Learning from Jesus and GCB

ABC is airing a new show called GCB.  It is based on a book by Kim Gatlin entitled Good Christian B…… (I will refrain from finishing the last word but I’ll give you a hint – it ain’t “Belles.”)

Although at times the content can cause Christ followers to cringe, I think the show can also help us to reflect, to think, maybe even grow a little. 

The show is set in Dallas, Texas; the buckle of the Bible belt.  While some of the characters are portrayed as faithful – even fanatical – church goers, it is really clear that they live up to the “B” in the audacious title. 

Let me see if I can sum it up succinctly so that you will have a fairly clear picture, just in case you haven’t tuned in.  The GCB’s are hypocritical and judgmental.  They are able to slander and gossip and manipulate and condemn, all while shrouding their malicious intent is the guise of being “concerned Christians.”  They are greedy, ambitious, materialistic and shallow.  They use their church connections to further their business ambitions.  They seem uniquely gifted at rationalizing their own sin while pointing out the sins of others.  Sound familiar?

Except there is one character, a young mother of two who has to move back home to Dallas after her ponzi scheming husband dies in a car accident caused by frolicking with his mistress while behind the wheel.  This young woman, Amanda Vaughn (played by Leslie Bibb), is significantly different from the other suburbanite church goers.  Let me give you a couple quick examples.

First, unlike her fellow Christians, Amanda is ruthlessly honest with herself about her own sin.  She is a recovering alcoholic who works as a waitress at a “Hooters” type restaurant – owned, incidentally, by a corporation whose major stock holder is Cricket Caruth-Reily, one of the members of the church.  Cricket condemns Amanda for her choice of employer, but is totally oblivious to her own culpability as the owner.  It’s hilarious!

But before I laugh too much maybe I should reflect on how often I’m more like Cricket than Amanda.  If I’m honest I have to admit that I possess the uncanny ability to look past the log in my own eye in order to point out the speck of saw dust in someone else’s.  I can gossip about people who gossip, hate the haters, judge the judgmental and reign down righteous indignation on the self-righteous.  Maybe if we’re honest we all have to admit that we all have a little Cricket in us. 

Secondly, (and I promise I’m going to wrap this up in a minute – a typical preachery comment) while it is very apparent that almost every character believes in Jesus, it is equally apparent that Amanda is different.  She not only believes in Jesus, she believes Jesus.

Amanda believes that what Jesus said is actually true!

She believes, for example, the teachings of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapters five through seven; the Sermon on the Mount.  She believes that the poor in Spirit – those who are plagued by a sense of their own brokenness, the spiritual losers, the ones who don’t measure up, who fail again and again – are blessed.  Jesus said that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  She can be honest about her own sin because, unlike her friends, she believes what Jesus said about sinners; we are included. 

Here’s the pertinent question; do I actually believe Jesus?  Do I believe that what he said is true?

I could list a lot more examples but it would be too painful.  I could talk about what Jesus said about the use of violence, generosity, loving my enemies and hoarding money.  But I don’t think I can handle it. 

Maybe, just maybe, if you’re honest with yourself, you can’t handle it either.  At the risk of switching media analogies, maybe you and I epitomize what Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) said about Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) in the film A Few Good Men; we “can’t handle the truth!”

Maybe the next time we’re watching GCB or reading the Sermon on the Mount we can open up our hearts to a little more truth.  Maybe we can even be ruthlessly honest with ourselves.