Method Christianity

If you've ever taken a drama class - either in high school or college - or ever studied much about acting, you're probably familiar with what "method acting" is. In a nutshell, method acting is remaining in character AT ALL TIMES - even when cameras aren't rolling. Dustin Hoffman, Marlon Brando, & Daniel Day Lewis are amongst some of the more well-known method actors. The main reason behind doing this is that it allows the actor to better portray the character, because - in a sense - he/she has BECOME the person they're attempting to play. After awhile it just becomes natural to the actor - so much so that it becomes difficult to break character. When Jim Carrey filmed the movie "Man in the Moon," he stayed in his Andy Kaufman character during the whole filming period. Can you even imagine acting like somebody else for that long?

However, most actors tend to just turn off the character when the cameras stop rolling. - They go back to their normal lives and act however they want to act - and few see this side of them. I want to try and relate this to Christianity. Now, since we've taken on the role & responsibility of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, we are to act like one at all times. However, the tendency with many Christians is to "turn it on" when church is in session (or around church friends) and turn it off when the "cameras aren't rolling." Do you agree with this?

As Christians, we should be practicing the "method" technique. - Never turning it off. Everything we do, say, and think needs to reflect that of a Christian mindset - whether we're by ourselves or around others. Think about what Proverbs 23:7 says; "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Our hearts need to be in the right place - all the time. We can't just be acting when we walk in the doors of the church building and then be somebody different when we're by ourselves.

The word heart is used almost 1000 times in the bible. - It's obviously something that is extremely important to God. The actions we do, the things we say, the thoughts we have; they're all reflections of what is in our heart. We have to be strengthening it and protecting it from Satan. (James 5:8)

Most actors turn off their character when the cameras aren't rolling. But we're not actors - we're Christians and we have to make sure we don't step out of character.