March 11, 2013
A Case for Crying Out Loud
Hollywood has some Bible based movies in production that are set to be
released in 2013-2014. It remains to be seen if producers, script writers and
directors will take dramatic licenses, or whether they will be true to the
Bible text. So far the second installment of the five-part miniseries The Bible, which aired Sunday,
appears to be a faithful adaptation to Scripture. Mark Burnett, executive
producer of the miniseries, feels that if liberties are taken with the
Scripture there could be a backlash from 160 million Americans who regularly
attend church. Let’s hope he is correct. We believers have become so
lackadaisical in standing up for our beliefs, our values, and our Lord that I sometimes
think I can hear the stones beginning to murmur. During the triumphal entry
some of the Pharisees wanted to silence the disciples who were praising God in
loud voices and they asked Jesus to rebuke them. Jesus responded, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones
will cry out.” (Luke 19:40 NIV)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Gail;
-----I immensely enjoy Bible programs, from documentaries to drama. But every time a new one comes along, I cringe. It is inevitable that something is always mishandled. Even the things that can be understood and overlooked by those who know the Bible well will create misimpressions in the minds of those who know it marginally. The multiculturalism of “The Bible” is a great example. The three angels who visited Abraham on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah were oriental, black ( I don’t mean dark Semitic,) and, of course, one actually had to be Semitic. Last night I discovered Sampson was African. I understand how nice it is to make room for everyone to participate. I also understand how beneficial it is for the truth to participate. How do I know a couple of those angels were not Oriental and black, or maybe Australian Aborigine and Eskimo? Because the rest of the Bible portrays God communicating with man through the listeners’ cultural elements for best understanding, and Abraham was not Oriental, black, Aborigine, or Eskimo. God is not vain.
-----The portrayal of a good story increases with its proximity to reality. The unraveling of a good story begins with disrespect for its truths. Mr. Burnett unwittingly exposed one of the top problems fragmenting our society. The proper reason for not taking liberties with any story, let alone the Bible, is not that there might be a lot of objection. Far more important is the interplay of honesty and integrity between the story teller and his audience. If either loosens honor for the truth, then fallacies begin to reverberate between the two until the whole social structure liquefies into an oozing pool of slimy deceit. It isn’t a process that happens overnight. The life and times of American society over the last century clearly illustrates the gradual descent into deceit, debauchery, and disorder when we do not honor the truth simply for the value of truth. The coming Tribulation will provide further demonstration.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Behind every loosening of the truth is an elevation of the self.
Steve,
Bill and I also discussed the actor’s ethnicity in The Bible as being out of character with Biblical ethnicity of the times.
Gail
Post a Comment