SAVED

I recently went and watched the movie, "Saved" starring Mandy Moore and Macauley Culkin. Wow. I was really impressed with the accuracy the depictions of Christian teenagers in America, and the Christian sub-cultures that they exist in. Many, many Christians will be shocked, insulted, outraged. That, in fact, is exactly what needs to happen. The outraged, insulted, angry viewers of this movie need to really examine what the movie is about. Those who are quick to judge, cast the first stone, will miss what this movie is really about and will miss some valuable lessons. First of all, the main point of the movie is about the impossible standards of righteousness that the church and many christians impose upon its believers. It shows how good we are at making rules, how good we are at masking our obedience to those rules, and how meagerly we do at achieving success in our righteousness. It shows some of the ridiculous things Christians do to make their faith more appealing to non-believers. What i think i really liked is how, in the end, Grace saves the day, lifts the fallen people out of the ashes and breathes refreshing life into the situations that they are in. All of the paradigms shift when grace moves. This movie is not for the feint-of-heart. It is not for spiritual weaklings. You have to boldy examine who you are, the church you belong to, and be ready to laugh at how ridiculous some of the things we do really are. The point of most comedy is to exploit problems with tongue-in-cheek. I believe the writers of this movie had to be christians, or it would not have made any sense. Again. Look close. At you.