If we look at the landscape of Christian entertainment, really entertainment as a whole, it’s clear how much we need Christian entertainment to make an impact. Now, if it isn’t obvious, I’m using the word ‘need’ hyperbolically. We obviously don’t need entertainment, all we need is Christ to find fulfillment in this life. However, I am using the word ‘need’ to show its impact. The world-renowned pastor-theologian, John Stott wrote, “Christians should seek to penetrate the world of the mass media and equip themselves as television script writers, producers, and performers(actors). We can hardly complain of the low standard of many current programs if we take no constructive initiatives to provide alternatives which are not only technically equal if not better, but more wholesome as well.” Stott is one of the last people evangelicals would expect to hear this from and he wrote this back in 1982!
Stott saw the influence that entertainment would have on the world and encouraged Christians to take an initiative in, not only creating Christian content, but even creating better content than the world. Whether you want to admit it or not, entertainment has a massive effect on our society from the elderly down to the youth. We are all affected by media through our phones, computers, TV, movies, video games, social media, etc and it’s having a major impact on the current generations and our future generations (our children). In the past(some still today), some churches and denominations have done their best to provide damage control by trying to get rid of TV and movies altogether. However, the problem is that with the invention of smartphones— which almost every person has—everyone has access to the same content on TV in their back pocket. Christians have to stop downplaying, avoiding, and rejecting entertainment and its effects. The longer we do, the more we let the world and the culture disciple our children through the media. This is why I’m saying that we need Christian entertainment.
Now I know some Christian’s might not like me saying this but I think a company that did this well and was way ahead of the game was Big Idea Entertainment with the creation of VeggieTales. I know, I know. VeggieTales, really? They aren’t exactly the pinnacle of great theology and sound teaching. I get it but let me explain.
In the 70s and 80s, kids entertainment was skyrocketing and it was only going up from there in the 90s. Big Idea was created in 1989 and aired their first film in 1993. In the 1990s and early 2000s, VeggieTales was a huge hit in both Christian and non-Christian homes and, due to its success, is still alive today. Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales, was smart enough to spot an opportunity in the industry as he capitalized on it and now, his creation has become a household name. But the question is, why did VeggieTales do so well? It wasn’t just Christian. It did well because it was a genuinely funny, educational kids show that was full of catchy and memorable songs. I still remember the Cheeseburger Song and my wife hates that I sometimes blast the Larryboy Theme song in the car. VeggieTales wasn’t just a Christian show. It was a good show! Now obviously, this wouldn’t be a show that should be used on Sunday sermons or at seminary to teach the ins and outs of exegesis. But that was never the point. It was geared to young children. Imagine a 4 year old who understands who Jesus is and how he came to save sinners by watching a silly tomato and cucumber on TV. They’re able to laugh, sing, and understand the basics of the Gospel at the same time. What parent wouldn’t want that?
If you wonder why Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings are still beloved series to this day, it’s not just because they’re Christian. It’s because they’re great. Even Pilgrim’s Progress and Moby Dick which are both blatantly Christian, are beloved books because they’re just great books! It’s because of these works, that many people became influenced by the Christian messages. The reason why these were successful works is because their focus was to make good entertainment with Christian messages.
If you make something good, people are compelled to listen to your message. Jesus didn’t just preach the Gospel, He healed the sick and fed the hungry. He did so many miracles that people were compelled to listen to Him. I’m not saying that entertainment is the same as healing people. What I am saying is, if we do everything as unto the Lord with excellence, you’ll be flabbergasted at how God can use the most unique works to spread the Gospel. I’ve met people personally and indirectly who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit unto salvation through books, music, videos, movies, TV, and other forms of entertainment. My point is that we don’t need to shy away from entertainment and if we do it to the glory of God, God can use it to draw the lost unto Him.
Christian entertainment doesn’t have to be overtly Christian. Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘if it doesn’t say God or Jesus, it ain’t Christian!’ Here’s the problem, neither Songs of Songs nor Esther mention God. Would anyone consider these books to be non-Christian? God-forbid! Especially if you read a book like Esther, it’s nearly impossible to not see God working all through that book even though He’s operating in a veiled way. The point is that entertainment can be Christian-based. Take for instance Avengers: Endgame. There were two huge scenes that were impactful in that movie. The first is when Captain America stands by himself with a broken shield before Thanos and his entire army yet, despite extreme adversity, Captain America doesn’t back down. I immediately thought of the 3 Hebrew Boys in Daniel who were willing to stand despite the world being against them. They were willing to die righteous for God than to live bowing to a worthless idol. Or when David was willing to stand alone before Goliath and the Philistines with nothing but a slingshot and five stones. Even in the midst of extreme adversity, Captain America, like David, was willing to stand up and be a good man. (Obviously, I know that David is a typology for Christ, I’m just trying to help paint the picture.)
The other scene was Tony Stark when he took the five Infinity Stones and was willing to lay down his life to save the world. Literally, if that doesn’t scream JESUS CHRIST, I don’t know what will! John 3:16 (NKJV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 15:13 (CSB) says, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” These are CHRISTIAN stories and concepts! Now I am not advocating for making cheap copies or ripoff of popular IPs. (Unfortunately, we’ve been graced with The Reconciler which is a horrible Christian ripoff of Saw). What I am advocating for is that we can have Christian themes all throughout our stories without it being overtly Christian. This is why books and movies like Narnia and Lord of the Rings were so successful but also biblical.
It’ll only work if we take risks!
