I'll set the scene for you. Finn (lead guy) makes a grilled sandwich, and it burns and makes the face of Jesus on the side of the sandwich. Finn is amazed that He has seen the face of God, and begins to pray and asks this sandwich for three things:
1. To win the first game of the season
2. To get to second base with his girlfriend
3. To become the quarterback
All these things happen.
He wants to praise Jesus in Glee club by singing songs, and celebrating Jesus. A few characters are all for it, the Catholic cheerleader, Quinn... spiritual Tina (I have no idea what denomination)...Jewish Rachel and Mercedes, a girl who attends a local black church (I have to describe it in this way, as the programme depicts it as the stereotypical black church - gospel choir, dancing around etc). Some are not against it, but would rather not sing spiritual songs, so Jewish ladies man who has bedded most of the girls at the school, Puck. And there is one character who is completely set against it, Kurt, who is the only openly gay person at his school.
Kurt's dad has a heart attack...which makes him even more set against the idea that there is a God. And Sue (the cheerleading coach) whose sister has Downs Syndrome, and does not believe that a loving God would have her sister made in this way.
And the show continues...
Kurt's opinion is that 'God is a Santa Claus for adults', and how you can''t prove there is a God. And he says that you can't prove that a weird alien thing that could live on the dark side of the moon who shoots lightning bolts out of his boobs...but it's pretty unrealistic. Yes, Kurt. You are right in thinking the weird alien thing is unrealistic. However, you can't deny that there is God by just looking for the thing itself - God is a supernatural being...we can't see Him but we can see His creation and God's fingerprints are in the wonderful creation in which we can say day after day after day.
He continues to say that the church do not look too kindly on 'gays, and women, and science'. Another misconception. As Christians we want to serve God, and live by Jesus' example by being loving to everyone and hating the sin, loving the sinner. So the church not looking too kindly on gay people isn't true, the Bible speaks of homosexual relationships being unnatural...but this isn't a rule to spoil the fun for those who want a relationship with the same sex, but it's for our wellbeing. God *protects* us by saying these things as well as providing humans with the ultimate pleasure...keeping sex within marriage is the height of pleasure, and is the best when between a married man and a woman. STDs would not have spread so amazingly fast if sex was kept within marriage and you keep your sex life with that one person...this is a clear sign that God is trying to protect us and provide us with this gift of sex...and it's up to us to decide whether or not we go along with it. And the thing about women and science is untrue too...yes, women are different - we are made differently to men, and it is not just a matter of different body parts. Women are wired differently, and can cope with different situations better than that of a man. But a man can cope differently than a woman can...this is not a bad thing that we are wired differently because we're all equal! And Christians believe science...where would we be without it? Science, without going into much detail, is helpful...but it is constantly changing with the times...God never changes.
Sue explains that when she was little, she prayed really really hard that God would cure her sister of Downs. And she concluded that it wasn't that she wasn't praying hard enough, but because no one was listening. If you pray, God always listens, and always answers...Yes, No, or Not Yet. We have to be praying for God's will to come, and if it is in His plan...it will happen. God can do the impossible - He created everything from speaking...nothing is impossible with Him. However, God works within the realms of reality for us...He defied reality and logic when Jesus performed miracles and ultimately died and rose again! Jesus didn't die, rise again and die again...but he rose again and is still alive in Heaven! We have been given the Bible, which is the word of God. Nature and reality were bent as Jesus performed miracles before people's very eyes, and yet they still did not believe - it would be the same today...therefore, God can cure people and has done...but does not perform signs for people who want them, as if He did, people would still reject Him as they always have.
She goes onto say that it is not very Christian or very nice to tell good, honest, open hearted people that they're going to Hell. This is under the view that we're all worthy enough to be let into Heaven...not the view that we're being given the chance of being rescued as none of us are worthy enough to be saved. Every single one of us has told a lie, guaranteed...every single one of us has had hateful, lustful, envious, proud thoughts - and one blemish makes imperfect. We are all born sinners, and we have a heart default to reject God and to be sinful. Doing these good works, being a nice person, would be giving the impression that doing good things can earn our way into Heaven...but we're sinful...and we have to be held accountable, and the punishment for rejecting God and rebelling against Him is death. God will judge everybody, He is a just God and will hold everyone to account for their sins. But God is also a loving God, and sent His only Son to Earth to live as a man, who committed no sin...and was the perfect atoning sacrifice. Only a perfect sacrifice could be used to pay for us, and Jesus paid our price on the cross. He took our sins, and took them on his shoulders. He paid the ultimate price and died, but he rose again three days later defeating death. And we have this amazing chance to come to Him, who has authority over everything...even death!! He offers us new life, freely...and everyone can come to Him...and we don't have to earn our way into Heaven as Jesus has restored our relationship with God...we can't do anything to earn or buy our way into Heaven as we're still sinful people - but saved by the grace of God!
It was interesting for Emma, the guidance counsellor to step in and to almost set things straight...not using the gospel, unfortunately, but certainly giving people things to think about. She tells Finn that it wasn't God who made his team win their game, it wasn't God who allowed him to touch his girlfriend's boobs but that it was his girlfriend, and that it was the brute of a footballer who dislocated the original quarterback's shoulder, which resulted in the giving the position to Finn. She says that God works in mysterious ways, in ways that we cannot imagine -and this is true...but that God does not just give us everything we ask for. This is true - God has a sovereign plan, which is the best plan for us all - and we have to pray that His will would be done. We may bring our requests to God, but again, He'll answer us yes, no or not yet - and if it is in His plan, it will happen. She tells Finn that these big questions are big because they're hard - and yes they are - and that everyone has to deal with them. Very true.
Finally, Sue meets up with her sister and tells her why she doesn't believe in God. Her reason is that as a girl she saw her sister as perfect, and that she grew up watching the world be cruel to her. This is not an indicator of God being absent, but that sin is very much present. Downs is a mutation of the genes, and the cruelty of people is the sin in people's hearts. Her sister comes back with one sentence, 'God never makes mistakes.' - this was very profound for Glee. God never makes mistakes, and you are perfect to God...no matter what you look like. I heard a similar experience when my sister and I were discussing this topic a few years ago, my sister was born with a cleft lip and palate, and despite this, she is still perfect in God's eyes. And, this part in Glee really struck me as it reminded me of that conversation with my sister, and reminded me that we are perfect in God's eyes no matter how we look, or what conditions we have...as one day, we will have perfect Heavenly bodies without blemish. And Sue's sister just ends the scene asking Sue if she would like praying for, and Sue humbly accepts. It's just a wonderful scene.
Oh, and the final final song of it is called, 'If God Was One of Us'. Here's the first verse and pre chorus...
If God had a name, what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question
And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
What questions, hey? If God were in the room with us physically, would we say a prayer to Him or would we talk to Him?
Anyway, these are my thoughts on today's Glee. Despite the 'Oh no, how is this going to play out' beginning...it ended up being quite a thought provoking episode. If you want to have a conversation with a non-Christian friend who watches Glee...watch this episode, it's a pretty good conversation starter!
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