Jesus told us to beware trying to serve God and money. He also admonished His followers to be as wise as serpents and harmless and doves. We are to be shrewd managers and wise in our dealings with the world. So is using marketing techniques and pop culture to spread the Gospel a good or bad thing? Could it be both?
The other day I received a copy of Outreach magazine in the mail. For the record, I do not subscribe to this magazine and would not for a number of reasons. Anyway, the cover had a lion on it with the following headline, "NARNIA Hits The Big Screen, Disney Blockbuster: Your Outreach Opportunity?" While I found the article interesting because I like the Narnia book series, I was disturbed by the underlining message behind the concept.
The premise is that the movie can be used to engage the unchurched in our communities. Then it can drive people to make decisions to follow Christ and join a local church. Boy, I can just see the empty pews filling up now. I hope your church has already started a building plan. {Insert chuckle here}
Wait a minute, wasn't the same thing supposed to happen after Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ hit the big screen? The vivid portrayal of Jesus' sacrifice was supposed to cause a worldwide revival. But it didn't. While I certainly applaud the movie and its message about the passion of Jesus, the marketing around it seemed to miss the heart of the Gospel. The good news is relational built around a community and a body not just a message on a screen. Could we honestly expect to give away free movie tickets, make an altar call, collect commitment cards, and come out with real followers of Jesus? Being a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and agreeing to five key doctrines. It is a walk built around a relationship with Jesus.
More than anything, I found that Mel Gibson's movie helped Christians understand the shear horror and pain of the cross. I heard people say things like, "I had no idea that the beating and crucifixion of Jesus was that bloody." For the first time in their lives, many of the youth in my church saw the precious price that was paid to obtain their freedom. They were shocked, left speechless and overcome with a sense of awe.
The Narnia movie is likely to grab a much larger audience than Gibson's Passion of the Christ. And it can certainly be used to spur deep spiritual discussion. But I am concerned if we pin too much hope on a movie to plow ground that we are supposed to work by living as Christ in the world. When the Passion came out, it was marketed by some supporters as the "Best Witnessing Opportunity in 2,000 years." This attitude seems to overlook that all creation declares the glory of God. We don't need to wait for a movie. Every day we see things in creation and life that proclaim God's glory. Because truth ends up in many movies, and whatever is true comes from God, we can use lots of different films to start spiritual conversations. It's just that churches only push some movies and those are the ones we get behind most evangelism today is done as organized group efforts not a day by day way of life.
Please don't get me wrong. Yes, the Narnia movie should spark some very interesting spiritual discussions. But I believe that the focus on event evangelism and group outreach efforts show just how far the American church is from living as God intends us to be. People are supposed to see a difference. They are supposed to see something that causes them to make a decision.
Let's not be naive, Disney does not care one bit about the Kingdom of God or His glory. Corporate America has become very adept at taking advantage of the pack mentality of the Christian market. Outreach magazine has partnered with Disney to develop and distribute resources that churches can use to promote spiritual discussions designed around the movie. And while this may not be all bad, we need to make sure that we are truthful about Disney's motives and the effectiveness of event outreach. In reality, most people are looking to belong to something before they believe. Why do something just to get a few comment cards that mean little in the end? Isn't there a more effective way to engage the world with the truth of the Word?
Instead of just follow the latest from evangelism experts, the people of God need to be led by the Holy Spirit. We should seek to engage culture. We should seek to live a difference. And we should not feel like we have to wait for a program or movie to do it.
