SkyAngel?

I'm watching the Sky Angel network (don't ask why) and started wondering about some things. I'm wondering what it is we are trying to accomplish with the shows that we put out there for public consumption. (When I say 'we' I mean Christians. Even when we don't want to be we are all pretty much lumped together by the people who aren't Christians.)

If you go down the programing list for this network and the others like it they are pretty much the same. About 22 or 23 hours out of each day are devoted to preaching shows, some sort of so-called news/discussion shows, shows about ministries, etc. The other 1 or 2 hours might be devoted to some kind of contemporary music or extreme sports and they are always on late at night; very obscure. And during Christmas and Easter you will see movies about Bible stories. Now I understand that this description is slightly oversimplified, but not much. They spend tons of money (that they are constantly asking us for) to put stuff out there that even most Christians aren't going to watch very often. What's the point? And so many of the people come off as pompous and judgmental.

There are many, many Christians who are massively creative and capable of developing stuff that people would really watch (all people; not just uber conservatives). Then there might be a chance to reach an audience besides the first 10 rows on Sunday morning. We cry and moan about our shrinking sphere of influence (or at least we should) and then we do everything we can to make sure it can't grow.

Christian TV---pull your heads out of the sand (or wherever you have it stuck) and think like real people for a while. You can get the message out there without the bad hair, archaic language and preachers in expensive suits. The U.S. demographic passed you by decades ago. Help us. Help yourself. Help the cause. Join us in the 21st century--please. Hire some commentators who will look at the world in terms of the social responsibility and justice that Jesus taught his entire ministry. Cover stories like Darfur and Congo so that people get the real story. Talk about the thousands of civilian casualties in Iraq. I bet you a Thompson Chain Reference Bible that Jesus doesn't think of them as collateral damage. Talk about homelessness and uninsured children in America and how our government should be responsible to its people instead of its corporations.

Here's a question you should be asking yourselves--what shows do your kids watch when they get home from school. Unless you force them to watch the lame crap on your network, they are watching Disney or Nickelodeon, I bet. Ever think of doing something along that line? And here's a thought; I bet there are some smart and creative writers and producers out there who could work a good message into a show that's also funny and smart that adolescents would actually watch. How about an entertaining drama that wrestles with moral ambiguity from the perspective of people who understand that there is ultimately a right and a wrong--that God really exists--but also understand that every single issue cannot be solved with cliches and catch-phrases from the conservative handbook?

Guess what? Christians who actually take seriously the call to be relevant to the world they live in aren't going to watch rich pastors in thousand dollar suits sit in gilded thrones and pontificate on issues that they obviously haven't bothered to fully educate themselves about. I am sick of it and I'm calling you out.

Oh, what's the use. You'll never read this and if you did you'd probably just started piling up rocks (think about it).

For anyone else who might see this--let's pray for peace and keep trying to love people like Jesus did.

Mike