Who is your audience?

I watched the worst movie of my life on Tuesday. It was called Step-Brothers and despite the big names in the show, it fell flat. I almost couldn't watch it. Yet I was fooled into thinking it might get better.

I fell in love with Will Ferrell when my daughter, Rachel, and I went to see Elf in the movie theaters a few years ago. Ferrell was so big and lovable that I thought he was a can't miss star. I never saw him on Saturday Night Live so this was my first exposure to his comedy. Yet I have to admit that none of the movies he has made since have really sparked my interest. The trailers look funny but from Kicking and Screaming, to Talledega Nights to this one, I have watched the DVD's and each time came away disappointed.

What's worse is the fact that I noticed Ferrell either produces, writes or is intimately involved with the production of most of these shows. So it isn't simply that he is making bad choices. They seem to be conscious choices that represent his type of humor.

What's sad is that young boys and girls see some of the humorous clips of him from these movies and want to see more. Yet the movies are not appropriate for them. Step-Brothers was rated R. I was embarrassed when my twenty year old daughter wanted to watch the movie.

It got me thinking about what I say and do and how it reflects on who I am. I can be pretty silly and sometimes I joke around with my friends. I remember an afternoon when I was kidding with one of my best friends about something. He had just started coming to church and I was so happy. We had reconnected and we were having a good time. But my joking around hit him the wrong way. Afterwards he told me that he could not go to church with someone who believed what I said.

Now I have to tell you I was just kidding around, but it made a deep impression on him. It colored what he thought about me. The same is true for all of us. We have an image that we project. When we belong to Christ, it isn't the image of perfection, but it should be the image of a compassionate lover of God and neighbor. When we put others down and show signs of bigotry, hatred and mean spirited behavior, it leaves its mark on the people who see us.

It's not fair to think that we have to be "perfect" all the time... and I'm not talking about pretending to be something you are not. We are called to be more like Christ. To be a Christian means that day by day we grow more like him in our attitudes and actions. As we spend time with Jesus, we begin to reflect him in all we do.

So that's my goal. I know I will mess up once in a while but I hope when people look at my body of work they will see something that inspires them. I hope they will see God's love. May the same be said for you as well.

Cal