- Questions
and Answers
Copyright
2003 Mitch Robbins
- - What defines a "Christian
Movie"
- Before we can
define "what is a Christian Movie?" we need to first
go back to the roots and ask, "what makes a person Christian?"
We know that Jesus Christ is the way to God through his substitutionary
death and His resurrection. And, on a very fundamental level
we can say that people are Christians because of the presence
and work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. (The fruit of which
is love, joy, peace, patience, endurance, etc.) A person is not
made a Christian by doing Christian things or saying Christian
things, but rather is made a Christian by what the Spirit of
God has done and is doing in his life. A movie is not made a
"Christian movie" by what is shown or said in it. Rather,
it is a "Christian movie" if it is a movie that was
led by the Spirit of God and the content reflects accurately
His heart and purpose. Biblical themes and message are important
and inseparable from a Christian movie. But we should seek God's
direction in how to present it. Sometimes the Spirit of God leads
us to share boldly the word of God with people around us. Sometimes
the Spirit leads us to just listen and understand where a person
is coming from. Just as God leads us to interact with people
around us in different ways and on different levels, "Christian
Movies" need to be able to do the same. Those of us who
make "Christian Movies" need to cease from our own
labor, and enter into God's rest, which is to only do His will.
-
- - What should be the
purpose of a Christian movie industry?
- The purpose
of a "Christian Movie Industry" should be to reach
each targeted audience segment with the story and message that
God leads us to tell. Some movies will till the soil. Others
will sow the seed. And others will reap a harvest.
-
- - Are Christian movies
a relevant art form that we should encourage? Or are they a divisive
and damaging endeavor for the Church?
- A movie is as
relevant an art form as painting, sculpting, music, or any other.
As a matter of fact, motion pictures can be said to be the cooperation
and expression of all of the other art forms into a single presentation.
Beyond that, it is the single art form that seems to be able
to transcend most, if not all other cultures on the planet. For
good or bad, many cultures now share the common language of motion
pictures. This makes it a potentially powerful way to reach people
for Christ, especially if we really follow the leading of the
Holy Spirit in the writing, development and production of our
movies.
- There are two
ways that a Christian movie can be divisive. One is by pushing
our own agenda and not following God's leading and scriptural
principals. A pastor who preaches a sermon in the same attitude
can also be divisive. And this is a bad thing. Another way for
Christian movies to be divisive is to follow God's leading and
scriptural principals. Even though Jesus desired that people
be in unity in Him, His message often caused the crowds to leave
him. They had a hard time receiving His word. If we're divisive
because we tell the truth and we're obedient to God, maybe in
the long run that is a good thing.
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