I heard this week that they are filming a remake of the 1984 hit movie “Footloose.”  I confess I have mixed emotions about that.  For me, “Footloose” was dominated by the brilliant performance of John Lithgow as the pastor of a small town church who, determined to protect his congregation and the town from immoral influences, engineered then banning of “rock and roll” music and dancing.  Whoever fills that role in the remake has his work cut out for him.  But I always cringe over Hollywood’s take on our faith.

Lithgow, to his credit, avoided playing the pastor as some sort of authoritarian killjoy as some might have.  Instead, his pastor was a sincere but troubled man truly seeking to do what he thought was right for those he loved.  (However, unable to resist the temptation, the producers did give us a few authoritarian killjoys in his congregation.)  But Lithgow’s pastor was in some ways an even more troubling portrayal.  He presented a pastor completely devoid of grace and joy and focused on the externals of behavior as the measure of true faith.  It disturbs me that, at best, we are going to see that negative portrayal again and perhaps will see an even more depressing presentation in the remake.

It is easy to pass off this negative portrayal as propaganda from a Hollywood elite opposed to the faith.  And of course to some extent it is.  But the question remains, how do they get away with such a presentation?  Sadly, the answer is that, in the minds of many, that is exactly who we are.  How is it that Christians who, in Christ, should be the very epicenter of grace and joy, manage to come across as exactly the opposite?  We would be remiss if we thought that all the blame was external.

You can decide for yourself whether music and dancing qualifies as an immoral influence but the truth is that we live in a world where we are surrounded by immoral influences.  And frequently we battle that immorality with open zeal.  The net result is that we become defined in the public mind by the things we are against.  Ironically, after the original “Footloose”, Christians offended by this portrayal of their faith, protested and boycotted the movie and, in doing so, unwittingly reinforced the stereotype of joylessness and lack of grace.

How do we reverse these negative impressions?  I am sure you have some ideas and I’d be delighted to have you post them.  But here is one:  Always remember to keep first things first.  We are not called to end immorality in the world, but to present Christ to the world.  Jesus did not hang on the cross to end any particular sin but to save sinners.  When we feel the urge to speak against a sin-filled world stop and ask if that is the best way to present Christ to the person you are talking to.

Also, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself and to admit that, at times, we can come across in the ways we are perceived.  In other words, to some extent we “hand it coming” in the Lithgow portrayal.

Finally, a little self-examination never hurts.  Am I truly coming across to those around me as filled with grace and joy?  If not, why not, and what can I do about it?  Establishing the practice of seeking the grace-response to the situations, including the immorality, we face is a great habit to form.