| The
Gospel According to Peter Jennings |
| What
the Peter Jennings special "Jesus and Paul: the Word and the Witness"
did and didn't teach us. |
 "I still marvel...at the fact that this was a tiny movement that might have just disappeared -- Jesus and Paul, they might have just disappeared from history, but it is still here in 2004. I don't know how anyone can't marvel at that."
~Peter Jennings
Jesus fever
continues to be on the rise, and it's giving Christians more
golden opportunities to initiate conversations with their friends
and family about the faith. One such opportunity was a special,
hosted by Peter Jennings, that aired Monday night entitled,
"Jesus and Paul: The Word and The Witness." Against all
odds, the three-hour documentary that focused on the inception
and spread of Christianity was the second highest-rated show
in it's time slot, losing out only to the NCAA Championship.
Granted, the special relied heavily on unorthodox scholars who
claimed that Paul changed the Gospel of Christ to fit his designs.
And it utilized disingenious sound-bite maneuvering to suggest
that the shift of Christianity from a Jewish religion to a faith
for all people was not Christ's original goal. The important
point is that such a program would even receive serious mainstream
attention.
Christianity Today described the the swell in Jesus coverage
well in their cover story on the Jennings special: "The fact
that network television would give three hours to such a topic
shows how our times have changed. No longer is religion, and
the discussion of faiths like Christianity, a 'private' affair.
Gone are the days of the 1960s when the claim was that God was
dead...At their best, these specials are a mirror of cultural
opinion, an insight as to where many of our neighbors, whom
God calls us to love, stand when it comes to truths that direct
and move people at profound levels. Our neighbors will watch
them, even if we do not."
We currently have what may be a fleeting opportunity to respond
to the public's immense curiousity about Christ. So no matter
what form the curiosity takes, it's a chance we can't rejoice
too much over. And it's chance we can't let pass us by.
For in-depth analysis of the special, "Jesus and Paul: The
Word and the Witness" read the full-length review CLICK
HERE. |
|
From Christ Church of the Valley weekly e-newsletter. |
| |
| |
| |
|
