OLD SNAPSHOTS

I've heard a few Christians criticise the History Channel's "The Bible" mini series. It grieves my spirit, and i feel it's a bad witness to the unbelieving world when they see those murmurings.

Suppose you have a box of old photographs of family and loved ones. Treasured memories of your life and past, pictures of people you love at times when they were children or whatever....would you throw half of them away because they weren't clear enough or wrinkled?...because they were poor shots that weren't balanced and centered? No you cherish them for what they are..for the memories they bring back, for the feelings they invoke. As bad of an example of photographic skill they might be, they're all that you have. They cannot be retaken.

Here we stand in time, in a world that is ever moving away from it's Creator and the knowledge of Him. In  a country that is fast becoming a "post Christian" country...in a time when the hearts of people are growing cold and devoid of God's love. Sadly even most "Christians" do not really know the word of God well. But if even ONE soul turns to God through this television program...is it not valuable? Yet millions around the world are watching. Many have never heard the stories of the Bible. They won't find fault with it because certain characters aren't portrayed as some feel they should be...because the story line is slightly out of sequence. I learned a lesson about this actually many years ago when watching another Bible mini series on tv with some friends, called "Jesus of Nazereth" starring Robert Powell. I complained about inaccuracies with a sort of judgmental attitude, but someone in the group rebuked me . It grieved them that i was murmuring about it while they were trying to enjoy it. I really took that rebuke to heart.

The producers of this series have taken the Holy word of God, and created a theatrical production of its stories with  better effects and realism than any former Bible movie or drama has ever had; understanding the premise Paul gave us in 1 Cor 9:22 that He became "..all things to all men that he might by all means win some". They understood that modern viewers are wanting to see lots of action and war. They love violence, the Bible is full of it. I will concede right here that, that one issue is the hardest part of it for me personally. With so many contractors of scripture complaining that the God of the Bible is bloodthirsty, i'd like to have seen less of that. For the record, i personally do not wrestle too much with why God promoted the slaughter of pagan nations at the hand of His people, even though it's still difficult for me sometimes to read about it. I like how i heard someone put it recently..."The real question we should be asking it why God should allow ANY of us to live?"   Nevertheless....you draw them in with what they're accustomed to seeing on the screen, and before they know it, they're watching the story of Jesus Christ being born and doing miracles and dying for us all. It's really pretty slick if you think about it.

I get that there are inaccuracies. When we're watching it, I pause it many times so that my family and i can talk about the differences or what's been left out. I also understand that Christians want to see their beloved word of God portrayed as close to the actual Bible as possible, i feel that way too, and sometimes wish they didn't take the liberties they do with the storyline when it would have been just as easy to show it accurately. However,  i'm trying to see this production in the context of how the world will be viewing it. Maybe as American Christians in the 21st century, we've become spoiled and have an "entertain me" attitude. We view movies and tv shows with the kind of critical eye the world does. The more accurate and true to history it is, the more believable the characters and special effects are, the more entertained we are. With a floating standard that's ever evolving,  we want the next thing we indulge in to be better that the last. How 'bout we try a different approach with how we deal with this show? There are a million other shows and movies when we want to be entertained. This is the living word of the living God performed and acted out , and the world is watching. Do you read your Bible with the sole purpose of being entertained by it? Or do you allow it to do the various and sundry awesome things that it does. It's more than a screenplay...more than a scripted performance. It's more than a book.