I am not so sure the church really knows much about these themes. We should if we are honest. Unfortunately I have seen little brokenness among those who have been Christians more than a few months. It seems that brokenness and telling about brokenness are part of the "taboo" subjects a Christian doesn't admit to or talk about. The church just is not a safe place for most people to admit to... sin. We can not get the church to "tell our story with the grace exhibited by these filmmakers" or to understand the "themes of redemption, hope, and healing" without a proper theology of brokenness. When we do maybe we will try to know our culture and share with them our stories. Thanks for the report

I think you need to formulate better questions about what you have learned to help others learn the same.
Question: Is it possible that many in the gay community are more gracious in their understanding of Evangelical Christians than we are towards them?
Answer: Yes and No This question is asking for someone to give their own personal stereotypical answer to what they "perceive". The answer will change with every opinion. What has been learned from this? I don't think anything is learned.

Question: Is the church prepared to really understand this type of brokenness and this amount of pain?
Answer: This is not so bad a question. My answer is no, not in it's current institutionalized form. God has designed a spiritual body to deal with these issues. Spiritual body life is marginalized to only a small percentage of saints and to a very small percentage of gathering time. Institutionalized gatherings are dominated by one-way communication and crowd oriented dynamics. Leaders model "expertise" primarily in this fashion. The saints are left weak, confused, and threatened by dealing with heart pain in this key area.

Question: And how willing are we to acknowledge our own role in much of that painful memory?
Answer: Is this question suggesting that we are the cause of this pain and these struggling folks are victims of our sinfulness? The question is not clear to me in the context. I don't think it's suggesting this but it sounds like it.

Question: The question is, do we know our culture well enough to tell our story with the grace exhibited by these filmmakers?
Answer: Are we assuming none of these filmmakers are believers? The Christian community is growing in it's ability in film-making. I don't see much growth in it's ability to see the tragedy of institutionalized faith which lures saints to not be IN "the world" when they are merely not to be OF it, thus leaving most believers uncomfortable with relationships IN the world.

I'm glad that David Swanson and team are there at Sundance - not papering the place with tracts like they're doing an old-school evangelistic "crusade" - but are there to listen, to learn, to repent.

To pray.

"the filmmakers...portrayed the motives and stories of the conservative Christians who lead the ex-gay ministry with tenderness and grace." You leave me confused. So did the homosexuals in the 12-step program find deliverance? Were the 'conservative Christians' leading these men astray? It's hard to tell where the story was going except for the fact that you imply with the rest of your commentary that the Christians are really the bad guys.

You state, "Is it possible that many in the gay community are more gracious in their understanding of Evangelical Christians than we are towards them?" Are YOU not understanding of homosexuals? Who is the 'WE' that you refer to?

Finally, you ask, "do we know our culture well enough to tell our story with the grace exhibited by these filmmakers?" The 'WE' (which includes me and other readers of this post) are required to accept that some filmmakers we do not know made a film we did not see (and which you gave us an extremely sketchy review of) are filled with far more grace than any of us could possibly be. I have two questions for you:

1. What does 'grace' mean?

2. What is 'our story'?

I think that if you cut through the bull and paralysis of analysis, what the reviewer is trying to tell many fellow Christians is that the bottom line is for us to love and to stop trying to change people to be what we think they should be. Also to stop judging them acting as though we have all of the answers. Let God do His work among people in the gay community. Let the works of the Spirit be made manifest and stop acting as though we Christians have all of the answers and that we know everything. God is the only one who knows all things not us and He can do what He darned well wants to do and in His own way too. I think we need to have just a little more humility here people.

Chad Allen (one of the main actors in "Save Me") is an amazing actor and an amazing man who has a heart of gold. He has approached this issue with tremendous kindness and love. I think that his involvement with this film reflects his passion for building bridges of love and knocking down defensive walls that separate people due to religious differences, etc. Chad's work in the film The End of the Spear is also a reflection of his love of God and of his fellow men and women. I have seen the image of Christ's countenance in Chad's smile and in his comitment to his faith. We have had enough wars over religion and faith. It's time for healing and for us to emphasize our Savior's Sermon on the Mount and to let the living Christ be the judge.

Thank you for this post. Thank you even more for approaching this festival with an open and inquisitive mind. I respect you for having a faith that is strong enough to encounter folks who are different. God bless you.

