Evangelism

"Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Those who come to me will never go hungry, and those who believe in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35 (NIV inclusified)

Many things in the media, caught my eye this week. But as a lover of world cinema, science fiction and action movies, I was particularly taken by a newspaper article captioned "God gets glitzy as Christians hit the silver screen". More so, as it was also deemed newsworthy for coverage on national television. It concerned the Anglican phenomenon – the Alpha Course, which according to the official web site "consists of a series of talks addressing key issues relating to the Christian faith" involving a light "get to know you supper" a talk on a particular topic followed by a small group discussion to "listen, learn, discuss and discover". The media interest was sparked by the departure from the more traditional means of religious adverting (notably tracts, billboards and posters on the sides of buses etc) to a deliberate policy to "pump up the volume" and target young non-church attenders. Described as "the first British cinema ad to give Christianity the shiny production values of a pop video" and allegedly at a cost of one million pounds, it will be aired in 2000 cinemas over a two week period, reaching a potential audience of 2.4 million people. As a fan of contemporary music and a watcher of music videos on MTV Base and MTV Dance I hope I have the opportunity to see it at the cinema and to assess it accordingly!

In a similar vein, a recently aired programme - "Godless Britain" - lamented the decline of religious observance in the traditional church and queried the need for more effective marketing strategies to halt the decline of the resulting social decay. As an antidote for godlessness and a prescription to cure falling church attendances, the presenter commissioned a public relations company to re-brand Christianity. The resulting posters and leaflets with catchy slogans, in a definitive black and white format, were considered apt for the task. However, it was agreed that re-branding a ‘Skoda’ (i.e. turning a very negative image into a "must have" icon) required a much more conceptualised and sustained campaign. And coincidentally, in today’s press there is an account of the proposed campaign by the Churches Advertising Network to feature Jesus through the imagery of "defiant portrayal" given iconic status by Che Guevara, the South American guerrilla fighter, and Moa Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) the Chinese leader a.k.a. Chairman Mao. (perhaps the Bible could be recoloured and marketed as the little black book…) The point being to use this "metaphor" to stress the revolutionary nature of the Christian message and to create a powerful perception of Jesus and to help dispel the idea that Jesus was a “wimp in a white nightie”. (i.e. a night-gown - for non U.K. readers)

As an occasional freelance market researcher, I am very familiar with the (pernicious?) significance of make-overs and the commercial importance of branding. I remember my horror and disbelief when I read an article suggesting that the popularity of a bath soap (sorry "moisturising beauty bar") was partially due to its brand name – Dove. I quote - "The astute choice of brand name evokes all the positive emotional registers of mildness, gentleness and peace. Moreover the Dove brand itself neatly dovetails into western Christian iconography as an emblem of the holy spirit which not only cleanses the body but also purifies the soul". There you go - branding works! So why not give Jesus an "extreme makeover" for a concerted ‘hard sell’ to rival breakfast cereals and motor cars. (Incidentally I wonder what ethnicity and cultural context, they will give him)

Whilst impervious to most advertising, I can understand why "the Church" feels it needs to adjust its strategies to target various consumer groups and sub-cultures in contemporary Britain . If I had the opportunity to re-brand Christianity I would jettison the image of it being a "band aid" - that is a religion mainly for those needing a "quick fix" to a pressing problem. And my Jesus would cease to be blonde, blue eyed and living with God in a William Blake illustration. But much more importantly, I would want my Jesus to enable me to be all that I can be; to realise my human potential, as an individual and as one living in community with others; locally, nationally and globally. To be able to love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul and with all one’s mind and to love one’s neighbour as oneself is a life long journey. I doubt my choice of soap, cereal or car measures up to my decision to go this route. But if it takes different images in the media, to ignite that initial spark of interest, in someone considering the journey – so be it.

Whether we see Jesus as God incarnate, the Messiah, a prophet filled with, or by the Holy Spirit of God, an enlightened teacher, a paten of human possibility or even a person of faith, and not of history, his life serves as an example of how one can live with integrity, in the presence of God, the Almighty and Higher Power.

"…let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of [their] need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it…take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost." - Revelation 12:17 (Ampl.)

May the Holy Spirit of God provide you with an image of Jesus that refreshes, supports and strengthens you, in your daily life.

Be enabled and blessed.

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