I have always loved movies. Ever since I was a kid the theater was a magical place where I could escape the normal day to day and be transported to another world. A magical world where I could absorb the latest adventure, unbridled by reality. And when I left, full of excitement and candy my friends and I would spend days replaying and retelling the adventures. Now, as a believer, I have slowly but surely gotten more and more sensitive as to what I allow in my ear and eye gates. I have gotten more sensitive to the Holy Spirit even if, at times, haven’t obeyed His prompting and said no to a particular show or movie. Movies have seem to have gotten more and more violent and dark. For example, Netflix went from having a wide range of ratings and reviews about the films they offer to now, it seems alot more of the tv shows and movies are rated TVMA. And my wife and I have gotten burned a few times to where we decided to avoid those shows and movies so this makes the selection for finding a movie we can watch without cringing and turning it off, harder and harder. But this presented to me a question. Is that Netflix’s fault or is it our own?!
Ok, well, I’ll just watch the films where the good guy and bad guy are clear and distinct. The good guy even if a bit dischevelled wears a tie and stands for justice because, after all, he knows right and wrong and loves goodness. He doesn’t cheat on his wife, or beat her. He is not divorced, or hung up on a drug. He isn’t suicidal or lost a loved one to some crazy tragedy. He has conflict with corruption simply because everyone around him knows he cannot be corrupted. He deals with murder and violence, not with a gun or violence in return but treats even the murderers with compassion and respect. He doesn’t respect the people for the murders they committed but for the potential good qualities he sees in them.
Where are the heroes that keep their nose clean and always see the good in a situation or stand up for truth for the sake of truth and stand for justice with honesty and good morals. Have I raised the bar too high? Have I tried to come up with such an outstanding and seemingly unrelatable “good guy” that no one can touch him? Is my imagination so far fetched and naive for wholesomeness that not even the Cleavers from Leave It To Beavers tv show would buy it? Then maybe you should go check out a detective show that started in the late 60s and ended in the early 2000s called Columbo. That’s right, he fits the whole description from above. In fact, I was thinking of him when I wrote it.
“But, Adam, come on man! Those kind of characters are so unrelatable now. Now people are rooting for violent brawlers and killers to be our “anti-heroes”, who solve problems with their weapons and fists, not pausing long enough to count the cost. Our heros today don’t have time to be nice!” But as believers, we know the principles in the bible are timeless. The principles of corrupt morals of the anti-hero are lasting all this time but couldn’t the principles and morals for good be timeless and precious, and pushed to be the everlasting standard, instead? What does the violence and anger portrayed in films today say about us, especially as Christians? Granted, there are more and more “family friendly films” that are coming out and we could turn a blind eye and go watch those, but we can do something else. We have the power of the greatest super hero, Jesus Christ, to not pull out our wallet and or credit card and give power to that kind of behavior at the box office. But until we can listen and obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit Hollywood is going to rake in billions, and billions of dollars from viewers.
