God's Not Dead

On the cover of its April 8, 1966 issue, Time magazine posed the question, “Is God dead?” This question was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, who claimed in 1882 (and several times afterward) that God is dead. The idea is not that God has somehow died or stopped existing, but that God never existed, and He is now irrelevant in a modern, secular society. A lot of people bought into this notion and answered the question, “Is God dead?” with a resounding, “Yes!” After all, we’ve accumulated enough information about the universe and our place in it to understand everything without any appeals to a supreme deity, right?

Well, apparently not. Contrary to a predictions by proponents of total secularism, we live in a world full of believers. God is still extremely relevant in the lives of billions of people around the world, including many world leaders. Faith plays a major role in all aspects of society, and that’s not going to go away anytime soon. So in 2011, the Christian band Newsboys stated their answer to Time magazine’s question in the form of their album and its accompanying title track: God’s Not Dead. The song instantly became popular in the Christian Contemporary Music scene, and it inspired the creation of a film by the same name that came out last month.

I saw God’s Not Dead last week, and I knew I had to review it. I have a lot to say about this film, both good and bad, so I’ve split this review into sections. I’ll start with a very broad overview of my thoughts on the film, followed by a few complaints, and finish by highlighting what I thought were praiseworthy aspects of the movie.

General Thoughts

When I first heard of God’s Not Dead, I wasn’t excited about it. Their big draw was the guest appearance by Willie Robertson, and that’s just not something that appealed to me. But when I saw the trailer, it changed my mind. It was an appealing, professional-looking trailer with a neat concept. I was glad to see that the next big Christian film was at least going to look good. So I decided I would go see it. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

The initial reaction to God’s Not Dead was amazing. Theaters were packed. Financially, it outperformed all expectations, and that quickly led to other venues picking it up and spreading the movie around. Even the second weekend after its release, God’s Not Dead was still selling out. I went on a Sunday afternoon, which isn’t exactly a busy movie day, and still the room was packed, and there was a pretty substantial group waiting to see the movie when we got out. This movie is making a splash, and for good reason.

The message of the film is in its title, and it’s something people need to hear. Even though Nietzsche’s predictions haven’t come true, there are still people who believe that God is irrelevant in our society, and the movie serves as a unique way of telling people that God is alive and well. The message of the movie alone, apart from the quality or the cast or any qualms someone might have with it, makes it worth going to see. I think children, youth groups, young adults, older adults, and everyone in-between would do well to see this movie because it has a great, inspiring message that calls Christians to take action, and that’s something I support wholeheartedly. However, that doesn’t mean the movie was perfect.

Some Concerns

The entire premise of the plot of God’s Not Dead has been criticized for being unrealistic, and I have to admit that as I watched the film, I did feel some of that skepticism welling up inside of me. For those of you who don’t know, the main plot of God’s Not Dead centers around a college freshman named Josh who takes on his atheist philosophy professor to prove God’s existence. On the first day of class, the professor tries to force every student to publicly state that God is dead. When Josh protests, the professor forces him to argue for God’s existence in front of the class, and the stakes are high. If Josh can’t prove God’s existence in three 20-minute lectures, his grade in the class will be dropped three letter grades.

Growing up, I heard the horror stories about going to college. “College professors are all atheists. They’ll try to talk you out of believing in God.” I’m sure you’ve all read the fictional story about the professor who openly argued with the Christian student in class about God’s existence only to proven wrong and converted to Christianity. But as I’ve gone to college and experienced it, I haven’t seen any of these horror stories become reality. My professors don’t attack students’ personal beliefs. They teach their subjects and respect each individual’s right to come to his or her own conclusions. That’s been my experience, at least.

Granted, I go to a private, religiously-affiliated school. I’ve heard that some public school professors can be a little less respectful and a little more hostile towards Christianity. But these stories are few, far-between, and not nearly as extreme as the stories I was told as a kid, or the story of Josh in God’s Not Dead. While it is the nature of film to portray extreme situations, I think this portrayal of a college professor may be harmful. It perpetuates the stereotypes about public college and may even dissuade families from sending their kids to good, public schools.

I’m not saying there aren’t any dangers associated with being a Christian in college. There are a lot of opportunities to be drawn away from faith in college. It is important to prepare students for the freedoms and temptations they will face when they go to college and to support them as they try to navigate that new world. But, Christian students should not go into college expecting that they will be forced to publicly defend their faith against hostile professors in the classroom. That’s just not realistic, and I hope that God’s Not Dead did not serve to perpetuate those false stereotypes within the Christian community.

