The TV show “Saving Grace” gives us a hard working cop lady who has a bad day, cries out, “God Help Me” and suddenly has a beer drinking angel in her life.
This “angel” teaches our title character Grace about tolerance, says a few on target things about God, and even encourages her to avoid a revenge murder against her former childhood rapist/abuser who resurfaces. Oh, yeah…. the man that raped her as a child was apparently a Roman Catholic Priest. But nevermind… I don’t want to go there right now…
This “angel” encourages good works in her life. But… he hangs out in bars with her, pours her an occasional beer, has drinks with the cast, and otherwise stands by or looks the other way while Grace engages in a variety of unacceptable behaviors. He says nothing when our cop lady tells lies to get what she wants. He says nothing about the fact that she has wild sex with her partner in the bathroom at the local bar, nor when she beds the occasional married man. Finally, this “angel” clearly fails to intervene in the murders and other mayhem that routinely take place on the show.
Now… is this how the world sees Christianity? Is it supposed to portray Christianity at all? Would it work if Christianity were a fairly tolerant belief system? What if Christianity were almost meaningless because it cannot really change the world? Is that a happy thought?
Do you think this show illustrates the Christian influence on the world? Is it enough to show Christianity as a non-judgmental spirituality? Is it notable in demonstrating that God offers grace to the unsaved? Are those good things to illustrate? Is there more to Christianity that this?
Would it be OK if the angel’s tolerance helps build enough of a trusting relationship that the title character comes to know God in the final episode? Would that make it OK to illustrate the Kingdom’s involvement in our world the way it is portrayed in this show?
Your thoughts?