The first reason why modern Christian film has a bad reputation is because of the poor quality of work as stated above. This is why we need to produce good work. The second reason why modern Christian film is bad is because it is way too safe! By ‘not being safe’, I don’t mean we should start producing inappropriate content. What I mean is that in order to produce good content, we have to create real conflict and real characters.
What do I mean by ‘real conflict?’ Conflict that isn’t only solved by the act of prayer and faith. Yes prayer and faith are irreplaceable but look at David. In 1 Samuel 30, David encouraged himself in the Lord and fought the Amelakites in battle. He had faith in God to win the battle but he still had to go to war… and Christians forget that the Bible is bloody. Very bloody! If you look at Christian screenwriting or film competitions, they have a strict ‘no gore or violence’ law in their rules. 2 Samuel 4:12 (CSB) says, “So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.” Could you imagine this on PureFlix?
I’m not advocating that we make another Saw flick but what I am advocating for is ‘real conflict’ because we face real conflict in reality. This is what made Passion of the Christ stand out from all other ‘Jesus flicks’. (Setting theological differences aside about portraying Jesus in movies). Yes the acting was great, but nothing compares to Jesus being beaten by the cat of 9 tails and Him being crucified on the cross. Mel Gibson decided to take a risk and, instead of pacifying the crucifixion with just a little blood on Christ, he showed the true brutality and wounds that our Savior received. It was because of his willingness to take that risk that Passion of the Christ is one of the greatest Christian films of all time. There is real political, family, and relational conflict alongside battles, skirmishes, and full out war in the Bible. If the Bible didn’t shy away from real conflict, why does Christian entertainment continue to do so?
Secondly, we have to make real characters. I’m not saying that everything should be historically real. I’m saying that characters should feel real and believable. Whether fantasy or not, a real character is one that is relatable, has flaws, and is facing adversity. This is why we love historical characters in the Bible such as David, Moses, and Job because we can identify with their faults. I can understand Moses’ anger to strike the Rock twice when his people refused to have faith in God after all He’s done. I can feel David’s discouragement when he’s pursued by Saul, rejected by the Philistines, and attacked by the Amelakites when he’s been nothing but faithful. Anyone with a heart can sympathize with Job who was a blameless man that questioned God after he lost his family, wealth, and health but refused to lose his faith. These are real characters because they face real problems and have real faults.
We have to stop creating Christian entertainment with cardboard characters that are so perfect! There is only one perfect Man and that was Jesus Christ. Unless we’re making a story about Him, our characters need to be realistic, flawed, and conflicted. Even Jesus was human. He cried, got angry, laughed, became hungry and ate with saints and sinners, and had fear when He asked God to remove the ‘cup’ from Him but He encouraged Himself, “Not My will but Thine will be done.” Jesus, who is the truly perfect God and truly perfect Man, is more realistically human than the ‘perfect people’ created by these Christian films.
People can be both encouraged and entertained.
There’s this phrase that trended in the video game community for a while called ‘It’s more than just a game.’ This was a response to people outside of the gaming community who severely minimized the amount of lessons and stories that are portrayed from video games. I honestly agree with the statement that playing a game is often ‘more than just a game’. Not because I’m a gamer but because people forget that stories, including the ones in the Bible, have incredible power and that a video game is nothing more than an interactive story; stories which are incredibly deep and moving.
Here’s an example of a character from a video game. After losing his wife and his son, his heart became cold with war and bloodshed. Though he became incredibly powerful and feared, he was never fulfilled. He finally leaves his warmongering past to try to be a better man. In this process, he has a wife and a son but becomes an absent dad because he felt disconnected from living that type of peaceful life. However, when his wife passes away, he now has to be the caretaker of his 11-year-old son with whom he missed most of his life. He tries his best to teach him to be a better man than he was that’s not consumed by anger, pain, and emotion but only lifts his blade when necessary. However, his son becomes endangered by a powerful foe. In order to save the son he loves, he must dig back up the weapons from his past. As he is digging the hole—the past that he buried—he’s haunted by the chilling voice of a woman from his previous life. “Pretend to be everything you are not. Teacher… Husband… Father. But there is one unavoidable truth you will never escape: you cannot change. You will always be… a monster.” With those harrowing words, the warrior rises with his former blades that fit perfectly in his hands as he answers with a deep, somber voice. “I know… but I am your monster no longer.” This is a scene from God of War (2018): a video game!
As a Christian father and husband, this tears me up every time because, if you’re a parent, you know how hard it is to raise children and how much we fall short. We know what it’s like to have a rough past and to do our best to leave that behind so that we can be the best husbands, teachers, fathers, and godly men that we can be for our families. C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” This is what I mean that people can be enriched, enlightened, or encouraged and be entertained. People like playing God of War not just because it’s a great game, with solid mechanics and an open world; but because it was a game that encouraged men to be better fathers.
Conclusion
This is what Christian entertainment should be and this is what John Stott was talking about. Christian entertainment should be genuinely good and entertaining while also encouraging and enriching with the Gospel message and values. Furthermore, the content doesn’t have to focus on the entirety of the Gospel message but just on one component. For example, Ruth foretells Christ being the ‘kinsmen redeemer’ which is one aspect of Christ. Like God of War, make a story, film, show, or a game about the relationship between a parent and a child. Or about being righteous in the midst of political turmoil. Whatever!
The point is that we have to stop pretending that the Internet is going away. It’s not. Though we still do our best to place boundaries, the world is making more advances. How much longer will Christians be on the defense and start being on the offensive for the kingdom of God? I’m tired of Christians being upset about the influence of entertainment but we’re doing nothing to influence that world. It’s time for Christians to step up and take back our place as some of the most innovative, creative, and artistic people because we serve a creative Creator.
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