The Golden Compass

I should begin this post by just saying I have not read the Golden Compass, nor the other books in the trilogy, but I do plan on seeing the movie when it comes out.

I want to encourage believers to wait a few minutes before jumping on the Anti-Golden Compass train. I know the author is a self-proclaimed atheist, and I also know that at the end of the 3rd book, the children kill God. I've heard the magistirium is supposed to represent the church. I've seen the groups on facebook calling believers to "not support the Golden Compass." I've heard the fuss. But let's think about this for a second.

Believers are called to engage the culture around them. The appropriate response to the movie the Golden Compass is NOT to "not support or watch it." Boycotting the Da Vinci Code was not the appropriate response when that movie came out either. As believers, we need to ask ourselves, "What good does it do to boycott these things and protest like we often do? Does it serve to advance the kingdom of God and let people know about Jesus?" Because advancing the kingdom of God and letting people know about the Gospel of Jesus should be our goal. If it is, boycotting is not the best way to go about this. We must be engaging the culture, watching these movies, reading this books, because we must know where people are coming from so we can then find ways to communicate the unchanging Gospel in a way the culture can understand and relate with.

This is nothing new. This is something ancient, just something I believe has been lost in the western church and simply needs to be rediscovered. Paul did this in Athens in Acts 17. He walked around the city, noticed their idols and gods, and found a way to communicate the unchanging Gospel in a a culture different from his own. He also showed he was familiar with the poets and philosophies of the culture of Athens by engaging in conversation with their stoics and philosophers, as well as quoting some of their owns texts.

Paul engaged the culture so he could communicate the Gospel in a way that connects with the culture. We are called to engage our culture in the same way. Movies and books such as the Da Vinci Code and the Golden Compass present believers with opportune times to engage culture and point people to Jesus. I pray God will raise up believers who recognize He has called them to this and instead of boycotting and protesting, rise to the occasion and engage people where they are at, pointing them to Jesus.