Good news, fellow Christians - we scored again!
Rainn Wilson (AKA Dwight Schrute) from The Office called out last Sunday's episode of the record-breaking HBO series, The Last of Us.
The episode featured a group of cannibals led by what appears to be a Christian preacher. They use the Bible to justify their Zombie behavior, and David, the aforementioned preacher, attacks the main character Ellie.
In response, Rainn tweeted:
"I do think there is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood. As soon as the David character in 'The Last of Us' started reading from the Bible, I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain. Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?”
I'm with Rainn: Hollywood's depiction of Christianity is tired and cliché.
But I don't think tweeting about it will change much. We have long been targets of mainstream media and entertainment. They see us as ideological enemies, so they are incentivized to show the worst of us. (New series idea, Hollywood?)
In any case, it has become more common for Hollywood stars and athletes to publicly defend or promote their Christian faith. Mark Wahlberg, when recently asked why he talks about Jesus, said, "I don't want to jam it down anybody's throat. Yeah. But I do not deny my faith. That's an even bigger sin. You know, it's not popular in my, uh, industry, but, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It's important for me to share that with people." This is great! We should break out soft drinks and celebrate, right?
But, I think it's a little more complicated than that. Let me give you two thoughts to consider.
1. Let’s celebrate it if it’s REAL.
When God changes someone, no matter who they are, we should rejoice! If someone is willing to share their experience with others, especially outside of the Church, that's great, too!
But we need to have discernment. When you look at a lot of these celebrity Christians, their words and lives rarely line up. I'm not saying that if you're a Christian, you're perfect and you have it all figured out. But many seem to espouse a 'Savior, but not Lord' kind of faith - a version of Jesus that's only about acceptance.
When we celebrate public declarations of faith by influential people, we may be inadvertently promoting a false Gospel. Celebrity Christians often preach a version of Jesus that is less about sin and salvation, and more about kindness and acceptance - which is really like offering someone a bandaid for their bullet hole.
2. Jesus will NEVER be cool.
When a famous person comes to Jesus and talks about it, it feels good. It appeals to the part of all of us that wants our faith to be legitimized or popularized. Who doesn't want Jesus to be popular?
But here's a harsh fact: Jesus will never be cool. He will never be mainstream. If you can make Him cool, it's likely you are no longer talking about Jesus. Jesus was loving, He was accepting, He was caring - but He was also counter-cultural. He was revolutionary. He challenged the system.
Jesus didn't come to this earth to be popular. He came to save people, and often delivered a message that the masses didn't want to hear. He was ultimately killed - not because He fit in and not because He was cool, but because He was willing to tell the truth, no matter the cost.
Let's be hopeful and positive. When God changes high-profile people in public ways, let's cheer - but cheer cautiously. And make sure we aren't complicit in promoting a version of Christianity that is cheap and palatable, so that we can get in at the party.
It's a stupid party anyway.
Want to watch the full conversation? Check out Dwight from The Office Defends Jesus & Embracing Digital Addiction!
