Hollywood's Christians

The human mind is a wonder when it comes to imagination. Look at Hollywood. They can produce trolls, devils, dragons, and ogres. They can form images of far flung worlds in distant galaxies. They can make up fantastic space aliens and weave amazing stories from the past, the present, and the future. And their creations are so believable! As technology improves you begin to wonder, "Did they actually find a basilisk, or is that a computer generated thing?" Such imaginations!

I wonder why it is, then, that Hollywood seems completely incapable of producing a believable Christian? It seems that they lack any ability to present anything vaguely similar to my lifelong experiences with Christian pastors, preachers, or simply believers. Hollywood's versions are always ... something else. Pastors are often outlandish firebrands with end-of-the-world fetishes or power plays or perhaps they're just greedy for all that their flock can give them. They often have bizarre opinions on morality although everyone else around them is quite normal. You know the types. Everyone is quite okay with premarital sex, but these sick-minded religious nuts think it's a sin. No one has a problem with homosexuals, but these pastors are in favor of killing each and every one. None of them are portrayed as believing that it is wrong behavior, but loving the person. That's too ... acceptable. Of course, there are the other sorts as well -- the other end of the spectrum. The "acceptable" pastor types are the ones with no beliefs at all. Oh, they have beliefs, sure, but nothing that is certain. Whatever you believe is fine. They just want to love everybody. There is no right or wrong religion, no right or wrong belief. Uncertainty is the virtue they possess. Everyone knows that a good pastor isn't sure of anything at all, except, perhaps, that all people are basically good inside.

In Hollywood, Christians who aren't in the pulpit are portrayed in similar ways. So many of the Christians I've known are decent, loving people who don't sneak out and kill homosexuals or follow leaders blindly until they "drink the Koolaid" or hate those who disagree with them. Most of them agree with the line, "Hate the sin; love the sinner." They aren't as interested in correcting others' lives as much as introducing them to Jesus because, after all, Christianity isn't about correcting lives, but coming to a relationship with Christ. Oddly, I've never seen Hollywood portray a Christian that way.

I find it odd that the world seems so capable of imagining so much, but incapable of imagining a Christian. Is it because of the too-loud folks who call themselves Christians and act as foolishly as Hollywood portrays them? Or is it a built-in animosity of the world toward the real people of Christ? I think it's probably some of both. I don't get it, though, because most Christians I've known are nice people to know. They'd be nice people for Hollywood to know. They'd often make great heroes on the screen. Maybe it has something to do with Christ's words: "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19). I guess I shouldn't be surprised, then, should I?