I was recently watching the FX drama Justified, and an extremely beautiful and emotional scene from the episode has stuck into my brain. The character Ellen May, a Kentucky prostitute who has been involved in murder, drugs, and other unspeakable acts, sits down to talk with preacher Billy of a tent revival church about her salvation. Ellen May had attended an earlier service and was attracted to the gospel message that was shared. Her life until then had been one of brokenness and heartache. She hears of how Jesus wants her, and wants to heal her, and she is overwhelmed with joy at this new found truth. She goes back to her boss to tell her of how she has found Jesus and is quitting, but is quickly shamed and told that she can't possibly be saved after all the bad she has done. When Ellen May returns to tell the preacher how she is appreciative of his interest in her but cannot stay, he fires back with an incredible message. He tells her how there is not one thing that she can do that can make her unattractive to God and take her away from union with the Lord. As she weeps under the pressure of what she thinks are unforgivable transgressions, he encourages her that she is a beautiful and wonderful creation. He cites John 3:17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Ellen May realizes that this is what she needs, and changes her mind; she wants to follow Jesus more than anything. This scene broke me down into tears. To see this woman realize not only the weight of her sins but how God is totally jealous for her is a perfect vision of the gospel. That much like the adulterous woman at the well, there is no amount of sin that can make Jesus leave.
Justified is far from perfect in its depiction of Christianity, but it is certainly one of the best representations out there. The scene I described above is an exception to how Hollywood depicts my faith. Hollywood knows that over half of their audience at least claims to be Christian, so most shows and movies do not overtly stomp on the existence of God or faith. Most of the time characters are lauded for their faith in something. But generally it is a vague description of God and never an actual picture of the gospel. God is kind of "real", but in a very distant sense. A character might pray when they are in a time of dire circumstances and maybe something will work out, but He is shown to be more like a genie rather than a personal God.
Sometimes the "Christian" character will shove their morals down others throats, most of the time for no other reason than the fact that it's "right". The most prominent example of this in my mind is "Shirley" from the NBC comedy, Community. I really like Community. The characters are endearing and the show is hilariously self-aware. But I cannot stand Shirley. The main reason for this is that I simply do not find her character to be funny. But it also gets under my skin how the writers portray her as the "Christian" in the group. Pretty much the only time she tries to give advice is when she wants one of her friends to "do what is right". She is the buzz kill of the group, always coming down on her friends for doing sinful things and never giving a reason other than the fact that it's "right". Shirley definitely isn't the only example of the "uptight Christian" character in movies and TV. The reason this upsets me so much is that it continues to perpetuate what is wrong with the church today. People run from Christianity because they see it as a way to ruin their fun and control their lives. They see the Bible as strict rules that you are shamed for breaking. This is clearly not in line with what scripture says. Corinthians 10:23 says "'Everything is permissible'--but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'--but not everything is constructive." Paul essentially tells the Corinthians that in their freedom in Christ, nothing is against the law, but that not everything will be good practice. Christ gives us commands to make our lives better. Read through the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) and try to tell me that you will be worse off in life if you follow what Jesus says. His teachings enrich and give our lives joy, not rain on our parade and stamp out our fun. Being a moralist is about the worst way to go about faith; you get a bunch of rules but you don't get Jesus. TV and movie characters who are strict moralists look like fools because that is what they are for the most part; they don't understand that Jesus came to be an integral part of our lives, and to comfort and guide us.
Another common Christian character is that of the "zen master" Christian. This is sort of like the preacher in Firefly. This character understands the vastness of God and some of the basics of salvation. They say things like "God has a plan for all of us" and "you have to choose for yourself what you believe". These characters are generally shed in a good light, and are less offensive to me than the overt moralist. But they still don't understand the personal nature of Jesus Christ. They get that God is that real and that he offers salvation, but don't get that he longs for a daily relationship with each of us.
It is unfortunate that this is how Christians are depicted on screen because it can shape how people perceive Jesus. One interesting thing about film is that almost every movie or TV show where a character is in an existential crisis, it is because they are pouring their life into things that don't matter. Fight Club is a movie that is a perfect example. The narrator (Edward Norton) is obsessed with making his life "complete" with his perfect job, apartment, and appearance. Yet he is still unhappy. Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is the destructive force that rips through this notion. He exposes the insignificance of these material loves and how small they really are. The movie harps on the plight of man, that he is tirelessly searching for purpose. It's right in showing that the purpose isn't "stuff" and being "complete", but it offers no real solution.
Often the character will be obsessed with work or money or sex, but will almost always come full circle and realize what does and doesn't matter in life. Movies tell you that your family and doing good for others are the things that matter, and if you devote your life to that you will be happy. While it's true that serving others is important (the second greatest commandment after all, Matthew 22:36-40), it ignores the fact that a life to glorify God is the only thing that brings true happiness. People are frail, faulty, and finite. They will eventually fail no matter how hard they try. Jesus is definitively everlasting, and the only thing in this world that can offer joy eternally.
The Jesus story is literally the greatest story ever told. Almost EVERY movie has themes that can be pointed to his sacrifice (laying down your life for another, stepping down from a position of power to serve, etc.). But as long as they do not acknowledge the truth about Him, I will always feel like there is missed opportunity. I love film, I love the stories in film, but they will ALWAYS pale in comparison to the story of my Savior; that he became a man, died for my transgressions, and conquered the grave to have a personal relationship with me. That is what will always matter.
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