A good way to get a feel for the general theology floating around in our culture is to pay attention to how God shows up in movies. Not in sermons, or books, or lofty philosophical debates, but in whatever Hollywood churns out. That’s why, while watching It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, I suddenly realized something. The Almighty Creator of All Things keeps getting cast as an aloof bystander. Or worse, a kind of garage sale Zeus who needs an assistant to clue Him in.
In this particular Muppet tale, poor Kermit is blue because his theater is on the brink of foreclosure. He’s sitting on a park bench, shivering, looking like the world’s saddest amphibian. Meanwhile, up in heaven, an “angel agent” named Daniel notices Kermit pop up on a celestial monitor and decides to ask his boss for help.
And who is the Boss? Whoopie Goldberg. Her character is reluctant to intervene. Daniel pleads. She eventually agrees to watch a video recap of Kermit’s problems but, of course, can’t figure out how to work the heavenly VCR. So Daniel has to do tech support for the omnipotent Ruler of the Universe.
It’s a small detail, right? Surely I’m making too much out of this. I mean, the movie stars puppets. Nobody expects spiritual depth from chickens in sweaters.
“Yeah, John! You jerk! Why can’t you just enjoy the story?!!”
Because the story includes God. And if you’re going to include God, maybe don’t portray him as a distracted supervisor who only clocks in after his assistant begs him to care. The movie could have skipped God entirely and gone with the classic “follow your dreams” plot. But no. They put God in the script, then made him useless. He observes. He hesitates. He waits to be convinced to participate in the season literally meant to celebrate him.
This is the theology of our culture. God is a minor character who probably needs batteries. He doesn’t act. He doesn’t intervene. He doesn’t know how to work and iPad.
Christians, take note. We are not the only ones preaching. The world is constantly sermonizing. And the sermons may come packaged in felt puppets and Christmas lights, but they still preach a gospel. Just not a true one. False gospels don’t sound like heresy. They sound like entertainment. They sound like harmless fun. They sound like a God who watches from afar while the Muppets solve everything with better attitudes.
If you watch movies, talk about them. Especially with your kids! Don’t just let the credits roll and assume the story drifted off harmlessly into the ether. Ask what the film was preaching. Ask what picture of God it painted. Your kids are already forming their theology from the stories they consume, whether you discuss them or not. You should help them spot the quiet sermons in the family-friendly content.
(Colossians 2:8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
