Purpose

So I guess I just wanted to clarify the purpose behind this Inkdrop blog for those who are confused.

We did not intend for this to be a place where we post up our articles and get people's feedbacks/edits. That should happen with your editing group, and if need be, with additional people in the team via email or in person.

Instead, we wanted to blog in order to stimulate discussion, and from these discussions, we're hoping that we'd get inspired to write articles for present and future issues. We wanted to promote inspiration for others as we wrestle with each other and with ourselves.

So case in point, my post about Christian media and the movie End of the Spears was not an article in and of itself. Instead, I posted to see what you guys thought of it and how it affects us as a team and as Christians. So let's spur one another on with thought-provoking discussions about anything. It could be about the weather in Michigan or Bush's State of the Union address (next Tuesday) or church culture. The possibilities are endless. =)

End of the Spears

So there's a new movie out in theaters across the country, detailing the story of Jim Elliot through the eyes of the Waodani or Acau Indian tribe of Equador. This famous missions story of sacrifice and God's sovereignty is brought to light to the secular world.

On one hand, I applaud the efforts of this Christian film studio for being brave to charter new territories by retelling an important story in Christendom. Other than Mel Gibson's highly-publicized film, "The Passion of the Christ," there are not too many people bold enough to present the Christian message on a national-scale in recent memory.

But on the other hand, I am skeptical of this movie because it is such an overtly Christian film. "The Passion of the Christ" was an exceptionally well-made film, even in Hollywood standards. But Christian movies like that are, sadly, far and few between. And I do not believe that "End of the Spears" will be on par with "The Passion of the Christ." For starts, this movie does not have the star power as "Passion" did, nor does it have the kind of publicity "Passion" had when it premiered.

So that leaves the question, what makes an effective Christian film? After all, we are in the world, but not of it. Though we do not want to conform to the patterns of this world, in this case Hollywood, we are still called to be in it. We are to be the salt, the very agents of change in a given surrounding. So in the case of the media, how can a Christian be an effective witness? By making more films like "End of the Spears?" I regrettably would have to say no, though I think it is important what happened in Ecuador half a century ago.

The media is such a powerful tool. Adolf Hitler knew it, and he used it to gain the power he had. Leni Riefenstahl was employed to produce propaganda films such as "Victory of Faith" and "Triumph of the Will," immediately embraced by the Germans at the time. Even today, many film-critics will praise Riefenstahl's technique and film-making talents (although most will distance themselves from praising Riefentahl's connection with the Third Reich). And so, in the same way, Christian artists have, in the palm of their hands, the opportunity to utilize the media to reach the masses. But when I look at the traditional Christian films out there, I'm not fully sure it they are effective in reaching the secular audience.

And I believe this is relevant for us, as writers of Inkdrop, because in the same way film and movies are powerful, writing is powerful as well. And the challenge for us is the same, are we effective in reaching the secular audience? Will secularists just simply neglect our work knowing we are Christians? Or will they admire our work only to find out we are Christians and that Christians are capable of producing work that is on par or even superior to the world's standards?