Telling Good Stories

God's story includes His sending His Son to redeem us - to die on a cross and rise from the dead. But, it also includes the individual stories of scores of individuals who have chosen to believe on Him and be saved - and how He has expressed His story through them. In Psalm 71, we can read:
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

I think it's helpful to take time and reflect how we have seen the hand of God in and through us - and give Him praise for His faithfulness.  We can give Him praise for who He is and thank Him that He has chosen us in Him, that we have been saved and are being sanctified.  We can give Him glory for those He has put around to encourage us in our Christian life. And, we can look to the future with expectation because of how we have seen Him move in the past.

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The apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to be bold to share His testimony, what God has done in His life through Jesus. We can find these words in 2nd Timothy chapter 1:
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

The entertainment industry has been in the spotlight recently with the recent Oscar presentations this past Sunday night.  I was curious to see if that fact that two popular movies that people had actually seen were nominated for multiple Oscars would affect the number of eyes that watched the telecast.  According to Variety, it didn't.

The publication related:

Per the time zone adjusted fast national ratings, Sunday’s telecast drew 19.5 million viewers and a 3.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic airing from 7:00-10:29 p.m ET. By comparison, the 2023 telecast drew 18.8 million viewers and a 4.0 rating in the final tallies. That means this year’s show was up just shy of 4% in total viewers but down 5% in the key demo. It should also be noted this year’s show started an hour earlier than it has in years past.

Still, there are so many are consumers of entertainment, and there was a survey that was released recently by something called the Faith and Media Initiative, which commissioned HarrisX to do a poll that measured the impact of entertainment.  A CBN.com story stated:

The sweeping Global Faith and Entertainment study, conducted by HarrisX in partnership with the Faith and Media Initiative, surveyed nearly 10,000 entertainment consumers in 11 countries, yielding comprehensive results that provide a lens into how the masses view this important issue.

The vast majority of Americans who consume entertainment (69%) believe “TV and movies perpetuate religious stereotypes,” according to the results. Meanwhile, 68% of global viewers would like to see diverse religious representations in movies and TV.

Furthermore, according to the article, "An even stronger majority of international consumers (80%) believe it’s important for entertainment venues to take steps to improve portrayals of religious experience to improve accuracy."

So, there is a perception that entertainment moguls really don't understand faith, and so they don't incorporate in an authentic way.  I would also surmise that this lack of understanding may move them to not incorporate it at all. 

Even a studio executive voiced his concern. The CBN article related:

Frank Patterson, CEO of Trilith Studios, a Hollywood production house in Fayette County, Georgia, said the results shed light on the important role Hollywood plays in shaping perceptions.

“The findings of the Global Faith and Entertainment Study underscore an important responsibility we have in Hollywood — to authentically portray faith and spirituality in our productions,” Patterson said in a statement. “Doing so represents an opportunity to bridge cultural divides, challenge stereotypes, and tell stories that reflect the diverse spiritual experiences of our global audience.”

He continued, “It’s not just about representation; it’s about making a positive impact on society through the stories we choose to tell.”

The survey summary notes, in a press release that, "A majority of consumers say religious identity is the least represented, yet the most sensationalized element of identity portrayed." For example, as the summary notes, "Respondents say they don't see their religious identity on screen as much as their gender, race, or sexual orientation," and "When they do see their religious identity portrayed, it's more likely to be a sensational or stereotypical depiction."

In the summary, Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, is quoted as saying: "The data shows clearly that addressing the concerns of audiences around the world about the lack of range, diversity, representation, depth, and accuracy when it comes to portrayals of viewers own religion, faith and spirituality – and that of other faiths they interact with – is both good business and leads to positive impact. Today entertainment is increasingly on demand and democratized therefore the needs of these massive swaths of consumers should not be ignored."

Our Christian faith is such an integral part of our personal story. Yet, in society at large, there is a strong perception that those who are entrusted with telling good stories do seem to either omit it or treat it in an inaccurate way, according to this survey.  But, in telling our own stories, we should always be careful to acknowledge the hand of God and call attention to how He has worked in our lives, for His glory.

It's been pointed out that what is called our "testimony" is simply an account of what God has done in us - through Jesus, we have been saved and brought into a relationship with God.  We are new creations in Him; we have a new identity.  Having Jesus as our Savior and Lord changes everything. We can be careful to operate out of that life change.