Monday, January 29, 2018

My Grey's Anatomy Finale: Side Eye at April Kepner

I truly enjoy watching TV and movies. It's one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes it's a challenge for someone like me - someone who is not legalistic about what I will and won't watch, but who is also disinterested in crass, vulgar, gory things. There's enough of that to navigate through in real life, and I don't find it entertaining.

Also, as a Christ follower, it's important for me to be to be thoughtful about and considerate of the things I allow myself to see and hear. It's important to me to be protective of my heart, mind and spirit, and to model for my children how to do the same . . . so sometimes, I'm like, Miss me with that Game of Thrones. No judgment against those who like it. I think Winter is Coming is one of the bombest catch phrases of modern times, even though I have no idea what it means. From what I've heard and read about it, though, it's just not for me, and I'm good with that.

Sometimes, when I hear someone talking about how funny or good something is, I try it out. I like to know what's up, and I experience FOMO just like anyone else. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, and feel like that wasn't so bad . . . But more often than not, I just end up feeling uncomfortable, so I tend to not watch most R/TV-MA rated things. There was a period of time where I was able to watch a show I wouldn't typically watch through a service called VidAngel. The service allowed viewers to select the content we'd prefer not to see/hear, and that content was edited out. The service is in beta, though, and I got tired of waiting for episodes to load and missing seasons. Patience is not always in my wheelhouse.

I was troubled by last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. It's not like I haven't been exposed to Christians being made fun of and portrayed as silly, out of touch, judgmental, one-dimensional, unintelligent, etc. (i.e., Ned Flanders on the Simpsons, and a recent plot line of Superstore which focused on ridiculing one of the characters because she believed in angels). Some of those  who are followers of Christ in name only make it too easy to make fun of the Christian faith, and those of us who practice our faith in alignment with the teachings of Jesus are often collateral damage. I get it. Take the folks who claim to follow Christ who believe that it's not okay to read/watch Harry Potter because "it encourages witchcraft" but think it's fine to read/watch The Lord of the Rings although Gandalf is also a wizard. I find that type of hypocrisy maddening. I thoroughly enjoy both The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (I believe that J.K. Rowling was highly influenced by Tolkien - just look at the Nazgul and compare them to the Dementors). Those folks get on my nerves, too.

But there was something different about last Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy. I've been watching the show for years, and even binge watched it again over the Christmas break. April Kepner has never been my favorite character, but it was nice to have someone on the show who identified as Christian, even though she practices her faith differently than I do. There are not a lot of well-developed, observant Christian characters out there in TV land. But wow with this last episode! 😡

So basically April's character endured the loss of her child and the demise of her marriage with her faith tried, but ultimately, seemingly in tact, but when faced with a young man who had taken Matthew 5:30 a bit too literally, a 12-year-old Black boy who was the victim of an unjustified, lethal police shooting, a domestic abuser who died as a result of his own rage, and the death of her former fiance's wife, her faith crumbled. Really?

I guess the argument can be made that her faith was never quite deep to begin with. She mentions Job in her narration of the episode, but doesn't mirror his, ". . . though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" faith (Job 13:15). I guess someone with her transactional perspective on a relationship with God was bound to crash and burn (I do what I think to be good things, and God should give me what I want versus I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us [Romans 8:18]). But to misrepresent scripture, to misconstrue Jesus' quoting the words of David while on the cross, to say that the trials of Job were merely a bet between God and Satan as if God finds our suffering to be entertaining . . . that is not an accurate representation of the God I know. God who put on flesh and died one of the most awful deaths imaginable because of His deep, all-encompassing love for His children.

Notice I said the God I know . . . not the God I think I know. God is as real to me as any person. More real, actually, and I've been through some stuff. To see a relationship with God regularly treated with such callousness, disdain, and ridicule . . . It bothers me.

I have grown accustomed to not being truly seen, understood, not being valued, being thought of as naturally less intelligent, being made fun of, being minimized, etc. As a Black person in America. As a woman. And also as a Christ-follower. Thankfully, I don't find my worth in what people who don't really know me say about and think of me.

For Christ followers, the Bible is not "just stories." Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I live to worship the eternal Godhead - Father, Son and Spirit. The reality of their Triune relationship gives me life, purpose and irrepressible joy! I just wish that people who want to make statements and/or share opinions about the Christian faith would really take the time to understand The Bible for themselves, or spend time really listening to mature Christians without forming opinions based on what someone else says or thinks . . . and definitely not cracking jokes about the Christian faith based on the foolishness, ignorance, and misrepresentation of some who claim the name evangelical without truly embodying the meaning. Folks don't have to agree with or adopt the same beliefs, but disrespecting what people believe is not okay.

I'm sure the entertainment industry will continue ignorantly hating on the sacred text and beliefs of Christ followers. Whatever. I'm done with giving my time and attention to something as it disrespects something that means everything to me. So long, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. I'm all set. That minstrel Christian stereotypical representation is fake news. But when I think about Jesus . . . My soul cries Hallelujah!!! Don't get me started, Yall! 😉