Seven Come Heaven

By Don Parker

Have there ever been any TV shows that portray the true Christian life?   We’ve had wholesome and moral shows like Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch and My Three Sons but, was Christianity involved in any of those shows?  Highway to Heaven and Touched by An Angel got closer.  They involved God and angels along with the moral lessons, but still no mention of the word Jesus (at least when I watched, which was often).  What about Seventh Heaven?  Was that a show that exposed to the world the way Christians live?   I say nes.  That’s not a typo.  I said nes, and I meant nes.  Perhaps by now you guessed that is combination of no and yes.  How can it be both answers?  Let’s examine the evidence – a wise thing to do when forming opinions.

Seventh Heaven took us behind the scenes with a pastor and his family.  We saw that clergy struggle with the same everyday issues that we all do.  Anger, frustration, financial problems, and child rebellion (need I go on) plagued the good Reverend Camden.  The point that a pastor is just like other men was very vividly portrayed.  However, I have to question whether this show actually was representative of the Christian life or more representative of the worldly life colored by Christianity.  How many times did you hear the name Jesus spoken, except to refer to the child in the manger?  Christians are taught in the Bible to pray to their Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus.  Prayers ending in that fashion are conspicuous by their absence in secular media presentations.  There are people who long to hear the name above all names uttered on the silver screen – where it’s not used as a curse word.

Seventh Heaven was a good show.  It will be missed (though hopefully the reruns will be on for a long time).  I want to see even better shows.  It is time for a series featuring Bible believing Christians.  In the past, television networks have created shows and then gone out looking for sponsors.  Why can’t sponsors approach a network and declare they want to sponsor a show that they’ve created?

Christian networks have started producing their own dramatic works to compete with the major networks.  TBN is advertising 7th Street Theater as the first weekly Christian dramatic series ever.  Check out the website at http://www.7thstreettheater.com.  This is a good step, but will it be preaching to the choir?   It airs Saturday nights at 11:00 PM EDT.  I will be checking it out and reporting on it here in the future.   I doubt many unbelievers will be tuning in, but it is good that Christians have something that they can watch to help them in their Christian walk and provide them with necessary diversion.   The show is now in its second season.  

About the Author:  Donald James Parker is a novelist and computer programmer who resides in Puyallup, Washington.  Check out his website at www.donaldjamesparker.com?tcp.

{mos_fb_discuss:30}