Do You Look Like a Christian?

Title: “The Wrath of Con”
TV show: Gossip Girl
Company: CW Television Network
Released: May 4, 2009
Location: Season 2, Episode 23: “The Wrath of Con” (18:58-20:36)
Target audience: High school youth
Cultural impact: Christian stereotypes portrayed

“Come on, G, don’t you miss Dior? Prada? Looking fabulous? I mean, for you,” Blair says with her usual air of snobbishness.

“Jesus loves me as I am,” Georgina replies almost with a tone of confidence.

“He would love you more with some styling.” Blair places a long pearly necklace around Georgina’s neck. You can see the slight longing behind her eyes as she gazes at how the jewelry looks on her slim figure in the mirror.

“Think of the fun you used to have pretending to be Sarah and Svetlana...slipping people roofies...outing them to their unsuspecting parents at dinner.” Blair attempts to remind Georgina of her past, assuming that somehow Georgina’s apparent religious beliefs aren’t strong enough to overcome the inward desire to return to those acts of mischief and spontaneity. Georgina fiddles with the necklace around her neck and looks at the floor. Then, she appears to shake off the thoughts that are beckoning her to go along with Blair’s plan. She regains composure and turns to face her challenger.

“Those things don’t call to me anymore, Blair. Look, I made a choice. I let go of the evil so I can find love and happiness with the good. I know it sounds dull, but it’s actually quite nurturing.” Georgina removes the necklace and hands it back to Blair. “Can’t you understand?”

“More than you know.” Blair’s lack of sincerity is obvious in her tone, though she continues with her act of kindness and gentleness.

“I gave up my old ways when I let Jesus take the wheel.”
“That is a Carrie Underwood song, not a life choice.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you if it goes against my beliefs.”
“But when you look at it, Jesus drove you here, right?”
“Actually, I believe his name was Jesús.”
“Not in the cab, in your country-western way of life. You said God would help you find a way to earn my forgiveness. And here it is.”
“So my amends would be to entrap Poppy Lifton...get the money back that she stole, and destroy her in the process?”
“Exactly. If you cut revenge out of the Bible there’s not even enough pages to make a pamphlet.”
“And they shall know I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance on them.”
“How’d you know my favorite passage?”

Does being a Christian mean you can’t have style or fashion sense? Because, if so, let me renounce my faith right now! ... Just kidding. But seriously, why do we have these silly conceptions of what a truly religious person is supposed to look like? Why can’t that person simply be “normal”? Why can’t that person look like you?

What do you think?

By: Heather¹

Notes

1. Heather was a student at the Focus Leadership Institute (FLI) this past fall semester and will be going back to finish up her schooling at Evangel University in Springfield, MO. We miss her already as she was an awesome intern for Axis in the FLI Practicum. Every semester, several FLI students are able to spend 96 hours as interns with AXiS and travel all around the country with us ministering to students.