Faith in Film — Scrubs Discussion

A big thank you to everyone who attended and contributed last night. I enjoyed diving into this study, and I hope it will be an informative, thought provoking time for those that attend. Each Tuesday I'll post a little summary of key points. Please feel free to post your thoughts, comments and reflections, or you can e-mail me directly at matt@highlandsadventure.org.

Week 1 — Scrubs "My Personal Jesus"

I think a study like the "Faith in Film" series is important in that it offers Christians a chance to interact with the world, reflect on the messages in secular media, and learn how to counter those with the truth found in the Bible. Jesus' commission to us was to go out in the world and reach people with the Gospel of Christ. I believe that recently the church — and by that I mean believers throughout the world who follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior — have become too inwardly focused. Theological positions and discussions have their place, but we are supposed to be set apart in the world, not set apart from the world. I believe by understanding and prayerfully considering the messages found in secular media we will be better equipped to tackle arguments made by others and reach them with the truth of Jesus Christ.

Christian author and writer Donald Miller said "Narrative has an unbelievable ability to adjust your moral compass." I believe that's true, and I believe all media — secular and Christian — presents a worldview. It is up to us to determine the message and compare it to the truth found in the Scriptures.

"Scrubs" is an interesting example. It is a sitcom, but it breaks with the traditional conventions of the genre. Each episode offers a three-act story that leads to some morale or lesson. In "My Personal Jesus," the focus is on faith, and the question of how you can believe in the goodness and mercy of God when there is evil and suffering in the world.

I believe this is a difficult question, and one that comes up frequently in secular media. We all have a God-shaped hole, and people trying to fill that longing and soul searching in a variety of ways. As I've watched movies the past few years, I feel that our society is becoming more lost and searching harder for answers. Too often, secular media tries to fill those questions and voids with wrong answers or easy answers. The Bible offers neither.

I don't think there is a great answer for someone who is earnestly suffering, at least not one that will provide the easy comfort they seek. In fact, if we consider the case of Job, he was never given a direct answer when he asked similar questions. However, that doesn't mean God doesn't care. I think the answer is, in our limited capacity, we can not truly understand the greatness of God or his plan in our own lives, let alone in the lives of others.

Secondly, I think that we will all endure trials and struggles at times during our lives, and it's how we respond during these times that help shape our faith and make it real and lasting. As funny as it might sound, I think it's the hard times we endure that help our faith take root.

One of my favorite passages in Romans speaks to this. Romans 5:3-5 says, "But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Next week we'll tackle "Superman Returns."