Being Real in 2024: A couple of rants--Alistair and The Chosen

1. Alistair Begg. I am appalled how people have turned on him. Good grief. A private conversation became public somehow. Now the Christian world believes it has a right to an opinion (it does) and to blast it all over the place AND to call for Begg's repentance and to cast aspersions on his ministry. 

If you don't know the background, a woman asked him if she should attend her grandson's transgender wedding (truly, I'm not sure what that is, but I will take it that it's the same as a same-sex one. I'm not being sarcastic here, just confused). Begg said it would be all right for her to do so. 

The problem was she asked him and somehow it got public, in my opinion. Lots of believers who don't support same-sex marriage, etc. have attended the weddings of family members in this situation. Why? Because they love their family members and don't want to lose the relationship or their witness to the couple. 

In almost all these cases the couple knows the family members disagree. In just as many cases, probably, the family members decide not to attend. And in both cases those are their choices. And really nobody's business. 

Russell Moore has a good piece on this in Christianity Today, and he takes a very conservative view. I agree with him. I also agree with Begg. It's as weaker brother/conscience a situation as there ever was, but who is the weaker brother? 

The issue is bigger though. Why do we shoot our own? The Internet has only made the target practice easier. What kills me is that people with no knowledge think they have deep knowledge of motives, private conversations, personal emails. Shheeesh. They are so Christ-like they are omniscience. 

2.  The Chosen Movie. It's very hard for me with my schedule to see a movie in a theatre any more, and I watch almost no television. This is because of walking dogs, attending church, writing, work, community involvement, and so much more. But I really wanted to see The Chosen Movie, which is the first three episodes of Season 4. It ended up that the best time (well, better time) was last night 7:20. That meant I got home at 11:30. 

There is some beautiful material in it.  The disciples' reactions to Peter's supposed "elevation" is well done. The healing of the blind man is very good. John the Baptist's execution, and what led up to is, is fabulous--Salome's dance is depicted as acrobatic and athletic more than sensual, but that is there, just enough. It is more Herod's reaction than what she actually does.  

Anyone who has read about the movie knows where I am going with this. Dallas Jenkins asks us not to give the end away, so I won't, but you've probably seen it, so I'll only talk in generalities. 

It seemed a dangerous choice artistically and theologically. Risky--perhaps not without reason. My problem is that everything up to that telegraphs that Jesus doesn't know it is going to happen, that he is helpless, and that he leads them to believe everything will happen as they expect. And that seems cruel. It would have made more sense for him to refuse their request, for one thing. It was not in line with the Jewish traditions that would have been respected, in contrast to those that were oppressive and he could not respect. 

So I am still unsettled by it. My first reaction was very strong--"I'm out on this project"--but that was wrong. I am not going to be one of those people. I have read enough by critics on all the points that they find problematic. Some of that I understand. A lot of it comes from their not understanding that 1. our interpretation of the gospels is not the only one, or necessarily correct in every respect, 2. to create art of this level, some of the participants aren't going to share strongly conservative (politically or religiously) views and attitudes, and 3. Dallas Jenkins is not trying to preach to the choir but make the choir bigger. 

That is not to say I agree with all his artistic choices. He could have done some things better, and sometimes the dialogue goes too pedantically into explanations rather than leaving it with the Scriptures. Some of it gets a little soap-opery. (I felt the ending of the movie was like those times when an actor wants off a drama and is written out of a script.) But Lee Roberson used to say "critics are a dime a dozen." He said it to dismiss people, but essentially he was right: there are always pot-shotters. It's easier for someone to sit on their rear and do nothing but criticize than to take the chances and efforts and risks. 

The scene at the gates of hell sort of embodies my attitude. Jesus went there--not in there, but in the area to boldly say, "This is death, we will be free from it"