In response to the authors question "Is it possible that many in the gay community are more gracious in their understanding of Evangelical Christians than we are towards them?" In general I think we mostly tend to hear from only the loudest voices of the Evangelical movement and from the Gay community. I say this to help frame my response. I dont think the church hates gays as much as they are made to sound like they do. Further I am not convinced that many gay people hate evangelicals or the church universal as much as it is made out to be. Sure there are haters on both sides. But is my hope that we, as Christians, will learn to love and respond to people of homosexual life choices like we do any other non-believer that we meet on the street. Paul clearly states that many who came to faith through the ministry God gave to him were mixed up in many different kinds of sexually immorality and yet there is little he really says about other than immorality now has no place in the life of the believer.

We are all in need of reconciliation with God. Then comes the long road of learning to live like God always intended. God bless us all as we live like Christ

I agree with Mark. The media thrives on extremes. Personally in my family and friends, gays friends and family members are wrapped into our lives no differently. They share in our joy and pain, and we in theirs. We talk about politics, our faith, our fears, and our work in the same context as everyone else in our lives. My concern for their spiritual lives is exactly the same as any other-their relationship with Jesus.

As a gay man, I've got to say that I was impressed (and surprised) by the empathy and contrition evident in David Swanson's report. If his (and others like him) are the new voice of evangelical christianity then there just may be hope for reconciliation between the gay and evangelical communities.

As a heterosexual mother of five gay and straight adult children -- all Christian and all raised with weekly church attendance -- I'm deeply troubled and offended by Mark's reference to 'people of homosexual life choices being responded to like we do any other non-believer that we meet on the street.'

What on earth are 'homosexual life choices?' Are they different from 'heterosexual life choices?' Vocation ... which school to attend ... which house of worship to join ... falling in love ... *marrying* ...(ah, there's where the 'homosexual life choice' door is slammed shut against him or her and his or her beloved life partner). Gays and lesbians who have accepted Christ are as Christian as we straight folks are if we've accepted Christ, and this truth apparently needs shouting from the housetops.

There are surely millions of Christians who are gay, and no doubt millions of gays who are Christian. It's time to put the false picture of the 'poor gay non-believer needing rescuing by us Christians' to rest. Permanently.
Lois

Thanks for the comments folks. I’ve been running on a few hours of sleep and a bunch of caffeine the past few days and haven’t been able to keep up with this post and the comments like I wanted to. A few thoughts…

Dan J, I appreciate your thoughts about our hesitancy to talk about brokenness. One of the beautiful things about coming to Jesus is the acknowledgment of our brokenness. I know the times I preach and include stories about my own broken attempts at life, or invite others to share their own similar stories have been the times when the most folks have seemed to connect with the sermon.

Tim, thanks for the questions. I wish I’d been a bit more clear in my thoughts as I didn’t mean to be confusing. I guess the best I can say is that these are the questions that were rattling around my head walking out of the theatre. I hope your questions will help me communicate more clearly in the future. Thanks.

Thanks Michelle, I certainly am learning a lot. I keep thinking of my friends back home who I wish could be experiencing this with me. They’d be enjoying it as much as I am.

I’m not sure how to respond succinctly to your questions about “grace” and “story” Melody. I guess by “grace” I had in mind the way Evangelical Christians were treated in the film. As one who would fall in the Evangelical camp, I felt that the film dignified and respected my faith. Regarding “story” I have in mind the story of God’s redeeming work in the world through his Son.

I agree Ben, Chad Allen did a tremendous job in the film playing a very tough role. I have the sense that the desires you expressed in your comment would be agreed with by many who sat in that theatre with me.

I’m not sure about the strength of my faith Sarah, but I am thankful to be a part of a group of folks who are interested in seeing God work in surprising places. It’s no stretch to say that the Kingdom of God is alive and well at the Sundance Film Festival! Perhaps it’s a question of having eyes to see…

I couldn’t agree with Mark and Eugenia more about the loudest and most extreme voices being the ones we’re most familiar with. The past few days have encouraged me to listen more intently to the quieter voices.

Thanks for reading and commenting Ian D. I’m sorry for the reality that made you surprised by this post. I’m not sure what the future holds for “the reconciliation between the gay and evangelical communities” but I do look forward to more opportunities for conversation and relationship that give us a shot at that reconciliation.

