January 30, 2006 9:11 AM
End of the Spear - Take Two
I posted the other day about The End of the Spear controversy over the casting of a gay actor in the lead role of Nate and Steve Saint. Though I wrote asking Jason Janz to reconsider his position, I received no answer from him. Not surprising as his bashing has secured his five minutes of fame and he is quite excited about it, as you can see from his website. Wow, radio interviews, petitions signed by pastors, counting blog entries on technorati.
This kind of destructive stuff is Chritianity at its worst.
Please pray for the very real men and women who worked hard to bring a high quality film with a Christian worldview to the screen and are now being raked over the coals by their "Brothers and Sisters in Christ" because they hired the best actor for the job, following what they believe is God's leading. For all our talk about loving the sinner but hating the sin, I wonder if Mr. Janz and his comrades in arms have the slightest idea how to go about that. How can a gay person - or any nonChristian for that matter - ever understand Christianity if we don't have relationship with them?
And if Chad Allen's time with Christians ever brought him closer to Jesus, what is the effect of seeing all these "righteous" Christians stirred up and condemning that time?
Add to the mix the criticism that they find the gospel message watered down. We don't need to go through the Four Spiritual Laws and an altar call to present the Gospel message. The Gospel is something we should be living each day. As St. Francis of Assissi said: Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.
Here are two links about Chad Allen's involvement in The End of the Spear and his reaction to meeting Steve Saint. I'll tell you one thing - as someone who lived 38 years misundertanding and scoffing at Christianity, meeting Jason Janz or those of similar persuasion would have only pushed me farther from Christ. Meeting Steve Saint, as Chad Allen describes him, would have intrigued me. If someone like that claimed to be a follower of Christ, you can bet I'd have been hungry to learn more.
Yesterday I received this email from Ginny Saint:
Dear Barbara, (or friend)
I want to thank you for your article "End of the Spear--How about End the Christian Witchhunt?" After hearing so many negative things about my most admired man "Steve Saint" and another that I greatly admire and respect, Mart Green, it was very encouraging to read your letter of support and also your message to Jason Jantz. I want you to know that both men, as well as other men in leadership for Every Tribe Entertainment, are well deserving of your support.....thank you!!
In Christ,
Ginny Saint (Steve's wife of 32+ years!)
I wrote back something about having been misunderstood and hurt too, and having to develop a thick skin. She answered:
We, too, are getting thick skin to some extent, but can still be wounded, as you know. Personally, I want you to know that if we were faced with the same decisions again, given in the order that we received information, we would not change anything. We did not act without prayer and honestly seeking the Lord's will in every step of the process of making this movie. Steve and Mart have no motivation for personal, professional or financial gain in this endeavor. Their whole motivation has been obedience to the call of God on their lives.....they have been "letting God write their story." We know that not all chapters are happy ones, but we also know that in the last chapter, God makes sense of all the rest!! We trust that even this controversy will bring Glory to God.
How blessed we are that within our body are those creative Christians who will take a risk to do something like this project. Who aren't satisfied with preaching tothe choir, but who want to reach those who've yet to know Jesus. And how sad that there will always be those who sit in judgment, going on these destructive rampages which feed their own egos and further turn the world away from the Gospel.
May I recommend Romans 14?
Posted in Church Issues, Current Affairs, Movies, Religion | Permalink
Comments
I'm so glad you posted, too Barbara. I was personally very put off by the number of bloggers who were jumping on the band wagon for "boycott this movie."
I wanted to see it this weekend, but the times it was showing locally just didn't work. I will see it sometime soon (maybe next weekend)and look forward to it!
Thanks again for your posts on this!
Posted by: Sal | January 30, 2006 12:12 PM
I just read the articles you recommended in your last post and it's amazing; I really think is going to change this man's life for the better, I just hope we, the-so-called-Christians don't get in the way. I can't wait to see the movie. When I heard the story for the first time I was touched in an amazing way by it, I know that the same has happened for this young actor and I know his experience filming this movie is already making it's mark. You know, sometimes I wonder what would have happen if Jesus decided to hang out only with the so-called "righteous" of His time, where would we be? I think sometimes we love to say and think we are fulfilling the Great Comission just because we support a missionary, but when we have the oportunity to reach someone right next to us we turn away and point fingers....what a shame! I like to think of it as: "If not us, then who? If not here, then where? If not now, then when?" May God forgive our self-righteousness.
