I spent ("wasted" may be a better word) about four hours watching two apocalyptic thrillers on Christian television over my vacation. It is a sad commentary on evangelicalism that our favorite topic for movies is apocalyptic drama. And yet, that is how things are here in America.

The characters in the movie were predictable and presented with no ambiguity whatsover. It was easy to distinguish between the three types of characters: (1) clearly evil people, (2) clearly good people, and, (3) people who are clearly going to convert to Christianity before the movie is over. Every single character fit into one of these categories. If only life were so nice and tidy!

This American phenomenon provokes in me a few thoughts which I will share with you in no apparent order:

Only in America could apocalyptic dramas capture the fancy of so many Christians. Why we would delight in a steady intake of doomsday predictions and scenarios rather than in the fullness of glory, grace, and love that is to be ours in the consummation of all things in Christ is something I still find hard to fathom.

Only in America could Christians think that God's main purpose in life is to deliver us from tribulation and suffering (rather than shaping us into the image of Christ through tribulation and suffering -- if it was good enough for His Son, then it is good enough for us!).

Only in America could Christians presume that they know exactly what is going to happen in final judgment (when, in reality, the Scripture says that many will be surprised on that final day and that the first will be last and the last first. There is a big difference between hopeful confidence and smug presumption).

Only in America could we think that we are really doing anyone any positive good by continually regurgating the same old apocalyptic propaganda (propaganda that only the "converted" watch anyway).

Only in America could we think we will scare people to heaven because of the coming doom, instead of drawing them to the amazing, abundant, glorious grace of Christ that attracts and allures the most hardened sinner to respond.

Until Christians learn to present stories with a little more creativity, a little more of a positive message, a little more ambiguity among the characters, and a lot less forced-down-your-throat evangelistic message, our movies will continue to be little more than propaganda for the converted, rather than salt and light for the world.

© Richard J. Vincent, July 21, 2002