One of the things I have heard a few times in the last few months is that it is the fault of the church that the Da Vinci Code is so popular. The refrain goes something like this - "it is a shame that the church has failed to tell the real story of Jesus in a compelling way, so that the fiction of the Da Vinci Code seems like a more compelling story."
I disagree with this. The Biblical story is in large part the story of the rejection of the Biblical story. Jesus promised us that, if we are faithful in telling His story, the world will hate us, the world will not find His story compelling.
Matthew 10:22
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand RapidsMatthew 24:9
Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand RapidsLuke 6:22
Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand RapidsJohn 7:7
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand RapidsJohn 15:18-25:
18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: They hated me without reason.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
Could it be that the church has been faithfully telling the story all along and the world doesn't find it compelling because they hate Jesus? Of course we've butchered the story many times, but this whole idea that the world finds DVC compelling because we have failed to make the true story compelling is patently false. The true story of Jesus tells us that if we tell the story truly, the world will not find it compelling, rather they will reject it. Thus, it is far more likely that the world finds DVC more compelling simply because it tells the story of a Jesus who is more to its liking.
So this statement, that it is the church's fault that the DVC story of Jesus is popular, seems to me to miss the point of the true story of Jesus. This statement seems to imply that if the church tells a compelling story of Jesus, the world will like it. In truth, we can't forget that the true Christian story will never be popular and alternative stories always will.
Related Tags: Books, Film, Movies, Current Affairs, Da Vinci Code, Christian, Christianity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Faith, Religion, Theology
There was once the Garden, Adam, Eve and the serpent. The garden has been sealed. Adam and Eve have gone. But the serpent is still slithering around and hissing, Did God really say..??
Posted by: Kenny Chee | April 26, 2006 at 10:38 AM
What is the fault of the church is the additional revenue that this movie will make after we have finished special sermons, classes, booklets, etc. in order to "equip" the believers to be able to "evangelize" the multitudes who are encouraged to attend, along with all the follow-up movies which will be spawned by this.
Posted by: Jane | April 26, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Seems to be a variation of the "relevance" issue. While it is necessary that we live "in the world" (but not of it), and that it's the gospel (and not our lives) that gives offense, there are many who -- for whatever reason -- are seeking to help God out and make the *gospel* relevant to our culture.
(insert shudder of revulsion here)
Posted by: Brendt | April 26, 2006 at 03:42 PM
It's not the church's fault that Da Vinci Code will be a blockbuster. Men love darkness rather than light...they love fables rather than truth. This accounts for the fascination with Da Vinci Code and tripe of like matter.
God can use a donkey to get His message across if He so desires. Granted, that's not the ideal "vehicle" (pardon the pun) for the Gospel to go forth, but the Word of God is not bound.
Da Vinci Code? We don't need no stinkin' Da Vinci Code!
Posted by: Henry | April 26, 2006 at 04:05 PM
Its a captivating story. False story? Yes. But, for those that actually believe the fiction to be fact....well, wide is the road that leads in that direction.
Posted by: WES | April 26, 2006 at 05:41 PM
Man, David, you've gotta come over to DiscussDaVinci.com and talk about this stuff! I finally put my thoughts out there tonight about as clearly as I can right now.
Posted by: rob | April 26, 2006 at 09:02 PM
True indeed. Christ is a stumbling block, and it's easier to believe in wives' tales than in the reality of Christ.
It's interesting though, how non-Christians are so blatantly attracted and repulsed by Jesus Christ.
Posted by: Bryan Halferty | April 27, 2006 at 05:22 PM
It is the Romans Church fault that the Da Vinci Code is so popular. "People are seeking the Truth" but, no Christian church has the Balls to tell the Truth.
The Jesus Mary story was just a story created in the same fashion as the Osiris and Isis story. Why dont we beleive that Osiris and Isis and all the other stories are real.
Jesus was not a real person.
Mary and Sopia are same.
Do some serious research on Egyptian teachings and you will find the Truth.
Organize go to Rome and ask the Pope to tell us the Truth.
The Roman church adopted the Jesus Story created by the Jewish Gnostics.....
Posted by: IsRaEl | May 04, 2006 at 08:58 PM
I would like to find a religion more modern, tolerant and scientific than Christianism, a religion able to rival and debunk the Church. The only snag to establish such a religion on a credible basis is to find a guy (or a girl) willing to undergo torture and death for us and able to raise himself from the dead; or, at least, to find a bunch of guys ready to undergo torture, persecution and death for announcing these farcical news. Any volunteer?
When I want fiction, I prefer the Classic authors, from Homer to Mark Twain. Regarding thrillers or mysteries, I prefer the all time masters, from Poe and A. Conan Doyle to Edgar Wallace (the best of them all) and Agatha Christie, not forgetting Cornell Woolrich and Dashiell Hammett. Life is too brief to waste my time reading such a mediocre writer as Dan Brown.
Please, be serious; but smile (I apologized for my bad English grammar).
Posted by: Juan Santisteban | August 29, 2006 at 07:36 AM