Vol. IV, Iss. 8 - October 2006
The latest from Student Leadership University

In recent weeks and months, Christians have had a significant influence on the culture through making films that are explicitly Christian. Two recent examples are Facing the Giants, which is now entering its fifth week listed in the top twenty according to the November 3^rd issue of Entertainment Weekly and One Night with the King, which is showing in over 900 theaters and has grossed $7.7 million dollars in the first two weeks according to the same magazine. This is a monumental move by the church because it was not too long ago that many taught that it was evil to even step foot into a movie theater. I can remember going to the movies when I was in college and having a tract handed to me as I walked in. In it was a description of the evils of movie watching and how Hollywood leads to Hell. I think I called one of them a Pharisee.

The art form of movie making can be a thing of beauty to glorify the Father and communicate part of or the entire Gospel. Brian Godawa makes a compelling argument articulating two attitudes often adopted by Christians towards movies in his recent book, Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment.  The first attitude towards movies that is oftentimes adopted is to be a cultural anorexic. These individuals abstain from certain parts of culture, such as movies, which only causes them to become alienated from and irrelevant in culture, and thus, many times, prohibiting them from being salt and light.  The second option is to be a cultural glutton. These individuals consume parts of pop culture in a passive manner with no filter or discrimination when watching a movie. As is the case so many times in Scripture, the answer is not extreme and can be found where the solution is discovered so many times, in the middle.  True, one can experience God through movies, but does this mean all movies should be watched by Christians? The answer is so obvious it need not be stated.  But consider another question; can a Christian experience God in a movie that is not explicitly Christian?

This weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to go to the movies, a luxury that has become a rarity since the arrival of our son Gabe into the world. We attended a showing of The Guardian, a story about the rescue swimmers of the United States Coastguard. The movie focused on the relationship between the two main characters played by Kevin Costner, the senior legendary rescue swimmer, and Ashton Kutcher, the cocky “in training” young man who someday aspired to be a legendary rescue swimmer. The story illuminated the great pains rescue swimmers endure in training and in life. Throughout the movie, all the trainees wanted to know the number of rescues that Kevin Costner’s character had - was it 200? 300? Even more? Finally, Ashton Kutcher’s character pulled together the courage to ask. The reply was a surprising, “twenty-two”. A few seconds of awkward silence and weak attempts at encouragement by Kutcher’s character went by before being interrupted explaining that twenty-two was the number of people Costner had not been able to save and that was the only number he had ever kept track of. Over and over throughout the film the theme of sacrifice was heralded as the true measure of success. Not notoriety or records but the fact that one swam as hard as one could, as fast as one could and saved as many as one could. I was reminded of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross and how his sacrifice serves to motivate and define the Christian’s success. Do I run as hard as I can, for as long as I can, capturing every moment in worshipful service to Him?

The question then becomes how does one discern what movies to watch or avoid and how does one watch with discernment?  I want to offer a few suggestions:
1. Get a Biblical worldview: Godawa defined this as “a comprehensive web of beliefs through which we interpret our experiences—it is our view of the world.” Without this one can never be salt and light.  In other words, one cannot be a person of influence.  It is my belief that one of the most crucial things we do at SLU and COW is give students the training so that they can begin to see the world through the grid of Scripture. 
2. Understand other worldviews: Do you know what Existentialism is? How about Postmodernism or Monism?  An important element to a Biblical worldview is to understand other worldviews that exist and how they can point back to God.  Note that I said point, not lead.  Lewis and Tolkein called this a man myth or pagan myth verses true myth.  For hundreds of years, people have written about pagan gods who descended into the underworld only to rise again.  The great liberating reality for Lewis came when he understood that all of these myths could only point to the one true myth, Jesus.  Know the man myths and you are one step closer to leading others to the only true myth.
3. Study the relationship between art and the Christian: Let me give you a few resources, some focus on movies, some on worldview and some on the broader category of art:

1. Art and the Bible by Francis A. Schaeffer
2. Visual Faith by William A. Dyrness
3. Imagine by Steve Turner
4. Hollywood Worldviews by Brian Godawa
5. Reel Spirituality by Robert K. Johnston
6. Pop Culture Wars by William D. Romanowski
7. Roaring Lambs by Robert Briner
8. The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire
9. Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith

One of our articles this month -- "It's Never Just a Movie" - highlights some extremely important points that emerging leaders need to know about movies, media, and the arts, and how they can be incredible tools for shaping how people think, and by extension, how people act as well. We have a great responsibility as leaders to be mindful of that which we intake, because what we take in affects what we put out, and what we produce.

In order to be effective as "salt and light' in the midst of a dark and confused world, we must sharpen our senses and be keenly aware of what we allow to influence us. At SLU, we define Leadership simply as "influence." Realize that those factors which influence you have an effect on how you influence others as well. Our task is to filter those influences so that we become leaders who are as effective as possible, spreading good news and truth wherever we go.

Have a thought about movies, the media, or how they impact how you think and act? Have you seen a good movie, or heard a song lately that caused you to think and reflect on an issue, or even to change your position or behavior? E-mail us and let us know!

“The students have just taken over…” was how the youth pastor described his experience after returning from the first time taking students to SLU 101.  He then went on to tell the story about one young man in particular.  He’d felt the Lord leading him to take 20 students.  His 20^th pick was a young man that no-one thought should go including the young man himself.  Even his parents questioned the youth pastor’s selection.  The young man had been involved in every wrong thing a student in high school can do.  After arriving at 101, the student looked at the youth pastor and said, “I don’t belong here.” 

An amazing transformation however fell upon this young man’s life.  Since then the following things have come true.  Upon returning home, he went to his parents and confessed everything he had been involved in and asked their forgiveness.  He committed his life to service for the Lord.  Within a week, he had led 5 of his drug friends to Christ.  He swore off involvement with the ladies so he’d have more time to devote to Christ.  The 19 students who came with him to 101 together have all completed a speed reading course and many have sworn off television and dating to devote themselves to greater study and reading.  They’ve taken over the Wednesday evening youth worship service and have grown from 60 to over 120.  They ran out of space to meet and moved into the local theatre.  This young man has already preached 5 messages at those services and intends to do more.  The youth pastor has said, “I’m just staying out of their way!”

This group has also taken over their high school Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. It has grown from 16 to over 60 attendees.  The 5 students meeting for a breakfast accountability group has become 2 groups of 30 each.  Even the local police department has reported a decrease in drug incidents and teen crime.  When the young man was complimented about what he and the other 19 SLU students were doing for their church, their school and their city, his response was, “It’s not me man, it’s Jesus.”  I asked the youth pastor what significant parts of SLU had the most impact.  He said it was different for everyone.  But Dr. Jay’s challenge to accomplish the supernatural, that leaders are readers and that Christianity is dynamic and not passive were the key factors in transforming his youth group, his church and now his city.

At SLU we joke about our goal being simple, “We just want to take over the world… with an army of young champions for Christ.”  It’s not joke, it’s reality in one small town in South Georgia. Every month, we feature the story of an SLU graduate whose life has been impacted by SLU in significant ways. Have an SLU story? Send it to us at edge@studentleadership.net