wonderful social media movement right now called #50DollarsNot50Shades where people choose to donate $50 to a local sexual abuse shelter instead of seeing this movie that has several elements of sexual abuse. It's a cool way to take a stand and help others without starting arguments. Just a thought for those interested. :)
I too am concerned about the world my kids will have to navigate. However, I always remind myself that our God is in control and that they, as followers of Him, are in His care.
Thanks for your thoughts on this matter. Taking a stand is what we are called to do. It is never popular, nor were we promised that it would be. In fact, Christ taught quite the opposite. Keep the faith, brother!