Thursday, December 23, 2010

Does Anybody Hear Her?



I like this video, at least partly. I like that it lambastes Christian cliquishness and judgmentalism. It also offers a reason that at least some people look for love in all the wrong places.

But here's what I don't like about it:

1. Why's the video assume that everybody is thinking about Christians and the church---as if everyone deep-down actually wants to be a Christian? Granted, I've seen a spiritual hunger---even for Christianity---among all sorts of people: partiers, people abused and trampled down by life, etc. But there are many people on the face of the earth who don't look to the church to meet their needs, or even conceive that Christianity is an answer to their problems. I think of something that BryanL said under my post, 9/11: A Time for Reflection, in response to a pastor's claim that Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson gave Christianity a bad name as a result of their comments on 9/11:

"You know I think Christians overestimate how much non-Christians actually pay attention to them. Even people like Pat Robertson and the other well known public figures who are sometimes controversial don't get all that much attention either.

"We often hear about how the world's eyes are on the church and they're wondering what it's going to do about this or that or what it's gonna say but overall I don't think the world really cares or that they really think the church is one voice and one body nor that particular figures represent the church (except maybe the Pope but then many people also think Catholicism and Christianity are actually different religions)."

2. Suppose the lady in the video goes to church. Would she be that much better off? Someone commented regarding this video:

"I was surprised at how much this got under my skin. So they see her...then what? They ask her to church...then what? Do they actually care or are they just earning points? Will anybody tell her the truth about God's love for her or just... speak to her in Christianese? There was a part of me thinking, 'no, don't go in there!!' during the scene outside the church...it's quite possible that there is even more hurt waiting for her inside the walls then out. And it makes me mad. And again, I am surprised. It has been a few years since I have been a church member. I am surprised how it still gets me mad. I wonder if Casting Crowns would be alarmed at how many people share my reaction?"