Thanks again for the interest, I think that about covers it. I hope to post some more from Sundance soon…

Is it possible that many in the gay community are more gracious in their understanding of Evangelical Christians than we are towards them?

Of course. Many gay people grew up in evangelical Christian households and have evangelical parents, relatives and friends. This makes it difficult to think of evangelicals in one-dimensional terms. Many evangelical Christians - who have little or no emotionally intimate contact with gay people - have not moved beyond one dimensional images of what we are like.

Secondly, the biggest institution in the gay community is the Church - the Metropolitan Community Church, which has many evangelical/charismatic oriented congregations, mainline Christian parishes which have many ex-evangelical members and many independent gay-friendly but theologically conservative evangelical and pentecostal churches (like White Rock Community Church in Dallas, TX for example). So, and I know this is a surprise to some, many gay people self identify as evangelical Christians.

Speaking for myself, I attended an evangelical university, but left evangelicalism soon after for reasons that go beyond my sexuality. Yet I retain friendships with classmates from school and feel charitable about their intent, even if I believe their Biblical interpretation and actions are misguided. And they have grown in their understanding of what gay people are like and realise that alot of what they have been told about us by other evangelical Christians is, flat-out, wrong.

Sounds like a virtual revival broke out at Sundance! I was wondering if the reporter had an opportunity to see faith intersecting with film in "Hounddog" where a twelve year old is raped? The young girl is portrayed as an Elvis fan and we all know his gospel roots, so I'm sure if we look deep enough, there is something redemptive in this. Maybe a spiritual conversation about "Zoo" which premiered at Sundance would be a good spiritual intersection point. A movie about men and animals having sex could speak to our stewardship of being in harmony with God's creation. After all, many men of this sexual preference have painful issues from their past and have not been understood by old school evangelicals. If they believe in Christ, we should accept them as brothers--when it comes to sexual orientation, it's just the way God wired us up--it's not a choice. To quote David the reporter, "It’s no stretch to say that the Kingdom of God is alive and well at the Sundance Film Festival! Perhaps it’s a question of having eyes to see…" Sorry, I just don't see it.

All this would be accademic to me, except that once upon a time I found out a college roommate had been living a secret gay lifestyle all through our Christian college years. He later died of AIDS. The evangelical Christian community is capable of great love and compassion. However, it (we) will never come to the place of denying that homosexual behavior is a sin, any sooner than accepting fornication or adultery as legitimate. Of course there are Christians who are gay. There are Christians who are adulterers as well.

Jesus loved all sinners and said go and sin no more. I have often thought that Randy's death was a tragedy for those who knew him, but his choice to enter into and justify homosexual behavior was a far greater tragedy. This is the tragedy the "husband and wife who believe faith in Jesus is the only way these men will experience wholeness" and others like them are seeking to heal.

Dennis,
The very sarcasm with which you wrote your post is the very barrier to understanding being talked about on this blog by many. Do they speak of understanding by intimate visual knowledge of the sexual acts you mentioned in various movies? Of course not. It seems to me that sometimes we Christians grind the axe we want to grind, preach from the soapbox we store in the back of our own vehicle, instead of actually engaging in the conversation at hand.

Like it or not, Dennis, Jesus called us to the men and women portrayed in the films you mentioned just as he called others to you, others to me. Others found us, what are we doing to find them? And not in a "We've got to save them" calling, but in a mutuality as the created, as a building up and an inbreaking of the kingdom.

Belittling and oversimplifying. These are two traits you seem to be very good at. Thing is, I don't remember ever seeing Jesus do either one.

Jesus was quite pointed at times (divisive too). Hyperbole was employed by Him frequently to make a point. Please understand that my remarks were generated to increase dialogue, not stop it. Dialogue requires a counterpoint, does it not? And I wasn't seeing my antiquated view being represented. For sure, these thoughts aren't directed toward condemnation of homosexuals--who need Jesus just like all of us (especially a sinner such as I). I have held the hand of a dying AIDS patient and prayed for him. Our church has baptized several repentant lesbians. Just this week I spoke with a man struggling with homosexual sin--and I'll hug him without hesitation when I see him. Maybe that will provoke some discussion. Just pray for me--after all I am a work in progress!