Posted by: Nilda Lovas | January 30, 2006 1:27 PM
Thanks again, Barbara, for being such a strong voice on this issue. I already commented on your previous point with my feelings. I have a heart for those in the "back row" and those in the parking lot outside church trying to decide if they should go in or not.
My mom saw the film this past weekend and she said it was incredible---moving, beautiful, true, inspiring. I hope to see it soon (anyone want to babysit)? :)
Posted by: mopsy | January 30, 2006 2:17 PM
The one question floating through my head is what if there is a Christian man out there today living in rebellion against God's call in his life to be an actor or to audition for this part? What if he just sat in his car in the parking lot debating or if he never thought twice to begin with?
In the end it doesn't matter. Our God is a great God and capable of working with anything, in spite of anything to bring about His purposes.
I'm with Ginny Saint - may He be glorified!
Posted by: mrs.s. | January 30, 2006 3:12 PM
Mrs Curtis,
Normally I agree with much of what you say however I think that as a Christian, I cannot support a movie that is so blasphemous to the Word of God. To cast a gay actor as one of the lead roles says that something is missing in someone's thought process. Are we supposed to be in judgment? You bet. There is scripture that supports our speaking to brothers and sisters in Christ and giving them a chance to repent of their ways. Anytime someone throws out the "judge as you want to be judged" scripture I have to shake my head. I personally think that it means to hold ourselves to a higher standard, NOT to bring ourselves down to someone’s sinful ways so that we don't have to be held accountable to such a great degree. I personally feel that this actor was cast in this movie not because he was the best for the job but because someone (read the money makers) thought that the controversy surrounding it would generate more media, and a boatload of money from the gay and lesbian crowd. I can only pray that God touches people's hearts despite our spitting in His face regarding His WORD.
In Christian love,
Mrs.DMG
Posted by: Mrs. DMG | January 30, 2006 3:53 PM
At first I was disappointed that a homosexual actor was cast. But then I thought, is that the rule for the Christian filmmaker? Can we hire only Christian actors, cameramen, grips? Beyond other arguments, it's simply not practical.
Posted by: Monika | January 30, 2006 4:51 PM
I can't figure out for the life of me what is blasphemous about hiring sinners.
My question for those who seem to think we should banish homosexuals out of our businesses and our lives is:
what are you afraid of?
What bad thing will come from watching homosexual actors, listening to homosexual musicians, reading homosexual authors, or even hiring a homosexual employee?
Is it equally bad to have homosexual friends?
I don't see how I am compromising any of my own beliefs by being able to tolerate the company of sinners.
Posted by: paigeu | January 30, 2006 10:11 PM
Oh my goodness, Barbara..that link to what Chad Allen said about Steve Saint is just powerful! WOW!
Posted by: Holly | January 30, 2006 10:27 PM
I'm a Christian man. Have been for twenty years. I'm Orthodox, conservative and a fundamentalist. Proud of it. I have two boys of my own.
I took my boys to see the film - twice. We all loved it. It stirs up a flame that needs to be kindled in all of us. And it's a wonderful segue into all sorts of discussions - vital discussions I want to talk to my young men about while they're still young.
Strange, but they didn't seem to notice anything "gay" about the actor. His sexual sinfullness didn't detract from the message OR THE SPIRIT of the film, in any way, from any of our points of view. Funny how that works. I wonder how many other folks who aren't sexual pure are used by God. Seems if our Lord can speak through an ass, then He's free to put his blessing on a movie with a gay man in it. I think He did.
After seeing the movie, I'm going to pick up several books on the subject and continue those discussions. I may just see it a third time. So there.
I won't say what I really think about the hypocrisy of those who are looking down their smug little noses at the sexual orientation of an actor in an overtly Christian film while they ignore the well publicized, overt sins of the vast majority of Hollywood stars and frequent their "secular" movies eyes wide shut.
From this Ragamuffin, I hope more folks will pray for Chad Allen. His involvment in this film could be the inroad the Holy Spirit needed...wanted to reach out to him. Perhaps the Holy Spirit wanted him him to have the job precisely because of that. Lord knows he needs to be reached, doesn't he? Don't we all?
