Casting stones

Last night I watched the series premier of “The Closer” (DVR is going to be my down fall – I see it now). My beloved has gotten me hooked on this show. That makes 2 detective shows I watch whenever I get the chance. “Monk” on USA, and now “The Closer” - and two others I will watch occasionally (“CSI” – the original, and “Psych”). What is it about these detective shows anyway? Ok, I digress from what I was originally going to write about… The suspect in this show was a deeply religious Catholic who was misled into thinking that the person she was falling in love with was a man – when in fact it was a woman. In the “heat of the moment” this woman killed her would be lover (she was emphatic that they were not intimate). Over the years I have been disappointed by how “Hollywood” (a generalization) has consistently portrayed Christians in general. And it does not have to be denominationally specific either. In this case it was not the portrayal of the suspect, but the lead character’s (Chief Deputy Brenda Johnson) attitude towards the woman’s faith. Granted, I am still learning how the actors and writers are developing the characters personalities, etc. My point is Christians, at least the ones that it is made a point of portraying their faith, are almost always portrayed in some form of negative light. That is a foul taste or impression of the character is left – even when they are not the “bad guy” of the show. I do want to say here that Christians are not with out sin. I cannot stand before you and throw any stones at any sort of glass structure. Oh I pay “Caesar” what is his – I pretty much obey traffic and copyright laws. But I know I am not perfect. I’ve run red lights, I’ve lied before. I even struggle pornography. The Crusades, or even the Inquisition – leave a wrong impression to be sure. But why can’t there be a moral Christians that takes his (or her) family to church on Sunday and brings in the bad guys more often? Maybe I am just not seeing them because I want to be anti-Hollywood. I know there have been a few of them, but they always seem to miss the mark somehow. Christians are often seen in the news when they’ve lied about some huge thing and it is causing harm to someone… or how about the guy who bombed the abortion clinics and killed the doctors? What about Tammy Faye, or the generalization of the televangelist? I guess it is expected that we (Christians) are out helping the needy, or living our ‘perfect’ little lives so it is not very news (or T.V./movie) worthy. My original intention was to tie this whole rambling mess to the cross. It is when things like stem cell research or abortion views get so extreme that, what I hope are only misguided and well meaning, Christians do really non-Christian things. Oh I am pro-life (anti-abortion according to the media), and I do not agree with stem cells from a fetus to be used for research (a barely mentioned article of adult stem cells being used successfully is out there – sorry, I don’t have the specific link right now), but hurting others in any fashion is not going to really bring glory to Christ and His kingdom. When other issues take the place of the cross’ centrality, when the gospel becomes secondary we are not far from being hypocritical at best. There is a Casting Crowns song that comes to mind right now… “If we are the Body” that really speaks to this subject as well. I think the study verse for this week’s vacation Bible School at my church really sums it up best… Verse for today: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, esv Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.