Christians under friendly fire

This entry is for both my forum post for Redemptive Cinema class and my blog. I've always wanted to write on one my favorite movies, Saved!, and now with needing to do one for Redemptive Cinema class, I have the time to. I could say so much about this movie, almost to the point I could write a book about it. But for now, I'm going to do a small bit. But first, I need you to check out this clip...

The Gospel is not a weapon

or read the transcript of it below

Pastor Skip: [to the Christian Jewels] Listen, I'm concerned about Mary. Something's going on.
Hilary Faye: Yeah, me too.
Pastor Skip: Well, she's part of your posse, and I think that you could help her. I'm gonna need you to be a warrior out there on the front lines for Jesus.
Tia: You mean like shoot her.
Pastor Skip: No, I was thinking of something a little less gangsta.I need someone who's spiritually armed to help guide her back to her faith,to love and care that only Jesus can supply. You down with that?
Hilary Faye:Yeah, I'm down with that.
Pastor Skip:She's pretty vulnerable right now,so I'm gonna need you to be extra gentle.
[cuts to Mary walking, reading a book. Hilary Faye's van swings around]
- Hurry! Hurry! Come on!
- I'm going! I'm going!
- Get her!
- Come on, Tia!
-Stuff her in here!
-Hurry up! Hurry Up!
Hilary Faye:In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you,leave the body of this servant of God.
Mary:You're performing an exorcism on me?! Get off me!
Hilary Faye: We've gotta get rid of the evil in you.
Tia [holding up a picture of Jesus to Mary's face]: It's God's will!
Mary: God's will?
Tia: Christ died for your sins!
Hilary Faye: Ok, wait a second. [to Mary] Are you not going to accept our intervention?
Mary: You mean kidnapping? No!
Hilary Faye: You are backsliding into the flames of hell.
Veronica:You've become a magnet for sin.We've all witnessed it.
Mary: Sure.Veronica acting all pure. What about last spring break at the Promise Maker's rally?
Hilary Faye:You are making accusations as we're trying to save your soul? Mary, turn away from Satan. Jesus, he loves you.
Mary: You don't know the first thing about love.
Hilary Faye: [throws a Bible at Mary] I am FILLED with Christ's love! You are just jealous of my success in the Lord.
Mary: [Mary holds up the Bible] This is not a weapon! You idiot.

So what's your response to the last quote, said by Mary? If you're somewhat knowledgeable in the Bible, I bet you might have though of Hebrews 4:12, " For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" or maybe Ephesians 6:17b, "... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Both verses compare the Bible to a sword, the most lethal weapon at the time. When I think of it that way, I wonder if the Bible was written today, would the Word of God be described as a machine gun, shotgun, bazooka or atomic bomb? Actually, I kind of think that atomic bomb might work. An atomic bomb immediately consumes those in close proximity to where it fell, and those off a distance still feel side effects in the present and future from the radiation. In the same way, those in direct contact with the Word of God will be consumed by it, while those who get bits and pieces of it indirectly will still have those bits and pieces weighing down on their heart, in the present and future. But back onto subject, the Lord says His Words are like a lethal weapon, but the movie seems to say "no" to this, and makes anyone who believes this look like a fool. So what do we say? Do we blindly just say, "God is always true, God says it is a weapon, thus it is truly a weapon, no question, end of discussion" or do we have a logical response for the fallen non-Christian who won't accept that as answer? I know when I first saw this movie, I started out saying, "But Mary, you're wrong! It is a weapon. The Bible says so!" But then I started saying it's a metaphorical weapon, or "not that type" of weapon, and it would lead to some pretty messed up theology. And I couldn't help but think that Mary might have had a point. What do you with it?

I came across this clip because I was naturally searching for YouTube clips of one of my favorite movies. This one showed up. Interested on why the person put it up, I clicked on his YouTube profile, which gave a link for his blog, on which he used the clip for a point he was making, called "The Gospel is not a weapon." Below I have provided the links if you want to read them...

