I am a huge movie buff. I love to go to the theater, rent DVD's and watch filmed entertainment. I think it not only entertains, but sometimes it can even portray more accurately what it means to be human than some dusty old books of theology.

Last night I saw the new film starring Mandy Moore--Saved! The film has been heavily criticized by, you guessed it,Christians.

Did you read that article? I did. I also saw the movie. Apparently, the reviewer and I both saw two different movies, because I did not see the film as an attack on my faith, or on Christians in general. I think it exposes some of the underlying cultural and behavioral assumptions of conservative/fundamentalist forms of Christianity. Especially insofar as the Mandy Moore character is willing to use force and subterfuge to carry out what she thinks God's will is. That is exactly how I would describe any attempt by Christians to enter politics and rest power for themselves in order to legislate what they claim would make a good or better society. When Christians take on the mantle of power, or assume for themselves a dominant role as some sort of majority, not only do we blind ourselves to our true nature as resident aliens, but we fall into the Constantinian trap--a watered-down faith, and an ethic which harms rather than heals. In the end, that Mandy Moore character comes to a crisis point where her hypocrasy is exposed, and she experiences forgiveness and reconciliation with those she has hurt in her blind zeal.

The film also relates another lesson. The ungodly--homosexuals, non-Christians, people who lose their faith, unwed mothers, and a variety of other "sinners"--may just reveal to us more accurately what it means to love than the "righteous ones." During his ministry, Jesus had the most harsh criticism for those who set themselves up as the religious establishment. And he had the most compassion and patience with those who were outside that establishment. The main character in the film learns what it is to go from the inside to the outside, and to feel God's graciousness coming from outsiders rather than insiders.

One more thing, and this is about that article I linked up. When we view films like "Saved!" as attacks on our faith, and we don't hear echoes of the gospel resound when the screen fades to black, then we have set ourselves up in a defensive position. The author of that article comes across, to me, almost with a victim-mentality. The author feels as if Christianity and Christians are hated for who they are and what they do. The film does not convey hatred at all. Instead, I think it lampoons and satirizes Christianity quite well, and very sharply, while at the same time telling us something about God's grace--which is the real heart of faith. Christians who feel threatened by such a movie had better do some reflecting on their faith. But, and again this comes across in the film, accepting accurate criticism and accepting a depiction of God's mercy which you didn't expect, well, that takes a good measure of grace, humility and open-mindedness, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.