So that was my main concern. A few others had to do with tokenism: using one character or small groups of characters to represent a complex, diverse group of people. There was one Muslim family featured in the film, and it included a lot of stereotypes. The father forced his daughter to wear the hijab (headdress) against her will, and he kicked her out of the house when she turned away from the Muslim faith. While these things do happen in the real world, I don’t think it’s fair to say (or imply) that all Muslim families are this way, or that Christian families aren’t capable of doing something similar (purity rings, anyone?). There was also only one politically liberal character, and she encompassed all kinds of stereotypes about liberals, including having a “Meat is murder” bumper sticker on her car and complaining to Willie Robertson about his family praying on their TV show. (Side note: Has anyone ever actually complained about the Robertsons praying on Duck Dynasty? I doubt it.)

I’m not saying that the filmmakers purposely put these characters into the movie to perpetuate stereotypes. The characters have very important functions within the plot of the movie, and some of them are very compelling. Also, it’s impossible to represent a diverse group of people like Muslims or liberals in a two-hour film, and there was a limit on the number of actors they could hire. I just want viewers to be careful that they don’t let these specific portrayals of single characters affect their understandings of whole groups of people.

After reading all that, you may get the impression that I hated God’s Not Dead. That’s not the case. I really enjoyed the movie. I just didn’t appreciate some of the stereotypes the movie was perpetuating, and I hope that viewers will be careful about which aspects of the movie they choose to incorporate into their daily lives and which parts they dismiss. Because there is a lot that a Christian can take away from this film. I’d like to highlight just a few of the things I liked the most about it.

What I Liked

First of all, the movie looked great. I love to see Christian professionals using their skills to praise God and spread His message of love, and I think this film does that. I’ve seen some Christian films that were obviously low-budget or amateur, and they just aren’t as effective. God’s Not Dead looked as good as any other movie you’ll see in theaters these days, and I really appreciated that.

The soundtrack was also really great. It was nice to see Christian filmmakers collaborating with Christian music artists to make the movie better. Of course the Newsboys song “God’s Not Dead” was featured prominently, but other songs like Shane Harper’s “Hold You Up” and Stellar Kart’s “Ones and Zeros” were also included. I left the movie thinking, “I’ve got to have that album.” And if a Christian film can draw people to listen to Christian music in their day-to-day lives, I think that increases its impact remarkably.

I was afraid that the cameos by Willie Robertson and the Newsboys would be distracting from the plot of the movie, but they actually tied in really well. God’s Not Dead has a very large cast. It tells a lot of stories and weaves them together in a very real—but also very convenient—way. The Robertsons and the Newsboys aren’t in the movie a lot, but their appearances are important. I think the filmmakers found a good balance between not featuring them too much and still living up to their promises of including them in the film.

God’s Not Dead also presents the gospel in a clear, effective way. I’m not sure how many non-Christians will see this movie, but the ones that do will walk out knowing the story of Jesus Christ and the effect He has on people’s lives. Christians struggle sometimes to find a way to tell others about Jesus in a way that doesn’t seem pushy or cliche. God’s Not Dead didn’t come off as either of those. Instead, it was heartfelt and appealing. I don’t think the main purpose for God’s Not Dead was to convert people to Christianity, but I’m sure it was a goal the filmmakers had in mind, and it has the potential to do just that.

But, the film is also realistic in that it doesn’t end with everything being perfect. Yes, some of the characters come to Jesus and have their lives changed during the film, but others do not. There are some loose ends. Not everyone is redeemed. Even though that’s sad, I think it’s a good thing that this film doesn’t have a perfect happy ending. If Christians see the movie and think everyone they share Christ with will instantly convert, they’ll have unrealistic expectations about evangelism, and they’ll get discouraged when things don’t go the way they want them to. The movie has a satisfying ending that also leaves the audience with realistic expectations for life, and that’s rare in movies nowadays.

But the best thing about God’s Not Dead, and my favorite thing by far, is its message. Like I said before, the movie has a very plain, clear message that anyone who hears the movie’s title is going to get. Many people won’t believe it, but they can’t deny that the belief that God’s not dead is a popular one, and it’s not going away. The message that God is alive is an empowering one to Christians. It encourages them to live their lives as if the God they serve is alive and present with them. The movie itself encourages Christians to tell everyone they know that God’s not dead. It gives a clear call to action, and I think that’s something that is desperately needed in the Church today.