The Gospel is Not a Gun- Part 1
The Gospel is Not a Gun- Part 2

If you were too lazy to look at those blogs, I'll quickly summarize what he said. The pastor admitted that in his early years he was treating the gospel like a gun. He would "load his gun" by learning as much Bible and theology as he could. Those on his side with guns were traditional theologians like Calvin, Spurgeon, Piper, Keller, and Edwards. The enemy on the opposite side of the gun were guys like McLaren and Osteen. And he would open fire on them his theology. And he was convicted of this. He felt like he was misusing the gospel.

Are you familiar with the term "friendly fire"? It is when the troops are under fire, not from the enemy, but rather their own side. It may have not been intended for guns to be fired against their on side, but for whatever reason (possibly just bad directions/orders), mistakes are made and friendly fire occurs. The most recent popular story of friendly fire is the story of Pat Tillman, a football player with a big contract from the Arizona Cardinals. He gave up that big contract to go serve his country. He died in Afghanistan, and was made a hero because he gave up both his career and life. When an investigation went on, it discovered he died in friendly. I believe that what's made his story so tragic. Not that he lost his big football career because he died in a war, but rather that he died in a war from his own side not the enemy. Of all the ways to die in gunfire, I feel friendly fire is the most tragic.

And I think the biggest tragedy in Christianity is that Christians are under friendly fire from themselves. We load up our guns with the doctrine from our perferred denomination or faith statement, then we go open fire on those from different denominations, telling them they're wrong. And it kills the relationship between brothers and sisters in Christ; it kills the unity of the Body of Christ. Sometimes it's so bad the attacking Christian will even tell his target that he's not really a Christian if he/she doesn't exactly agree with the attacker's faith statement. Even worse this ends up polluting our evangelism. I believe Christians are to evangelize to save souls from hell and separation from God and bring them into heavenly unity with the Lord. Instead, sometimes it seems like Christians go out and evangelize to prove themselves right and the lost wrong. Heck, I heard someone in my college went out to evangelize to a Jew, and his opening line to him was, "How does it feel to be wrong?" Yes, I believe that Jesus is the Truth, and God's Word is Truth, but are we really aiming to save people from being wrong?

It's sad to say I sometimes see this at my college. People will go on and on, arguing and arguing, about who has got the right answer to this doctrine. And in the end, people just end up mad at each other, not talking to each for a while. The relationship is ruined. And let me tell you, I've been under this friendly fire. I've heard everything from "I would highly doubt you're a Christian if you call yourself a Democrat" to "If a whole nationwide conference of several churches has one or two churchs that are ok with homosexuality, then they support homosexuality, and have no part with the greater church" at my college, and let me tell you, it's made it harder and harder to attend here. I feel like I don't fit in and have no support. Even the few Mennonite "brothers" I have at this school have put my under this same friendly fire, and even my roommate. Is there anywhere safe I can go?

This is what I see in the Saved! clip. I don't believe Mary has fallen away from God, because in the end she admits she messed up. I would also like to (arguably) say many are turning to God. What's happening is Mary is entering this period of questioning and doubting. Even when she seems to be rejecting God, she is still seeking (even though it's other religions) because she believes it can't be all wrong, there has to be a right. Arguably, I like to say what caused Mary to doubt was that she was put under friendly fire. Hilary Faye took her loaded gun of evangelical Christianity, and shot it at Mary, at Dean, and every one who was struggling with sin. And sometimes, I think we're misusing the weapon we're given, to end up killing the soul. Just like the pastor from the blogs I gave you, I sometimes want to cry out to God, "Lord, please take Your Word away from us! We don't know how to use it properly!"

So in the end, I have to conclude by saying, "Yes, the Bible is weapon, but who is our target?" Lucky for us, God provides that answer. Remember Ephesians 6:17b? Look on top of that paragraph at Ephesians 6:12. It says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The target is not the flesh and blood human being, but the dark powers behind the sin the human is struggling with. To borrow from the old adage, the target is not the sinner, but the sin. It's time we stop firing at people, especially Christians, and time to start firing on Satan and his demons.