I, for one, will use this controversy as a motivation to lift him up in prayer to a Father who waits, longing for Chad's homecoming rather than to villify the producers or boycott what is, without doubt, the best missionary film I've ever seen.
And Chad, if you happen to read this - great job, buddy.
Posted by: Phil | January 31, 2006 12:05 AM
Good job! So glad to see more people speaking up.
I have read quite a bit about this - and have the utmost respect for the Saint family and Mr. Green.
May God be glorified.
Posted by: sparrow | January 31, 2006 2:23 AM
I think that as a culture we overlook so much for the sake of accepting others. It takes to much courage and strength to stand up for what you believe in and people don't want to be labeled as not accepting. Does this mean that you can not be friends with a homosexual? If you can't read the Bible and see where God calls this a ABOMINATION, not just sin but abomination then why even bother with Christianity. Go ahead, keep watering it down. In a few decades we are not going to even recognize what true Christianity is, for the sake of accepting other sinners. And by the way, Chad Allen does not see his being homosexual as a sin. It is accepted as who they are and THAT my friend, is what is so blasphemous. If someone is sorry for their sin the Word tells us to forgive but if they are not then the Word tells us that we are to turn from them.
Posted by: Mrs. DMG | January 31, 2006 11:55 AM
Mrs DMG
I have been friends with a lesbian woman for 15 years. I do not accept her homosexuality as an acceptabe life style and she knows it. Several times a year we get into a long all-nighter conversation about homosexuality. I am the only person in her life who ever mentions disapproval of her lifestyle. If I abandoned her becuase she was "unrepentant" then that would leave no one. I am also one of the few people in her life who is prolife.
Right now she is still really I young, and I have know idea what the future holds for her. Maybe one day she will want to reconsider her lifestyle, and if that day comes she is going to need someone to talk to.
The Bible quote you cited is one I think about often. I have recently had to turn away from some family members who I realized were abusive and unwilling to change. Having such people in my life damaged my family and I had to make the tough choice to cut them out. My friend though is not abusive, or in anyway poisinous to my family. She is respectful of my morals around my family, and is extraordinarily kind. She is the kind of person everyone wants as a friend, but she isn't a christian. I worry about her soul, and I pray for it, but I trust that my prayers will lead to a conversion befor her death.
Anybody who knows me knows that my christianity is far from watered down. My morals are more conservative than most christians. But I believe the holy spirit has given me a gift for friendship and I plan on using it. When my baby is weaned I look forward to joining a prison ministry.
I don't have any judgement towards those who cannot tolerate homosexuality. There are some ministries I have a hard time participating in too. For instance I have a hard time protesting at abortion clinics becuase I have an extreme emotional reaction to watching women walk in the clinic. I get kind of hysterical and start shaking. My involvement in prolife ministries is limited to financial and prayerful support. I had hoped that I could volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center but I don't handle those situations well. My family wasn't exactly bettered by my long mourning periods everytime a lady I know has an abortion. During the Terri Schiavo incident I couldn't sleep. I cried and prayed and felt sick. Thank goodness her lawyer was able to manage her feelings better than I could.
So really I can relate to feeling disgust for a sin. I understand having a hard time watching Nate Saint be played by a homosexual. But I think we need to respect that homosexual outreach is a needed ministry and not judge those who can do it as being watered-down.
Off topic, but this thread got me thinking. I had friends who were unable to watch the Passion because of the extreme violence. Would you believe that some people judged their christianity because they couldn't watch the ultra violent crucifixion of Jesus? So it doesn't matter if you are too thick-skinned or not enough, people judge anything.
Posted by: paigeu | January 31, 2006 3:13 PM
All this talk about sinners in Christian films has had me thinking about the movie "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" which was a film based on Gladys Aylward's life as a missionary in China. I remember hearing (I think from Elisabeth Elliot but I could be wrong) that Gladys was very upset that Ingrid Bergman would play her in the film. Yet unbeknownst to Gladys the film deeply touched Ingrid such that after Gladys died Ingrid visited her home and cried at the foot of what had been Gladys' bed. Barbara, maybe you can track down whether this actually happened but I do remember hearing this years ago.
Posted by: Laurie | January 31, 2006 4:03 PM
paigeu,
I wish you would have left a email address. I would have loved to have spoken to you via mail.
