•3:49 PM
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 3:49 p.m.
Continued from the previous post..
When I was six, I first saw the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Littlest Angel. I well remember at that age how its portrayal of heaven impressed me and influenced my spiritual life. Years later, when I showed that movie to my own kids, my son’s comment was “If heaven is like that, I’m not interested in going there.” I couldn’t help noting the difference between his experience of the movie and my own as a child.
Some years back, the movie The Passion of the Christ was a big hit in theatres, and the evangelical world was abuzz with excitement about the big screen portraying the suffering and death of our Lord. In doing this, it presented a particularly vivid depiction of the cruel, brutal, gory and horrible method of execution that Christ endured. I chose not to go see this movie, but I know many Christians who did see it. The responses ranged from, “Well, it was the movies, and you know how the movies tend to exaggerate” to “Wow! This movie really made me appreciate what Jesus did for us,” or “I had no idea how bad crucifixion was. This really inspires me, now, to be the best Christian I can be.” You see, the movie was filled with intense imagery that, regardless of how accurate it really was, would definitely make an indelible impression on the mind and heart of the viewer, for better or for worse. Some people even allowed their children to view this R-rated movie because of its biblical subject matter. I can only imagine how a child would have reacted to that movie. I challenge anybody, years after this movie was seen, to say that their brains have been able to shake off the memory of some of those on-screen moments. Now some would think if a movie can inspire us to be more fervent in our following of Jesus Christ, then more power to it. But I wonder how helpful this is to our souls in the long term. For example, just because the movie inspired us to live more fervently for Christ in 2004, when a Christian hits a spiritually dry spell in 2010, what will it take to refresh and inspire him then?
The events and images of our lives and memories often desensitize us to future experiences. If our brains are stamped with images, be they gory crucifixion moments, or Veggie moments, then how will our brains respond in the future to the written or spoken Word of God? How deeply will we be touched, or affected, by any written words that differ from, or partially overlap, the images we have already been exposed to? As we go through our years on earth constantly exposed to the most vivid, intense, and stimulating images that the motion picture industry is able to throw at us, what does this do to our perception of ordinary life over time? Don’t we just grow increasingly bored with it all? Do we find we need more stimulation over time to keep us going?
And another thing: Can any video or photographic image (or great work of art) begin to encapsulate the true glory and power of Christ and of our Father in heaven? Will it not always fall short of His glory by many, many orders of magnitude? Will lifelong deeply impressed images that are stored in our brains support, or forever hinder, our worship of the Living God? Needless to say, I never intend to see the Passion movie, nor will I ever recommend it to my children, for this very reason alone. Because I know that images are potent, and I don’t need any more hindrances to my worship of the True God.
These are at least some of the things I believe that the Lord had in mind when He gave us the second commandment. But of course, I cannot begin to probe or understand all He is or all He knows. The truth is that He knows us, He knows how He created us, and He definitely knows what is best for us. His Word is living and active. It is sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.. (Hebrews 4:12). Truly His Holy Spirit will lead us home. But obedience to God’s Word, and His commandments, is an essential part of our sanctification.
Continued from the previous post..
When I was six, I first saw the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Littlest Angel. I well remember at that age how its portrayal of heaven impressed me and influenced my spiritual life. Years later, when I showed that movie to my own kids, my son’s comment was “If heaven is like that, I’m not interested in going there.” I couldn’t help noting the difference between his experience of the movie and my own as a child.
Some years back, the movie The Passion of the Christ was a big hit in theatres, and the evangelical world was abuzz with excitement about the big screen portraying the suffering and death of our Lord. In doing this, it presented a particularly vivid depiction of the cruel, brutal, gory and horrible method of execution that Christ endured. I chose not to go see this movie, but I know many Christians who did see it. The responses ranged from, “Well, it was the movies, and you know how the movies tend to exaggerate” to “Wow! This movie really made me appreciate what Jesus did for us,” or “I had no idea how bad crucifixion was. This really inspires me, now, to be the best Christian I can be.” You see, the movie was filled with intense imagery that, regardless of how accurate it really was, would definitely make an indelible impression on the mind and heart of the viewer, for better or for worse. Some people even allowed their children to view this R-rated movie because of its biblical subject matter. I can only imagine how a child would have reacted to that movie. I challenge anybody, years after this movie was seen, to say that their brains have been able to shake off the memory of some of those on-screen moments. Now some would think if a movie can inspire us to be more fervent in our following of Jesus Christ, then more power to it. But I wonder how helpful this is to our souls in the long term. For example, just because the movie inspired us to live more fervently for Christ in 2004, when a Christian hits a spiritually dry spell in 2010, what will it take to refresh and inspire him then?
The events and images of our lives and memories often desensitize us to future experiences. If our brains are stamped with images, be they gory crucifixion moments, or Veggie moments, then how will our brains respond in the future to the written or spoken Word of God? How deeply will we be touched, or affected, by any written words that differ from, or partially overlap, the images we have already been exposed to? As we go through our years on earth constantly exposed to the most vivid, intense, and stimulating images that the motion picture industry is able to throw at us, what does this do to our perception of ordinary life over time? Don’t we just grow increasingly bored with it all? Do we find we need more stimulation over time to keep us going?
And another thing: Can any video or photographic image (or great work of art) begin to encapsulate the true glory and power of Christ and of our Father in heaven? Will it not always fall short of His glory by many, many orders of magnitude? Will lifelong deeply impressed images that are stored in our brains support, or forever hinder, our worship of the Living God? Needless to say, I never intend to see the Passion movie, nor will I ever recommend it to my children, for this very reason alone. Because I know that images are potent, and I don’t need any more hindrances to my worship of the True God.
These are at least some of the things I believe that the Lord had in mind when He gave us the second commandment. But of course, I cannot begin to probe or understand all He is or all He knows. The truth is that He knows us, He knows how He created us, and He definitely knows what is best for us. His Word is living and active. It is sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.. (Hebrews 4:12). Truly His Holy Spirit will lead us home. But obedience to God’s Word, and His commandments, is an essential part of our sanctification.
2 comments:
Great posts. You bring up some very valid points re: Passion of Christ. I didn't see the movie specifically b/c it made an image of Christ - a direct violation of the 2nd commandment. But you have some other great arguments. I always told my Dad, a retired pastor, that he really needed to preach his sermons in Veggie Tale fashion to keep the kids' attention :) It was said jokingly, but I am bothered that kids don't seem to have the attention span or imagination that even kids of my generation did.
You have some very valid points, I wish I weren't so tired today or I might be able to think of some insightful comments! I do think our society has become too image saturated...