There is a project called Battlefield Hollywood by Little Light Ministries, I believe created by and hosted by Scott Meyer who once aspired to be an actor in Hollywood. The project sets out to expose the satanic influence that exists in Hollywood. I do agree with much of Meyer’s premise that there is an overwhelming amount of movies that come out of the Hollywood industry that carry an anti-Christ message. And I do believe that there are individuals in Hollywood who are directly working a satanic agenda, and that there are others who are indirectly working a satanic agenda by virtue of the fact that they support anti-Christian values. Nevertheless this is not a review of Battlefield Hollywood but a rebuke of ministries that function as warring factions.

Let me tie it all together. I mistakenly ran into a video on youtube of Meyer taking questions from his audience. The video was labeled “Battlefield Hollywood part 9”, and it starts with Meyer asking the audience if they had any other questions. I didn’t watch parts 1 – 8, because I had seen the presentation before and was interested in this question/ answer period. It happens that someone from the audience asks Meyer what he thought about the SONScreen film festival. For those who don’t know, the SONScreen film festival is an Adventist run film festival out in Simi Valley California.

Meyer precedes to go on what I felt was an unfair attack of SONScreen. Yes, he chose his words carefully and magnanimously stated his point of view in an almost apologetic tone, but the result was, at the end of the day, a potentially powerful ministry attacking another potentially powerful ministry.

I don’t understand why we do that, it doesn’t bolster our sales. The only purpose that it appears to serve is to make the one commenting seem more righteous than the one being commented about. Ministries are not competing for an audience like Coke and Pepsi, or at least they shouldn’t be. There is absolutely no reason to publically tear apart another ministry, because you do not know what God has called that ministry to do. You have no idea who God has decided that that ministry will reach and ultimately save.

There are over 6 billion people on the planet; do we expect that we are going to reach them using one method? I hear people say that it’s possible, but I have yet to see that in action. I have yet to see someone like Scoot Meyer go to a place like Cabrini Green, Chicago (which doesn’t exist anymore) and tell them folks that Jesus loves them.

I don’t know Meyer, maybe he does go into hardcore neighborhoods and preach the gospel, but the point still remains, as a body, we spend too much time complaining about what other folks are doing. We complain about the Education department, we complain about Youth department, we complain about the Media Center… everyone always feel like they can do it better. I suppose complaining is a flaw that is embedded in human character, but should we do it publically?

When we do it publically it facilitates the battle between ministries, and we unintentionally create factions. After hearing Meyer’s comments, there will be those who will walk away and say to others, “stay away from SONScreen because I heard those people are not spiritual and they all just want to go to Hollywood to make movies for the devil.” And I know for a fact that that result is not Meyer’s intention because he specifically instructed the audience not to walk away making comments like that. Now, let’s all hope they follow his instructions (tongue-in-cheek).

And still I’m struggling with the question, why do we battle one another? I suppose part of the reason is because we believe we can read the intent of someone’s heart based on what we believe we see on the outside. Part of it is because we believe if someone doesn’t dress like us, speak like us, listen to our kind of music, go to our kinds of places, then they are not fit for the kingdom. Part of it is because we don’t have patience with someone we perceive as less spiritual then ourselves. Part of it is because we have a need to be more righteous than our fellows.

I don’t know what Meyer saw at SONScreen, perhaps they were bowing down to idols. Perhaps there was a statue to Zeus erected in the lobby of the festival. Perhaps Jay-Z performed and threw up the sign of Baphomet? Maybe folks were passing around marijuana cigarettes and betting on horses. I don’t know what disturbed him so bad about SONScreen and I don’t know what he was hoping to see, but I do know who was there. Young people who God is very interested in saving. Scott Meyer was once a young person enamored with the illusion of Hollywood and the Spirit of God was able to save him out that circumstance. That same Spirit is alive and well and will work on the folks at SONScreen. That’s assuming that Meyer is correct in his assessment of the folks at SONScreen.

If it is true that these young people were emulating Hollywood it’s probably because there are such few Christian filmmakers out there to look up to. And why do you suppose that is the case? Perhaps there are no Christian filmmakers because of the lack support in certain Christian circles.

I hope that that attitude is changing. I believe it is changing, my last film, Between Father and Son, was so well received by most, and there is so much anticipation for the next one.

And please understand that I didn’t write this blog to criticize Battlefield Hollywood or Scott Meyer. I wrote it for two reasons, 1) to defend Christian filmmaking, and 2) to ask us all, especially us in ministry, to be careful not to create factions in the body of Christ through our propensity to complain about others. I wouldn’t want that on my record…

Blessings…

Sidebar: I fully endorse Battlefield Hollywood, I believe it is required viewing for every AYS program, or it should at least be viewed and discussed with church members. It will open your eyes to a lot of things that we should be aware of as Christians.

Here's Meyer's video referenced in this blog...