In the past few weeks I have been talking a lot about the theological side of God. The sides that have caused a lot of controversy in peoples Christan walk, the side that no matter how hard people try they can't figure out. In past weeks I haven't really spoken about much else. I don't mind this, I rather enjoy it. It can provide a great challenge and can teach you a lot, in fact I think that people should try to develop more of a skill in seeking God I a scholastic manner. But with one matter in particular I was completely taken aback. I recently watched a movie called "Jesus Camp" (a movie that Chris also posted on), in the movie it talks a lot about becoming solders for Christ.
The movie follows a youth worker as she leads a small pentecostal camp in which she encourages the kids who come to become on fire for God. I will not say that everything in the movie was bad, but I wouldn't suggest anyone watching this movie unless they are very confident in their knowledge of the Bible. The theological miss leadings are weaved through out the movie, from speaking in tongues with out a translator, blinded spiritual warfare, declaring battle against culture, etc.
This movie is one that I didn't know what to do with. It is one of the few times that I was speechless. But as I was laying here tonight and was thinking about the movie and the type of people that would be watching this movie and the people who were in it, and I started to think that none of this was what Jesus was about. Jesus didn't come and declare a war against the world, He came a declared peace on the world. When He could have called down thousands of angles to save Himself from death he held back and instead healed those who where taking Him away to be put to death. God is not the ultimate warrior, He was the ultimate wooer. He lived His life as a slave and a savior.
Jesus lived going against the normal flow of the world, when people are doing and saying the things that these people where doing and saying they are not going against the world they are doing the very things that the world would do in their position, whether or not they were with God or with out God. People who go on about declaring war against the world are themselves trying to cut themselves off from the world. But Jesus says that He came to bring a sword, to set mother against daughter, father against son, we don't have to do what Jesus has already done, we don't even have to finish it, Jesus did all of that for us and what He didn't do two thousand years ago He is doing now. We aren't here to do Jesus' job for Him, we are here to show that world God's love and His peace and we aren't going to do a good job of that as long as we go around telling everyone that we are going to engage them in battle. This is not God's plan or will.
I think that the movement of Christianity that is shown in this movie is one that has been around for a long time and will be here for a long time, I also think as long as we have it we will have to deal with a way of thinking that is counter intuitive to God's plan. Like I said before I wouldn't suggest this movie, but if you are going to watch, do it in a group. I am making it sound like it is a scary movie but it isn't, it just has some elements in it that can be like a cancer if you let it work its way into your mind.