Wake Up, Look Up

Hello everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in today's episode, and to my wife's joy, we are talking about what can Hallmark movies teach us about God? This is based on an article I read in the New York Times by Amanda Hess. Looking at 25 years now of Hallmark movies being a smashing success, particularly at Christmas time. And like I said, I experienced this in my own home. You probably are familiar. You know, Hallmark Channel for the last 25 years has been creating basically the same movie, which, if you don't like it, is a criticism, and if you do like it, is the reason why you like it. Girls, meeting small, town guys who love Christmas. Love them. Wholesome movies, movies that remind you about love and faithfulness and family and commitment and the holidays. And people are increasingly year over year getting into them. In fact, it sparked a whole industry for Hallmark now, including cruises, immersive, experiences, live events, merchandise. People love Hallmark movies. and what's interesting about that in a very, kind of cynical and jaded culture is what's not in a Hallmark movie. Hallmark movies don't involve sex. They don't involve, drama any more than like, oops, he hurt her feelings. But don't worry, they'll make up. there's no betrayal, there are no love triangles. Hallmark just doesn't do that. They do simple stories. Guy and girl meet, fall in love, figure it out, and we leave them destined for what we know will be a wonderful life. In other words, Hallmark makes wholesome, family friendly movies about love, and people dig it. What's even more interesting is that Hallmark started as a Christian channel, kind of unabashedly rooted, at least in a Christian worldview of what's right, what's good, what's worth celebrating and what's not. In fact, that's the point I want to make. Look, I don't love Hallmark movies. My wife does. I've seen more than I care to admit. For that reason, I'm not here to defend them as an art form. Instead, I want to talk about why we love them so much. Because they're kind of everything our culture is not. Our culture is hyper sexualized. Hallmark movies are not. Our culture buys into reality TV and who. Who's cheating on who and who's with whom, and Hallmark movies don't do that. I think Hallmark movies are popular because they tap into something. Deep down, we have a longing for faithful marriages, we have a longing for genuine love, free of being over sexualized, free of all the drama. We just want to go back to a simpler understanding of, of love and relationships and commitment. You know, it makes me think of Proverbs 19:22, which says, what is desired in a man is steadfast love. we want to know someone loves us, they see us, they're committed to us, and that we're enough. Hallmark movies make the simple point that love is enough. It doesn't need a huge problem, it doesn't need a triangle, it doesn't need betrayal. It, in and of itself, it is beautiful enough. In fact, if you think about it, Hallmark movies in that way are akin to one book of the Bible in particular, Song of Solomon, A, book that celebrates the beauty of monogamous, covenantal, faithful love. The Bible has been saying for centuries that true happiness in romance is found in faithful marital commitment. And Hallmark movies are selling that to us one Christmas at a time. In fact, even for those of us that laugh at them or sneer at them as being a lesser form of art, I mean, it's true that they don't have the budget or the quality that bigger movies do, but. But one of the things when I read this article is I have to be honest. My cynicism about Hallmark movies says something about me too, is that I grew up in a culture that has made me crave drama, made me crave brokenness. But it's funny, because in my own marriage and in my own life, I much prefer the Hallmark version. What we like and what we don't is an indicator of what's going on in our hearts. I'm taking this as a sign that America is increasingly warming up to the biblical idea of love. Now, what must happen is that churches must get serious about telling them that the true, steadfast love they're looking for isn't necessarily found in a spouse. It's found in a God who loves them dearly. Hey, thanks for checking out. Wake Up, Look Up. For more content, be sure to visit the Christ Community Chapel app or website cccchapel.com.

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