Do films save?

What we must do, we now put on film attempting to take out the human responsibility of true evangelism. Some believe Christian film can save a person. One of the best Christian films we’ve had in some time was “The Passion of the Christ.” I recall at first count that many viewers were seemingly coming to salvation as a result of watching the film. Later, when the numbers were actually in, –it was more like 2-4%. Now, I understand that’s better than 0%, but at what point can we call that a success? If I ran a business with this type of return, I’d be out of business. Authentic relationships with a time investment give us permission to speak the truth in love in someone’s life, not an impersonal film. I do believe “The Passion” began many good conversations and maybe that should be the goal of many Christian films. We should seek the best evangelistic method we can, not settle for 2-4% and call that success. When the Titanic went down, those survivors, for them it was a success, but sadly so many more could have fit into the boats and been saved. We need to get as many as we can into the boats.

As Christians we have a tendency to hold that anything that has a Christian label must therefore also have an evangelistic nature to it. Why? Do you and I as followers of Christ, not need to be encouraged and see films of hope, and redemption? To think that “The Passion” spoke to non-believers like it did to you and I would not be accurate. It impacted us as a whole, as a body of Christ because the brutality we saw on that screen, you and I know, was meant for us. We deserved that, and there He was, paying the price for my freedom. It may not have been the exact imagine of what occurred, but it gave us a common ground as followers of Christ. So, now when we talk of the crucifixion, we start on the same page as far as a imagine goes. The film was so that you and I would know what He did for us. Lord willing all will come to saving faith in Him, but that film was meant for us.

A film must be true to the reason the audience came to see it, to be entertained, much like the hamburger or sweater. People go to the movie theaters for this reason, and to do otherwise, is to dupe them into watching our agenda on the screen. The end result is that they feel duped. And feeling duped, they not only despise the film but may transfer those feelings to Christians and ultimately to Christ. It can be used as a tool however. Offering the local Christian, who has an authentic relationship with someone a tool to allow them to engage with in dialogue.