4th February, 2010

SIU FUNG WU

DVD - Lord, Save Us From Your Followers (PG)

In a word: Provocative

"Some viewers may find the film somewhat offensive because it seems to portray Christians as being hypocritical. But Merchant does not want to abandon the church. Instead, he calls for constructive conversations between those who have different views."

Here is a DVD worth watching as the Australian federal election draws near this year. Despite its rather provocative title, Lord, Save Us From Your Followers does not seem to attack certain types of Christians. It is, rather, a constructive critique of aspects of contemporary Christianity in America - and, at least to some degrees, Christianity in Australia. It is, therefore, one of those movies that everyone who is serious about their Christian faith should watch.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a documentary directed by Dan Merchant. The film was made in 2008, just before the presidential election in the US. It tries to show how the church in America is perceived by non-Christians. It demonstrates how the opposing religious voices in the public arena polarise rather than unite people. It talks about a ‘culture war’ going on as faith and culture meet each other.

Some viewers may find the film somewhat offensive because it seems to portray Christians as being hypocritical. But Merchant does not want to abandon the church. Instead, he calls for constructive conversations between those who have different views. One example of such conversations is gay rights. Those who hold a hard-line conservative view are invited to dialogue with the gay community.

One creative scenario Merchant stages is particularly interesting. He sets up a confession booth in a gay pride festival. As gay visitors enter, they find Merchant confessing the sins of the church rather than hearing their confessions. There we hear moving stories of the power of forgiveness, where healing takes place when people are willing to humble themselves and confess their sins to others.

Merchant also stages an interesting version of Family Feud (which is an American TV game show that pits two families against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question). Young conservative Christians are pitted against the liberals. The results of the contests are most telling.

The documentary ends on a positive note. Recent examples of acts of mercy and justice of the church are shown. There is a sense of hope for us all when Christians embody Christ’s way of life.

It will be up to the viewers to judge whether Merchant’s critique is fair. One may wonder whether his view on ethical issues is too simplistic. For those who think that it is simplistic, the challenge is offer an alternative response that is both informed and thoughtful. For those who applaud the film’s portrayal of some people’s seemingly hypocritical behaviour, the challenge is to first humble ourselves and examine our own lives – because no-one can claim to be flawless! But the real challenge for us all is not so much in working out an intellectural answer to the complex issues raised in the film, but to truly live out the values of God’s kingdom in our daily life.

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