Each week I hope to send out the latest version of “Redeeming the Week in Pop Culture,” with the intention of touching on a variety of the latest topics from the world of pop culture. But one man can only watch/read/listen to so much on his own, especially a husband and father who wants to spend time with his family, so please feel free to forward anything my way that you think may be worthy of attention. Because chances are, I may have missed it.
Bill O’Reilly’s bestselling book Killing Jesus hits the small screen this Sunday on the National Geographic channel. I have not read the book myself, but am interested in seeing how the movie is portrayed. From interviews I’ve heard by O’Reilly, it sounds as though he based his book purely on all of the indisputable facts about Jesus’ life and death. And by indisputable, I believe he refers to what scholars define as indisputable, not Christians. I can respect that. Certainly I think there are probably many uneducated skeptics out there who might be surprised with what is actually considered fact, not myth, about the life of Jesus. But something O’Reilly said this week really caught my attention (I’m paraphrasing here): “This story tells us all the reasons why Jesus was killed. All the conspiracies and plots and enemies against Jesus that led to them killing him.” I don’t know what O’Reilly’s spiritual beliefs concerning Jesus are, but if we stick with simply the idea that “he was killed,” we’re missing the true, beautiful story of the gospel. Jesus wasn’t simply killed; he came to earth so that he could give his life up for us. Nobody “killed” Jesus. He allowed his life to be taken.
Is there nothing we can depend on to last for a satisfyingly long time in Hollywood and other areas of pop culture today? In one week, we received news of Downton Abby coming to an end after its sixth season; One Direction member Zayn Malik is leaving the band, which led to tweens crying all over the world; director Sam Taylor-Johnson is leaving the 50 Shades of Grey franchise after just one film, reportedly due to disputes with the book author; and Kim Kardashian went back to brunette after only a few days of living life as a platinum blonde. With all this unsettling change, how are we supposed to find any kind of joy and refuge in the world today? I guess I could get a little preachy here if I wanted, but I can still remember hearing the news of the end of Seinfeld upon returning from my honeymoon in 1997. Dark day, I tell you. Dark day. But with God’s help, I persevered. Thirteen-year-old girls of the world, you will too. Zayn isn’t dead; he’s just trying to “find his music.”
March Madness began last week, bringing with it all the many matchups that are inevitably compared to “David versus Goliath.” This year, teams stepping into the role of David included Hampton, New Mexico St., Wofford, and Georgia St. Georgia St. actually pulled off the David over Goliath upset, beating Baylor with an unforgettable late comeback. But no matter how many commentators and analysts use the David and Goliath reference to describe the matchup, it’s just not a true comparison unless the Georgia St. players, after the game, went over and cut off the heads of all the Baylor players. I don’t think that happened. I believe I would’ve heard about it if it had. But, yes, it did happen in the true David versus Goliath story. Check it out in 1 Samuel 17 if you don’t believe me.
In the March 23 episode of Scorpion there were a number of things that caught my attention. I don’t know normally have my “God goggles” on while watching this lighthearted, fun Homeland Security show about super-geniuses, but maybe I’ll have to start doing so. In this most recent episode, we have one character (Happy) refusing to accept the love and protection being offered from Toby, whom she can’t comprehend why he loves her so much, not unlike any of us who have difficulty understanding how God could still love us as he does despite all of our resistance. Math genius Sylvester can no longer pull the crippled pilot behind him to safety, and the pilot tells him to leave him alone, that there is no way Sylvester can save both of them, so he needs to leave the pilot to die. But when Sylvester surprises the pilot with the strength to carry him on his shoulders, I was reminded instantly of Ephesians 3:30: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” And FBI agent Cabe Gallo refuses to give up the search for his team, despite all around him trying to convince him of the danger of staying near the forest fire. Gallo believes in his team and that they will make it back, just as the father of the prodigal son faithfully believed each day that his son would return home to him.
When stories like these pop up in movies and television shows, I don’t necessarily believe that the writers were intentionally trying to make comparisons to the gospel of Jesus, but as I continue to say over and over in recent conversations and interviews concerning my new book, I hold firm to my thesis that pop culture loves the Bible. Whether the writers know it or not, the stories of self-sacrifice, of finding strength they never knew existed, of incomprehendible love offered to someone undeserving, is what the gospel of Jesus is all about. These stories move us the way they do, because the One who has led the way in living out these stories for us intended them to not only move us but change us.
Kevin Harvey is the author of two books, his latest entitled All You Want to Know about the Bible in Pop Culture, which is now available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.
The Bible in Pop Culture 