Your post shows a humble spirit which is something that is always a breath of fresh air in this day and age.
I still stand behind my posts, and I still believe that it is disrespectful to have Mr. Allen play this part. My position is not about hating homosexuals, my position is how Christians don't care that somethign that is supposed to be honoring to Christ has something so sinful as the wrapping paper.
Thank you for your kind post. Please feel free to email me if you would like to talk further.
Posted by: Mrs. DMG | January 31, 2006 4:31 PM
Here is my email address if you want to talk on this further
ulrich020304@yahoo.com
Posted by: paigeu | January 31, 2006 5:26 PM
I'm sorry. This kind of thing just irks me. The whole thing just smacks to me of Pharisaism. Perhaps I'm wrong. I don't do well with pedophiles, I will say that.
I always turn to these passages when this kind of stuff comes around:
"Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples."
Scandalous! Wonder what "sinners" entails? I wonder if sexual sinners were stopped at the door. I kinda doubt it.
"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'"
It's always fascinating to me that the religious folks are the first to object to associating with sinners, when the Holy One Himself can condescend to hang out with them.
"When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Had they all repented before he sat down with them? No. Did everyone who had been graced with His company repent afterwards? Most likely not. Did He continue to hang out with them...reach out to them? Absolutely.
He sat with them anyway. The Word, the one who was there when it was said that adulterers should be put to death, that homosexuality is an abomination, that stealing (as a tax collector) was a transgression of the 10.
He sat with them anyway. And all the time the Pharisees despised the sinners and our Lord in their hearts. Truly, the law is a "ministration of death" and a yoke we can't bear.
Jesus said the merciful would be blessed, and receive mercy in kind. He drives the point home just afterwards (note the context of the sermon on the mount, please) by repeating:
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
Don't we all need mercy? Lord knows I do. I give it freely in the hopes of receiving the same in kind. That doesn't mean I water down the Gospel or sin. It just means I don't elevate the sin of homosexuality above all others. It means I extend as much mercy to the sinner as I can.
The homosexual needs to repent and believe. Yes. That's true. Of course it is. And Jesus will hang out with them, and so should we, inasmuch as is possible, while they're still in the world, while they have a chance for repentance. My judgement isn't going to lead them to that. Jesus didn't work that way. I don't understand why folks reserve for themselves the right to be above Him in matters of judgement. As if they are holier than Him.
My sister is a lesbian. Right now she's unrepentant. She realizes she can't bring her lesbian lover and their child over to the house on Christmas or Thanksgiving and visit for the Holidays. She understands that would send a message of acceptance about her lifestyle to our young, impressionable boys. She realizes full well that I and my family don't condone her homosexuality and her lifesyle.
But, at the same time, she knows we love her. She knows we don't reject her. I hang out with her at lunch and dinner engagements. We talk on the phone, and so does my wife - to both my sister and her lover. We care for them; we pray for them; we love them as much as we can. That doesn't mean we've watered down Christianity. I believe it means we're living it out towards them.
If we want to be children of the Most High, we are to love, bless, pray and be kind to sinners, even our enemies. For God is kind to the ungrateful and to evil people. So, we are "to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful".
I always found it fascinating that the parallel passage reports this same ending to the sermon on the mount as "be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect".
The Word doesn't tell us to turn from these people. You might be referring to church discipline texts which tell us to turn from those who bring division or those who pretend to be Christians while practising immorality. But that's not what we're talking about here.
Sure, we don't associate with the world. Our fellowship must be with the family of God. Yes, we are to "come out from among them". But that doesn't mean we are to shun the unsaved sinner. Jesus didn't teach us that. He taught us by His example how to be salt and light. He spent most of his time with his band of brothers. But he also hung out with sinners. He was kind and loving to them. And that didn't diminish His holiness or integrity. He also taught us His opinion of Pharisees. He didn't like them much.
When Jesus' disciples wanted to call fire down from Heaven on a few choice folks (just like Elijah did by the way) Jesus rebuked them saying, "You don't know what kind of spirit you represent!"
Why are we so quick to turn away and consign the sinner to hellfire and damnation for their abominations? That's not the spirit of Jesus, the very image of God. That's not the spirit of God.
Posted by: Phil | January 31, 2006 8:22 PM
