Last evening “The Bible” began on the History Channel. From Saturday’s New York Times: “Mr. (Mark) Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, gave themselves a chance to tackle the ultimate make-me-believe challenge when they decided to produce ‘The Bible,’ a 10-hour dramatization…. (The series) is calculated to play well to a certain segment of the already enlisted choir but risks being ignored or scorned in other quarters. The mini-series certainly seems unlikely to be much of a recruitment tool for Christianity….” (C1)
Interested in a dramatization of the Bible? Yesterday many church-goers heard this from 1 Corinthians 10: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” Paul wasn’t talking about struggling to make ends meet or health challenges or relationship problems or whatever. He is talking about the temptation not to be 24/7 totally for God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s talking about the temptation not to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Your non-spiritual problems and your personal desires become occasions where you either rely on God or marginalize Him, either work with hope in God or succumb to the temptation to slog on without Him. Put yourself into 24/7 consciousness of God and you’ll have the most engaging dramatization of the Bible possible.
I wish “The Bible” well, but since TV encourages spectators rather than participants, I pray that a far greater audience will get engaged with the Book.
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