To be honest, I have heard that the idea of
Christians being active in Hollywood bothers some people…and well, that bothers
me. Going along with what I said in Part 1, our entertainment industry is full
of trash and I cheer for churches like Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany,
Georgia who produced solid Christian films like “Fireproof”, “Facing the
Giants”, and “Courageous” (and intend to keep making more films like these). These were films that were solidly based off
of Christian values for the purpose of reaching and ministering to others for
the glory of God.
My girlfriend and I had a conversation a few months
ago about how we were both really passionate about reaching into an industry
dominated by secular businesses and organizations and representing Christ in
that by being professional and excellent where God puts us. I admit, I am tired of seeing Christian
products and thinking “Wow, that’s cheesy.”
I am tired of seeing Christians produce mediocre and tacky things, while
everyone else can pull out big funding and professionalism to show off their
garbage.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that the
Christian community should neglect Truth to have a cooler presentation, but if
the Christian community is going to be serious about impacting our culture,
they need to be able to compete with the excellence that other industries
have. This miniseries does that in a way
that few Christian products have had in Hollywood before. I watched several interviews with the
producers behind the series, Mark Burnett (“Survivor”) and his wife Roma Downey
(“Touched by an Angel”), and they brought something HUGE to this project that
doesn’t just compete with other films…it surpasses them.
Burnett and Downey have spent almost 4 years on this
project, filming in Morocco with a committed cast from around the world. They bring an Oscar-winning editing studio to
the table, not to mention part of the team from the fantastic film “Gladiator”
(Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerard) to help make the film as authentic and excellent
as possible.
I am very proud that a group of Christians committed
themselves to present the Word of God in a visually stunning and masterful way. There is nothing second-rate about this miniseries
and I know that it is the producers’ hope that their work might cause people to
go back and take another look at what the Bible says and the hope that it gives. It is not a book full of children’s stories
and fairytales. In fact, the Bible is
very dark in parts. It is not PG, it is
PG-13, even R sometimes. The Word of God
is not cheesy and the Gospel is not something to be taken lightly. And I think
the way this miniseries was produced reflects those beliefs as well.
The producers behind this series made a big splash
in the Hollywood pond and there is now a Christian product out there that was
filmed with enough excellence and mastery to compete with other works. It screams out to those who watch it “Give me
another look, I am not as silly and childish and you may have thought” and if
this miniseries causes others to reconsider their opinions on the Bible and
make people go back to read it for themselves, then praise be to God.
In conclusion, the idea of making the Bible into a
miniseries is not a bad idea or inherently evil. With the generation of Christians today who
read the Bible more on their iPads, and smartphones than in the book itself,
this TV miniseries is a product that meets us where we are. The real issue now is more about the content
and accuracy within the miniseries itself.
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