Final Thoughts

Is God’s Not Dead a perfect movie? No. Does that mean you shouldn’t go see it? No. You definitely should. There’s a reason it’s so popular. It’s a good movie with a good message that we all need to hear. Hopefully it will inspire you to live your life as if God is alive because (spoiler alert) He is! I would recommend God’s Not Dead to anyone who asked me about it. It’s appropriate for any age, and it has something to offer to everyone. Just to be clear, I think you should go see this movie.

I think you should also be careful while watching this movie. Let it encourage and inspire you. Let it give you hope that God’s not dead and that the people around you know it, too. Just don’t let it give you any unrealistic ideas about people like college professors, Muslims, and liberals. Just like there are stereotypes about Christians that don’t apply to you and me, there are stereotypes about those groups of people that don’t apply to them. So enjoy the story, but don’t get too caught up in it.

Because ultimately the story, even if it is flawed, is just a medium to get the point across, and it does that well. If God’s Not Dead is any indication of the direction Christian film is headed, then I’m hopeful. As Christians, we need to be spreading the message of God’s love every way we know how, and film is a very powerful way of doing that. So go see the movie, tell your friends about it, and remember: God’s not dead!

Coming to a Close

For those of you who aren’t in the know about TV, last week was full of finales. How I Met Your Mother ended its nine-year run on Monday. Thursday was the last episode of the short-lived series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. And Friday night, we said goodbye to Raising Hope, probably the most self-aware comedy on television. I love all of these shows, so it was a bit of a rough week for me, having to say goodbye to so many favorites. But, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

I am currently in a period of my life that includes a lot of “last times.” This is my last semester as an undergraduate. I recently came back from my last college Spring Break. I’m about to finish my last college paper, give my last presentation, and take my last round of final exams. Right now, my life feels like a series of mini-finales, and each one comes with a sudden realization that I’m never going to experience these things again. That’s a lot to handle.

As I’m experiencing all of these “last times,” I’ve decided to reflect on closure and what you’re supposed to do when you come to a place in your life that feels like an end. Here are a few things I’m trying to keep in mind.

1. Cherish the experiences… and learn from them.

The past four years have been wonderful. I am so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had, for the things I’ve learned, and for the people I’ve met along the way. All of those things have been so real, and they’ve contributed to who I am today. I’ll never forget my time at Hendrix College and what an impact it has had on my life.

And just like I can get on Netflix and re-live my favorite TV shows after they end, I can cherish the memories of my time at college. The fact that this time in my life is ending doesn’t change the fact that it happened, and it was great. I can always look back on these great times I’ve had and reminisce with friends about all the fun stuff that we did in college. I’ll cherish that forever.

I’ll also learn from these experiences. Now that this phase of my life is coming to a close, it’s the perfect time to look back and not only enjoy the memories, but also get something meaningful out of them that I can use in the future. I’ve changed a lot over the past four years, in some ways for the good and in some ways maybe not so much. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would, and now is a good time to contemplate what I’ve learned so that I can apply it in the future and change even more for the better in my next phase of life.

2. Don’t get stuck in the past.

I’m an extremely nostalgic person. I’ve written about that before. So when I come to these points in my life where things are changing, I have a tendency to fight that change. I’m happy with the way my life has been lately, so why would I want it to change? College has been so great to me. Why not just stay forever?

But the truth is that change happens, and it’s for the good. There’s a reason this time in my life is ending. I’ve learned what I was supposed to learn as an undergraduate, and now it’s time to move on. If I don’t accept that, then I’ll hold myself back and keep myself from being able to enjoy the memories of my college years and what’s to come.

You can’t live in the past. The world keeps spinning whether we like it or not. But change isn’t a bad thing, and there’s no reason to fear it. Letting go of the past opens us up to wonderful new possibilities, and that’s what I find myself looking at right now.

3. Get excited about the future.

I truly believe that my best days are ahead of me. It’s not that my past hasn’t been great. I’m just very optimistic about the future and what God has in store for me at seminary and beyond. I hope I always live my life as if my best days are ahead, because I know that God has a bright future planned for me. And He has the same in store for you if you’re following Him.

The future offers unlimited possibilities. There are millions of different roads I can take, countless different ways my life could go. And they’re all exciting and interesting and hopeful. I can’t wait to see which way I end up going. It’s like a really awesome mystery that’s going to unfold right before my eyes in time.

