I once heard author Donald Miller say that Evangelicals leave their morality at the door when going to the movies. We are willing to watch, tolerate, and even be entertained by characters and actions that we are taught to immediately flee from were they happening in real life. After I heard him say that, I couldn't help but wonder, is that wrong? Should we as followers of Christ, only support movies with moral characters portraying a positive, uplifting, Gospel centered message? Do we need to pump the breaks on all "secular art" and only produce stories that end in an altar call?

Excuse me for saying this, but I don't think so. Why? Because life isn't always like that, and what are movies, but an exaggerated version of how we live and view the world? Surely, there are alter call moments, there are moments of redemption in life, and those types of moments are worthy of the big screen as well. But much of life, especially in our world today, is lived in the trenches. Much of our lives are lived in and around situations that most Christians would deem completely immoral. Drugs, drunkenness, violence, pre-marital sex,  rape, racism, hate, these things happen in the real world, (most heavily even in certain churches I might add) and I believe that if we turn a blind eye to them, deeming them as "just a bunch of garbage", in the arts, then we will certainly do the same once we leave the theater. And isn't that the exact opposite of what Christ has called us to do? Rather than turning away in the face of evil and wrong doing, God calls us into those situations to be a light. Since most of us do not stay too current on the international news other than what pops up on their Facebook wall, often times movies and other media art forms are our only chance to be exposed to and learn about injustice in our world. We will never know which battles to fight though, if we simply categorize everything with a swear word as "ungodly."

In the first century, I believe that Pharisees would have stormed out of films like The Wolf of Wall Street or Dallas Buyers Club the first time they heard the f-word, saw some drugs taken, or saw a naked woman. (They would have lasted all but three minutes in both of them) Jesus though, I think He might have stayed, because perhaps something in the film might break his heart, perhaps something there might call Him to leave the theater and go make a difference.

I am not suggesting that every person, regardless of their age and maturity level, should be allowed to see graphic R-rated movies. Nor am I suggesting that all films are created with a desire to express profound truths. But when I go to the theater, especially around this time of year when Oscar contenders are coming out, I don't want to leave my morality at the door. When I go and see what the Academy has chosen as "the best films of the year, I certainly will bring my morality in with me, but I'll sandwich it in-between curiosity and love. Instead of labeling something simply as trash, I will search for truth. I will search to find out the real story behind the film, the filmmaker's reason for making it, and what the story means to our world at this moment. I will question, I will ponder, and I will consider. I will open up to the possibility of my heart being broken by evils that do exist in this world, and I will open up even further to the possibility of being called to right them. I will enter into conversation, with both believers and none believers, about what kind of weight and importance such a story can hold. I will listen, and I will respond. I may despair, but then I will hope. There are so many things we can do other than to simply bash any work of art that isn't decidedly "Christian." Just like there are so many things we can do other simply judge someone who isn't decidedly "religious." If we cannot let fake drug dealers, prostitutes, murderers, and criminals touch our hearts on screen, how will we ever be able to serve and love them in real life?