Jesus was quite pointed at times (divisive too).

After being prayed for and healed from drugs and accepting Jesus Christ in my heart some 34 years ago ( by a male who later was found to have slept with another male in the church we all attended ), I was put into a God given tailspin and somewhat comatized for many years.

God always was and is faithful in His ability to make all things work to the good to them partaking of His Love, by His Faith, by His purpose.

I have found by His revealing, that many have come to perssue the christian dream ( myself included at one time ) rather than the living person God because it doesn't require counting everything as dung for the knowledge of Christ.

Marriage, abilities, gender, race, work, vacation, and children are all vechicles for promoting the Kingdom of God which is the expression of salvation. They are a means to an end not the end.

The couple that took me in some 28 years ago when I thought that I was on the verge of suicide had a qoute in a picture frame hanging in their living room that stated.
"I's not what you think of me that counts - It's what I think of you that counts" perhaps that can be described as the new creature's motto as they experience the life of God in them, as them.

I was also at Sundance and had the opportunity to see "Save Me" and to speak to Chad Allen afterwards. I felt the depiction of Christians was not at all fair. Just bc a Christian works in an ex gay ministry does not mean they are doing it for psychological reasons. (In the pic, the wife mourns the loss of her gay son who killed himself. It's implied she blames herself and so this is why she works so hard at converting gays, not bc she might feel led by God or have seen the pain first hand.) Christians don't say "Praise The Lord" at every pause in the conversation and some Christians even believe what they do for biblical reasons and can actually articulate them!! Chad Allen said they made the film to "bridge the divide and start a dialoque" so he wanted to portray evangelical Christians fairly. I asked him if he had any input from evangelical Christians in the script development stage(what most filmmakers do when writing about a group of people they aren't a member of) He said "I'm a christian" and I said "well okay with those you want to 'bridge the divide' with?" and he replied "no." For my tastes, that was obvious. And for the record, as a filmmaker myself, I'd never write and portray a homosexual story without some real life input...

I was also at Sundance. When I went into the premiere of Save Me I expected to come out beaten up by the whole experience because of my evangelical roots. Instead, I found a grace filled movie about journies towards healing for all involved. Am I at the point where I fully agree with all the conclusions in the movie? No. Does that even matter? I'm not sure it does.

I had a chance to speak with Chad as well. My questions were about his involvement with End of the Spear. He said that during that process he did get attacked by those who felt his lifestyle betrayed the memory of Steve Saint. But, he said more than that, he felt the love of those around him who spoke against the hate, saying "That is not us. That is not what Christ is about." He said Save Me could not have been made without End of The Spear, at least not in it's current form.

It seems that with this discussion the church most often takes two routes, condemnation or ignoring it. It's time to bring the conversation to the table with love, above all things love. We may not agree, but it is time for the wall between the two sides to come down. I am greatful to Chad Allen and the rest of those involved with Save Me because they are willing to stand on the wall and take bullets from both sides. Is it harder to come out as gay in a Christian community or Christian in a gay community? I'm not sure. Either way, it is not easy and I appreaciate their willingness to offer the gift of Save Me to both sides of the conversation.

Dennis, I would say to you that there was a sense of a spiritual revival there, at least for me. Have you seen Hound Dog or Zoo? Don't believe all the hype. By catagorizing those movies into unspiritual you could also say nothing good can be found in Schindler's List because of nudity. We can't learn from Crash because of swearing. I don't put either of these Sundance movies in the same catagories as the Oscar winners, but with Zoo the purpose was to try to look past these men's issues and see them as people. I can learn from this and apply these lessons to my spiritual life because seeing people as people is something I often miss.

For those interested, Dick Staub has a post that details some of the more impactful films that had spiritual threads running through them with his post that can be found at...

http://dickstaub.com/culturewatch.php?record_id=1099

I was also at Sundance and glad to meet David Swanson.

All I can say was that the level of spirituality in Park City was stunning. I wasn't ready for it, but it excites me now to know that God was working towards reconciliation. It excited me to see the spiritual questions these influential filmmakers are asking. And it excited me to feel the Spirit descend upon the room while the credits to Save Me rolled--truly a spirit of peace and love for all of those in the room during the (potentially combative) Q&A session.

Let's stay far away from pharisaical.