Because every end is also a new beginning. My college years are drawing to a close, and the rest of my life is starting. How cool is that? If you’re like me and you’re experiencing a closing period in your life, then you’re also getting ready for something new. Let us cherish this time in our lives, but hold on to it with a loose grip, because it will soon be gone. The future is bright, and it’s just around the corner. Let’s make this new phase in our lives even better than the last.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I’ve decided to deem this year the Year of Midnight Premieres. I’ve only been to one midnight premiere before (The Dark Knight Rises), but there are some movies coming out this year that are so good, I can’t wait until Friday night to see them. I have to see them as soon as I possibly can. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was one of those movies.

Fortunately for me, midnight premieres may be going out of style and giving way to 8:00 pm premieres. Instead of showing the movie at midnight, several theaters showed the new Captain America movie at 8:00 pm on Thursday night. This probably broadened the appeal of seeing the movie early, and may have had something to do with The Winter Soldier becoming Fandango’s most pre-sold movie in history. But either way, I was sitting comfortably and wide-eyed at 8:00 Thursday night for the premiere of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and it was awesome.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s the movie that most directly ties The Avengers with its upcoming sequel The Avengers: Age of Ultron. If you saw The Avengers and plan to see Age of Ultron, you’ll probably want to watch The Winter Soldier, because it’s a pretty important link between the two. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Even as a film independent of the MCU, The Winter Soldier is great. It’s both a superhero film and a spy thriller, something you wouldn’t normally think would work well together. But it actually turns out to be intriguing and still true to the superhero genre. Marvel took a chance with The Winter Soldier, and it payed off.

The cast is just incredible. You’ve got Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. We’ve seen all of these characters before, but we see more of Black Widow and Nick Fury than in any other film, and I’m glad. I’ve always wanted to know more about these two, and The Winter Soldier gives them lots of screen time. Other major characters include Anthony Mackie as Falcon, Cobie Smulders as Agent Hill, and Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, a member of the mysterious World Security Council. The characters and actors they chose for this movie were perfect.

This movie is also downright funny. It’s not meant to be a comedy, but the humor is perfectly timed and directed. You will laugh out loud when you watch The Winter Soldier. The comedy doesn’t take away from the action or the suspense, but it’s definitely there, and I love it.

Another great thing about The Winter Soldier is the relationship between Cap and the Soldier. In case you haven’t heard yet, I won’t give the Soldier’s identity away, but he has a history with the Captain, and that history affects some of the decisions that Captain America makes. It’s very cool to see Captain America’s internal struggle, as he’s been a fairly strait-forward character thus far.

And Marvel never lets you forget that no matter which movie you’re watching, you’re always a part of a bigger universe. There are several references to what the other Avengers are up to during the film, and even references to new characters that we’ll probably see in the near future. Keep an eye out for these references when you watch.

The stakes in The Winter Soldier are unbelievably high. It’s hard to imagine how the writers could top The Avengers, where the fate of the world is at stake, but they somehow managed to do it. You really care about what happens in The Winter Soldier, and the events of the movie will have ripple effects throughout the rest of the MCU. If you only see one Phase 2 movie before Age of Ultron, this one should be it. It ties directly into the Avengers sequel, which is shaping up to be pretty awesome. Check out Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and let me know what you thought of it!

March 2014

Hello, friends! I hope you’re having a great April Fools’ Day. Can you believe it’s already been 2014 for three months? That just seems crazy to me. But, since it’s a new month, it’s time for a life update. Here’s what’s been going on in my life in March.

I was supposed to start March by preaching at two different churches in one day, but the weather was bad, so both churches had to cancel. I was pretty disappointed, but these things happen. I’m very thankful for all the ministry opportunities I’ve been given lately, and I love serving any way that I can.

My fellow Religious Studies seniors and I went to Fort Worth earlier this month for the Southwestern Conference on Religious Studies (also known as SWCRS). We had a good time hanging out and listening to people present their papers. I even got to see my friends Walt present his senior thesis, which was really cool. Watching other people present inspired me to finish my thesis and gave me some preparation for my presentation in front of my peers and professors in May.

Speaking of my thesis, I finished it! Or the first draft, at least. A couple of weeks ago, I made that fateful click and sent my thesis off to be graded. It was a proud moment, but it also made me nervous. Handing something over for revision that you’ve been working on for so long can be very scary. But I feel good about the work I’ve done, and I was happy to have a break from writing.

