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A new style of Bible storytelling is making the rounds—reimagining scenes from Scripture as if the characters were recording them on their phones. Think “Peter’s selfie at the tomb” or “John live-streaming the crucifixion.” It’s modern, humorous, and definitely not how we’re used to seeing biblical events portrayed.
Some Christians say it’s irreverent or even blasphemous. Others argue that it’s just a creative way to engage a digital generation with the Word. After all, if Jesus spoke in parables to connect with His audience, is it wrong to use modern tools to do the same?
What do you think—is this style of video helping or hurting how we treat Scripture?
“Is it dishonoring the holy—or just helping people see the story from a new angle?”
Watch the video here and tell us what side you’re on:
There’s a YouTube Channel called “Lutheran Satire”, run by a Lutheran pastor who makes videos both to poke fun at absurdities but with a focus on teaching and promoting the Christian faith. The most viral video from the channel is a short animated clip where two Irish twins and St. Patrick talk about the Trinity, it’s funny and informative. But to the point: there’s a video on the channel that this topic reminds me of, where it shows traditional images of Christian martyrs, but puts the words of modern popular “Prosperity Gospel” preachers in their mouths. Showing St. Peter being martyred quoting someone like Joel Osteen is quite funny, but it really shows just how ridiculous the “Jesus wants you happy, healthy, and wealthy” stuff is in the face of the very real suffering our spiritual forebearers (and many of our brothers and sisters today in other parts of the world) actually experienced.
This “Bible Selfie” thing just happened to remind me of that absurdity. I remember when I was a teenager in the 90’s, and a big part of “Christian Youth Culture” in the 90s was trying to make Christianity “cool”. And it’s always been cringey and weird. Let’s stop trying to make Jesus “cool”, being a Christian isn’t “cool”. We don’t have to be joyless fuddy-duddies to follow Jesus, but this “Let’s make Christianity cool because that’ll help the cause of the Gospel” is tacky, cringey, and makes Christians seem entirely unserious. Let’s be honest, most people can usually tell when something is sincere or insincere; and whenever we try to do a “Christianity is cool, actually” as some kind of gimmick, people can tell it’s a gimmick, that it is insincere–it’s corporate branding and marketing. We live in a world saturated by Coca-Cola and McDonalds using “coolness” to market their brands, and when Christians try to present Christianity as Coca-Cola or McDonalds, it is off-putting and weird.
Maybe these videos are also blaphemous too, I haven’t seen enough of them. But it’s weird, and if people are doing this as yet another gimmick in a history of “Christianity is cool, actually” gimmicks, then people are going to see right through it anyway for the insincere gimmickry it is.
Preach the Gospel, love your neighbor, follow Jesus. Jesus doesn’t need PR and marketing. He wants you and me to follow Him seriously. Take Jesus seriously, take your neighbor seriously, don’t take yourself too seriously, and simply be a Christian. No gimmicks, no marketing. Just be a Christian.
