I’ve always loved finding God in unexpected places. I believe signs of His work are all around us, if we take time to look—from the top of a hill to the edge of the ocean to the fabric of our cubicle walls. It’s one of the things I enjoy so much about this job, quite frankly—the opportunity to approach faith from odd angles.
Movies provide us with some of the oddest angles around. In our modern culture, they’ve become a prime teaching tool—and Christians are using them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideals.
My series of articles titled Not Just a Movie wrapped up this week—the exclamation point on a long, long project. The final chapter dealt with the fascinating intersection between cinema and spirituality—how we, as Christians, are now co-opting the art form and making it, in some small way, our own. I’m not just talking about Christian films like Fireproof, though that’s obviously part of it. I’m talking about pastors using movie clips in sermons, adults using films as devotional launch pads—and just the natural conversations that pop up among friends once the credits roll. Movies have become a crucible in which we can examine, question and, at times, affirm our most treasured beliefs.
Now, maybe this intersection isn’t always a safe one to navigate. I know of folks who’ve walked out of church services because they deemed the clips they saw there inappropriate. And I do think there’s a fine line when it comes to this stuff—one that we, here at Plugged In, struggle mightily to walk in our own way every day: How do we grapple with good messages in bad movies?
So, with that in mind, talk to me about how faith and film intersect in your life. Do you see film clips in church? Have you ever seen instances where you felt a film illustration or clip crossed the line? What movies have sparked spiritual conversations between you and your family or friends? Has film been more of a help or a hindrance in your walk with God?
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