Last week was Spring Break, and I made the most of it. I went to Cabot to visit with my friend Ross. He and I had fun catching up and watching Mr. Peabody and Sherman. On Sunday, I preached morning and night at Ozark Free Will Baptist Church. The people were really hospitable, and I think it all went pretty well. Of course, I also spent a lot of time with Aiden over the break, and I even got to go to Springdale to visit Clayton, Shelby, and their precious son Collin (pictured above). It was a much-needed break full of quality time with friends and family, plenty of sleep, and lots of TV.

Now, I’m back at school and getting back to work. I’ve got to revise my thesis and finish my other two classes, but graduation is right around the corner. I’m going to try to fully enjoy my last couple of months as an undergrad. March has been a great month, and April is already shaping up to be even better. Thank you guys for keeping up with my life and for joining me on this journey. I hope everything is going well, and I would love to hear from you. Have a great April! I’ll see you on Saturday when I review Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

As Told By Ginger

Remember the good old days? Back before papers and deadlines and bills? Back when all you did was go to school and then rush home to catch your favorite show on TV? Yeah, those were the days. My generation has experienced an early onset of nostalgia that makes us long for those days, and we relive them by re-watching old TV shows that used to mean a lot to us. At least, that’s what I did over Spring Break. I watched all 60 episodes of As Told By Ginger.

I’m sure most of you reading this remember As Told By Ginger. It aired on Nickelodeon from 2000 to 2003. You know, back when cartoons were good. As Told By Ginger tells the story of Ginger, a girl who is just trying to fit in and survive junior high (and later high school). It is told through the lens of her diary, which we often see her writing in. ATBG is a very down-to-earth show that simply tells Ginger’s story, and it’s a very compelling one.

If you don’t remember As Told By Ginger, you might still be familiar with the animation style. The show was produced by Klasky Csupo, the same company responsible for such gems as Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, and Rocket Power. But what sets this show apart is that it isn’t marketed toward children. As Told By Ginger aired during Nickelodeon’s TeenNick block and was meant to appeal to preteens and teens. So although there are some similarities to other cartoons of the time, ATBG is also very different.

My favorite thing about As Told By Ginger is that the show deals with some real issues. It’s meant to entertain, but it also does more than that. Ginger and her friends have to face some very tough challenges that preteens and teens also deal with in real life. Ginger’s parents are divorced, and she tries to build a relationship with her estranged father throughout the series. In one episode, Ginger writes a sad poem and is believed to suffer from depression. One of the final episodes features a breakup scene that’s as heartwrenching and real as anything you’ll see in a live action drama. Other themes explored are betrayal, first love, substance abuse, growing up, and even death. As Told By Ginger isn’t afraid of taking these issues head-on and dealing with them in a very real way, and that’s something that I appreciate a lot.

The characters on the show are just wonderful. The show focuses mainly on Ginger and her best friends Dodie and Macie. Darren, the classic boy next door, is also a main character. Ginger is taken under the wing of popular girl Courtney and thus develops a rivalry with Courtney’s best friend Miranda. But the show also focuses on Ginger’s family. Lois, Ginger’s mom, plays a key role, and most episodes feature some kind of storyline involving Carl (Ginger’s little brother), Hoodsey (Dodie’s little brother), and Blake (Courtney’s little brother) and their middle school hijinks. The show has a great cast, and they interact in hilarious, unexpected ways throughout the series.

Being a teen show, As Told By Ginger also breaks some cartoon conventions. The characters change outfits to show a change of day, which was probably a lot of work but adds to the show’s credibility. The characters also change in appearance over time, just like the show’s audience. Darren especially shows dramatic change over time, going from wimpy brace-face to hulking football stud. But all of the characters show some development, and I think that’s pretty cool.

As most good things do, As Told By Ginger ended long before it should have. It only ran for three seasons, and even some of those episodes didn’t air until years after they had been produced. It’s a bit of a shame, but thanks to the Internet, all of the episodes can be watched online. The show also airs on the TeenNick channel from time to time. I think As Told By Ginger is a great show that has a lot to offer. If you used to watch it, it can give you that nice sense of nostalgia people my age are so fond of. And if you’ve never seen it before, the show has a lot of heart and some great life lessons that anyone can appreciate. Check out As Told By Ginger and re-live one of the greatest cartoons (or maybe even one of the greatest shows) to ever grace television.