Far too often "Christian films" leave much to be desired when it comes to plot-lines and characterization. For some reason, those who make such films feel it necessary to "sugar-coat" the realities of life. The mysteries and complexities of our world are "smoothed over" to such a degree that the multi-dimensionality of the real world is all but obliterated.

You have to ask yourself though- what does this accomplish? If the world you portray is as much a fantasy land as is Lewis's, Narnia or Tolkien's, Middle Earth, then how is the story supposed to encourage or inspire the viewer? How is someone supposed to feel strengthened in his or her daily life when the world they live in bares such little resemblance to these fantasy worlds?

Please don't misunderstand me. This is not a critique of Christian fantasy fiction. Far from it. From my perspective, we could use far more of this stuff- provided it is good stuff. What I'm critiquing is those Christian stories and films that would have us believe that the simplistic, black and white worlds they portray, are actually supposed to represent the world we live in.

The bottom line is that life in our world is one full of mystery, full of apparent contradiction, full of paradox. In short, it is a world painted in shades of grey. To recreate the world in black and white does nothing more than provide an escape from the one we actually live in.

The secular industry feels no such need to simplify these real world complexities for the sake of "helping God look better". And, let's be honest, that's exactly what these Christian film-makers are trying to do. What the secular industry is often guilty of, is creating escapist art for another reason altogether: to titillate and appeal to humanity' lowest common denominators. And for certain, this tendency is just as frustrating as the errors made by the Christian film industry.

In the case of these unrealistic Christian films I speak of, the only real damage done is a waste of paper and a waste of film stock. Though I suppose you could also argue that credibility is another casualty. And that is certainly no small loss.

The secular film industry's lust for greed via whatever bottom-feeding material is necessary to meet this goal has far more real-world fall-out. Because, while it is a cliché of sorts, the adage that "you are what you consume", is certainly true. Our society at large suffers from a calloused conscience. And these bottom-feeder films have everything to do with this problem.

However, sometimes one comes across shining exceptions to this tendency. Because, as I mentioned earlier, the secular film industry feels no need to sugar-coat reality, it can sometimes produce exemplary films meant to reflect, and ultimately change for the better, the real world we all live in.

I recently saw a film that serves as a prime example of such an exception. Syriana is an award-winning film portraying the machinations of the oil industry. Rather than preaching at you, the film shows you the perspective of various interested parties: the oil consumers (we the people, who run our cars to and fro every day), the oil producers (the elite rulers of the Middle East), and the oil companies (the multinational brokers that bring this oil to market), among others.

If there is an underlying point to Syriana, it is that as consumers, when our only demand of our government and of the oil industry is cheap fuel, that we, in a way, endorse whatever shady means might be necessary in achieving those goals. As with the symbiotic nature of the environment, the oil industry- from producer to consumer, is an interconnected web. And everyone is implicated.

In a move that is almost unheard of amongst the "Christian film industry", Syriana doesn't tell you the answer- for, in reality, in this case, there is no ONE answer. Syriana simply helps the situation by casting light. Because, from there, by realizing we are involved in this interconnected web, it beckons us as individuals and as communities to examine the problem and become actively, personally- involved in the solution; or more accurately- the solutions.

The Christian film industry would do well to pay attention to shining examples like Syriana. For it is a well-known maxim amongst writers of fiction that if you choose to expect more from your audience, if you choose not to insult their intelligence by providing answers that are far to simplistic to be real, you actually bring about a much greater sense of personal ownership. And this sense of personal ownership helps to change the world. And when I say the world, I'm speaking of the 21st century one we actually live in, not of Narnia or Middle Earth.

Let's be real people. When it comes to talking about life in the real world, Jesus would expect nothing more; and certainly nothing less.

Even when it comes to discussing life under God, its okay to say that sometimes understanding God, humanity, evil, free will, etc... is complicated- with no simple, one-size fits all answers available. It's even permissable to say about some of life's complications: I don't know.

After all, faith is a journey, not a destination. And admitting this will give us more credibility, not less.