My Random Thoughts on DVC
My Christian friend (C) shared her lunchtime conversation with a group her non Christian colleagues (NCC) with me. C is someone who has been very open about her faith with her NCC at work, in turning down offers to go clubbing and going for church / BS instead. But she has developed a strong bond with her NCC and they have a strong respect for her both personally and professionally. I have taken the liberty to paraphrase her conversation as an example of how a day to day conversation might happen at work.
NCC: So C, what do you think of the DVC movie?
C (pursed her lips and grimaced): It's ok.
NCC: Don't bluff, you're upset right? Why are Christians so upset huh? It's quite a stupid show.
C: Yeah well, there were many reasons why I didn't like the show. Christianity aside, I felt that the production was lousy, it was supposed to be a thriller, but very slow and the plot wasn't really developed, very disjointed. I quite like the actors but the dialogue was quite boring leh. Most importantly, the show's content was not true lor. Everything that they said was just not true lor.
NCC: Yeah, I know what you mean, quite a boring show. Very anticlimax after the book. But what is not true about the show?
C: Well, mostly because the author claimed that many things were fact but they were not. The way the Bible was put together, the existence of the Puree of S..so...si..uh..
NCC: Priory something or other, and the Opus Day and the Knights Temple, can't quite follow all the names, so complicated.
C: The main problem I have with the show and the book is that many things he claimed as truth was not true. And this is not just what the Church or Bible scholars are telling us, documentary shows on CNA, Discovery Channel and even entertainment magazines like 8 days quote academics, historians and art historians will tell you that what Dan Brown claims as fact is not fact at all. If you really want to know, I can tell you or I can give you some booklets explaining what the true historic facts are.
I read DVC over a year ago and watched the movie a few days ago. Other than the fact that much of the content is mind-boggling in its portrayal of fiction as fact, I have had concerns about our Christian response to it. Not so much so the attacks on our faith, but more importantly, the FORM of our response.
As we read and digest all the literature that the church has produced, and as we familiarise ourselves with the counterarguments against the allegations posed by this novel, I think we might also want to consider how we can present our case in a way that is most relevant to the particular person or groups of people.
So that they can take away with them what is most pertinent to their context and situation.
Not go away thinking that Christians are so defensive, cheem, irrelevant or out of touch with normal people.
I enjoyed the SYFC video clip below because in their ministry to the youth, they feel the pulse of the young people and know that at their level, they might get lost in the standard arguments. So the short clip focuses on a few taglines, the ones I remember are "Truth is truth. False is false. One Truth. Believe it."
As we share, what are our friends hearing and how are they hearing it? What are they learning from our tones and gestures? What do they think while they listen to your words?
As always 1 Peter 3:15 comes to mind "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." In our attempt to paraphrase all that we've learn in our understanding and reading of the Christian lit, and in our zeal to defend our faith, let us not forget that:
Vision: lead to salvation with Christ (not to educate them about history or to win an argument)
Objective: give them a reason for our hope (know the facts, but bring the discussion to a more personal spiritual level)
Process: gentleness and respect
Weapon: prayer
Above all, we have to demonstrate Christ's love, humility, grace and power in our lives. All these speak louder than 101 arguments against the DVC.
NCC: So C, what do you think of the DVC movie?
C (pursed her lips and grimaced): It's ok.
NCC: Don't bluff, you're upset right? Why are Christians so upset huh? It's quite a stupid show.
C: Yeah well, there were many reasons why I didn't like the show. Christianity aside, I felt that the production was lousy, it was supposed to be a thriller, but very slow and the plot wasn't really developed, very disjointed. I quite like the actors but the dialogue was quite boring leh. Most importantly, the show's content was not true lor. Everything that they said was just not true lor.
NCC: Yeah, I know what you mean, quite a boring show. Very anticlimax after the book. But what is not true about the show?
C: Well, mostly because the author claimed that many things were fact but they were not. The way the Bible was put together, the existence of the Puree of S..so...si..uh..
NCC: Priory something or other, and the Opus Day and the Knights Temple, can't quite follow all the names, so complicated.
C: The main problem I have with the show and the book is that many things he claimed as truth was not true. And this is not just what the Church or Bible scholars are telling us, documentary shows on CNA, Discovery Channel and even entertainment magazines like 8 days quote academics, historians and art historians will tell you that what Dan Brown claims as fact is not fact at all. If you really want to know, I can tell you or I can give you some booklets explaining what the true historic facts are.
I read DVC over a year ago and watched the movie a few days ago. Other than the fact that much of the content is mind-boggling in its portrayal of fiction as fact, I have had concerns about our Christian response to it. Not so much so the attacks on our faith, but more importantly, the FORM of our response.
As we read and digest all the literature that the church has produced, and as we familiarise ourselves with the counterarguments against the allegations posed by this novel, I think we might also want to consider how we can present our case in a way that is most relevant to the particular person or groups of people.
So that they can take away with them what is most pertinent to their context and situation.
Not go away thinking that Christians are so defensive, cheem, irrelevant or out of touch with normal people.
I enjoyed the SYFC video clip below because in their ministry to the youth, they feel the pulse of the young people and know that at their level, they might get lost in the standard arguments. So the short clip focuses on a few taglines, the ones I remember are "Truth is truth. False is false. One Truth. Believe it."
As we share, what are our friends hearing and how are they hearing it? What are they learning from our tones and gestures? What do they think while they listen to your words?
As always 1 Peter 3:15 comes to mind "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." In our attempt to paraphrase all that we've learn in our understanding and reading of the Christian lit, and in our zeal to defend our faith, let us not forget that:
Vision: lead to salvation with Christ (not to educate them about history or to win an argument)
Objective: give them a reason for our hope (know the facts, but bring the discussion to a more personal spiritual level)
Process: gentleness and respect
Weapon: prayer
Above all, we have to demonstrate Christ's love, humility, grace and power in our lives. All these speak louder than 101 arguments against the DVC.
posted by Ocean Deep at
12:19 am
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