Monday, June 18, 2007

Garbage picking culture


The Apostle Paul at Mars Hill [Athens Greece] took a stoic poem about Zeus and used it to introduce a non Jewish culture to Christ.


He was garbage picking.


So do I.


I watched Ghost Rider tonight and again was amazed that the story of Satan, and the reality of his lies and schemes, was made plain by a comic book and movie. It's not like it was great theology, but it was great narrative about the big stuff. Satan is bad...he lies...he kills...don't trust him or make any deals...they will bite you in the butt.


I'll give you a heads up. This summer MAY have another one. In this movie there will be a war between two worlds, good and evil, that slips into our world. TRANSFORMERS. One side trying to protect us and one side trying to kill us. And they can look like normal stuff...kind of like angels and demons and the whole MATRIX ideaology.


The fun for me is to watch some of this, with my kids, and tell them what is true and false in it. We have great conversations. Much better conversations that are far more memorable than say watching...my little pony, scoobie-doo, or spy-kids. This isn't the way God calls all families to respond to culture, but it is the way he calls ours. The important thing is for all of us to teach our kids about truth, lies, 1/2 truth, and 1/2 lies that saturate our media. And. To be gracious towards each other knowing that God has different convictions and callings for different people. I've been around long enough to see Christians demonize a lot of stuff:



  • power-rangers

  • rock and roll

  • U2
  • Telly-tubies [which one was gay...I can't remember]

  • the Matrix and even Constantine [I had a brief conversation with the protestors outside the theatre I watched it in]

  • and yes even the Smurphs...remember...there was a sorcerer

I wonder if CS Lewis hadn't been a famous Christian if everybody would have gone nuts about the white-witch etc. I'm sure if he was writing today he wouldn't be on a lot of thier interview shows.


I guess what I'm trying to say is DISCERN what is best for you and your core relationships. Me, I will keep showing my kids where culture accidently [providence?!] trips over God's truth, where they are obviously opposed to God, and where the gray is. [Chip and I looked through some Green Day lyrics yesterday and talked about them and God]


I want them sober, awake, and aware. "Be sober minded, your enemy the devil, prowls about seeking whom he may devour." Indeed, it's hard to be sober about what you know nothing about. So thanks Hollywood, for giving me some great eye-candy and object lessons to teach my kids about spirituality. The church can't afford the special effects, so I'm glad God sometimes hijacks tinsel-town for His own means and ends.

more than meets the eye

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