Don't Know What To Call This Blog

           Start here. Listen to this story. You can skip the first minute, if you like. But, listen to the story BEFORE you read. Then come on back.

            OK, welcome back. I know. Most of you were a bit scared and at least one of you is laughing out loud. I knew you would be. I love that story. Really. I can’t count the number of times I have listened to the whole collection from which it comes.

The point is, sometimes non-believers can give us great insight into how we look to an unbelieving world. Many times it’s not a pretty picture. Last night, a new show premiered on ABC called GCB, based on a book called Good Christian Bitches. Ouch. You can probably tell things weren’t going to go well for us on this one.

This morning, I woke up and went to read some scripture to pray on (note that spell check wants it to say “prey” on. Hmm. I digress, as usual.). It starts like this:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

I have heard well-meaning Christian brothers and sisters rail on for weeks about the impending premiere of this “straight from the pit of hell” TV drama. I am quite sympathetic to their feelings. As a human being, I find it really sad that anyone would think something like this need be written, let alone that it would make it on the air.

            Last night, Tonni and I happened to have the TV on when the end of the world as we know it arrived as GCB began its (hopefully very short) run. So, I watched it. It was, in my estimation, awful on every account. Great performers wasted in mean-spirited, vindictive, silly, and ultimately boring drivel (but for one moment of inspired, if very ugly creativity). I won’t likely watch again and I strongly suggest you not bother. I also suggest you don’t waste your energy running around petitioning to have it pulled from the airwaves. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. We get confused about this.

            One of my favorite moments in scripture says this of the early church: They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people… They used to love us. So, how did we get to be here? Let me suggest that the producers of this TV show are not to blame.

            You see, aside from the cartoonish caricature that inhabits GCB (nothing is subtle anymore), there was this haunting grain of truth in pretty much all of the characters. There are versions of many of these characters in our churches. Ugh. Let me suggest that the rulers, authorities and spiritual forces of darkness took up residence in our churches long before the evidence of their presence showed up on TV. This church is first and foremost, our own problem.

The great Christian writer Brennan Manning said it this way, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”

Hard as it sounds, without GCBs, there would never have arisen GCB. It is fair to say that there is much drivel in pop culture and it isn’t worth your time. So use your brain and separate from what’s unhealthy but, don’t blame the culture for what unbelievers think of the church. The popular culture will only reflect back on the faith community what it believes it sees in us. It makes me sick to think GCB is what we’re putting across. If I thought that was what following Jesus was about, I would laugh at us, too.

So, Good Christian Brothers and Sisters, it falls to us to make things different. We need to fight the right battles. We need to refuse to bow to forces of darkness within our community. We need be a truer reflection of Jesus; get back to where we once belonged (apologies to Paul). We will be amazed (uh-oh, Paul again. Sorry. Can’t help it.) at what will happen. Go be the Church.

YBIC,

Kevin