Odds and Ends

Living with a Cautious Eye

Hollywood has named 2014 'the year of the Bible.'  Whenever you may have received a wedding invitation, it often reads something like this... 'in the year of our Lord.'  Whatever may be meant by 2014 as the year of the Bible, we must always realize that this is 'the year of our Lord,' namely, He is still in absolute control.

Jesus was Lord when the movies of the 50's and 60's put Biblical figures on the big screen and He is still Lord when the movies are at it again.  The Lord is not worried about His image; He is not in danger of getting a bad wrap or losing twitter followers or Facebook friends.  Beloved, our Lord is seated at the right hand of the Father and is not concerned about the face of religion in pop culture.  In fact, He already showed us what he thinks of religion as a means of making ourselves right with God in the Gospels!  He is, however, thoroughly concerned with the state of the hearts of people within a culture.  Religion cannot save and was never intended to save.  The Cross shows that only a crucified King can save!  With that in mind, it is imperative to have our doctrine grounded in truth and not on the big screen.  In fact, Scripture states, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass; because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. (Deuteronomy 32:2-3).

Our knowledge of Christ and His Word is to be grounded in His Word...and nothing else.  So, this begs the question...what is the entertainment value and educational value from such upcoming movies as Noah, Son of God, and Exodus?  I must confess, I am interested in seeing the films because I would like to see how biblical history is filtered through the grid of Hollywood.  However, my mind is made up on Christ because His Word has already grounded me in the doctrine of who He is....and it ought to be the case for you as well.  I am not against seeing these films and would encourage you to see them as well.  In fact, it may be a good idea to see how the movies line up with the biblical account and thus, grow deeper in your knowledge of the Word in the process.

I would like to offer a word of caution when viewing these biblical films of 2014.  Don't be too critical!  I know that might sound too soft and tolerant of pop culture, but hear my heart.  Our criticisms on movies that are not true to the biblical account can slowly turn in to a form of pious arrogance that mades us iron walls to a lost and dying world.  Maybe go see one of the films with a lost friend and then take him or her out for coffee to discuss the movie.  Bring up what the Bible teaches about what really happened.  Possibly share how seeing a film can give us a visual to the biblical account.  Enjoy the films, but if you are like me, I think they will be a Red Box special for this southern boy!