Faith and Fiction: The Conversation Starter

I am fortunate in that I have many co-workers who share similar interests with me in the types of media we take-in. Whenever the next big blockbuster comes out, there are typically a slew of people who are in on the conversation, sharing various different opinions and thoughts on the latest (most of the time super hero) film. Everyone has their own take on how the story played out and whether or not they enjoyed it, but the most interesting discussions are those that find their way talking about the story’s theme(s). It’s a great conversation starter, and most of the time is both cordial and productive. 

Acts 17:16–34 recounts a time in which Paul reasons for the gospel amongst the people of Athens. The way in which he is able to get some people thinking about the existence of the one true God and the truth of Jesus Christ, is by acknowledging their very own idols. He questions them about the idol that is made in reference to the “unknown god,” and uses that as a conversation starter, in order to be able to share the gospel with the people who are in Athens. This is one of my favorite accounts of evangelism because it shows the importance behind when the one sharing about God, has an understanding of both faith and culture. 

We live in a time where people highly enjoy watching, reading, or playing through a good story. Actually, I think this is something that has been true of humanity for as long as we have recorded history. But at this particular time, within the context of human history, people are consuming more stories in a variety of different ways than ever before. Personally, I like to view these things as our “unknown god.”

Now, this is not to say that modern media intake is quite the same as 1st century idolatry, but I do think that it is something that our society holds in very high esteem. So, what do we do about it? I think that the simplest conclusion that we can come to is to try to have familiarity with it the best way in which we can. Watch the big blockbusters and read the most popular books, for these things are very enlightening displays on the current philosophy of modern culture. On the surface we can see them as mere sources of entertainment, but I think most creators do not set out on the journey of creation simply to entertain but rather to educate in some way.

While I believe that there are some personal parameters that we put around the content in which we take in, I also think Christians should allow entertainment media to serve as a source to discuss worldview. When certain political, social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual themes appear within these creations, it offers a safe bridge into discussing worldview. It gives us the opportunity to discourse through the avenue of fiction, and through that discussion we may just be able to effectively plant some seeds about faith.