“Why bother?” “What’s the point?” “Huh?”
Those are some of the responses I’ve
received over the last few weeks as I’ve shared my intention to preach a series
on the Da Vinci Code. I would guess that most of you here this morning
have not read the Da Vinci Code. Is that the case?
How many here have read the book?
How many intend to go see the movie?
The first thing that I want to say is that
I am not recommending that you read the book, or go see the movie. Neither am I
suggesting that you shouldn’t read the book or see the movie. Although I might
suggest that if you are going to read the book, you might want to borrow
it from someone else. Dan Brown has made more than enough money off it
already.
So, if my aim in running this series is not
to get you into bookstores and movie theatres, nor to get you picketing them,
why am I talking about this book?
[Let me tell you a story.
As I said, I’ve been planning on preaching
this series for a while, so, two weeks ago, I was re-reading Dan Brown’s book
so I could reacquaint myself with the issues involved. I also had to go to the
dentist to get my teeth cleaned, so I took the book along because you never
know how long you’ll have to wait in those places.
After my appointment I was standing at the
counter paying my bill when two of the staff came by, young women. They saw the
book and started raving about it. “Isn’t that a great book?” “Isn’t it
awesome?” “Do you like it?” Boy, were they enthusiastic about the book!
After they had left – they just breezed in
and breezed out – the lady behind the counter asked me in a subdued voice,
“What do you think of the book, from a “liturgical” point of view.” (She
knows I’m a pastor and I think she’s actually Catholic.) I made a couple of
comments and then she said this, “I’m not sure I should read it because I’ve
been told it goes against everything I’ve been taught.”]
That story captures in a nutshell why I am
preaching on this topic. A book that talks about things that are near and dear
to Christians of all types has become a worldwide bestseller.
(How much of a Bestseller? Since it was
published in 2003, The Da Vinci Code has been translated
into 44 languages and has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. It's
estimated that almost one third of all the people in North America have read
it, and it’s been on The New York Times Best Sellers List for
more than 150 weeks straight.)
Some people are really enthusiastic about
it – mainly those who would not describe themselves as believing Christians.
Others, like the lady at the dentist, are almost afraid to mention it in public
because they don’t want to be branded as close-minded Christians for not
reading the book or agreeing with it. (Of course, like any good conspiracy
story, The Da Vinci Code manages to cast anybody who questions the theory as
part of the conspiracy. “You don’t agree? Well, that’s because you’re part of
the church and the church is at the heart of the cover up.”)
So why bother responding to the Da Vinci
Code?
We should respond because this book has
started a conversation in our culture around questions like, “Can we trust the
Bible?” “Who did Jesus think he was?” and “What is the place of women in
spirituality?” These are important questions, questions we would normally have
a terrible time getting people to talk about, and here they are, front and
centre in the minds of a large chunk of the population. It isn’t even necessary
to read the book to deal with the issues it raises, because these are public
issues. It isn’t like Dan Brown is the first person to write about them. He’s
just the first person to include them in a novel rather than in an academic
book.
Another reason I’m preaching on this topic
is because it gives us a wonderful opportunity to apply some of the things we
learned in the “Song in the Borderland” series.
Remember what a Borderland is? It’s a place
where ideas and values collide. Here is a Borderland, right in our laps - a
collision of ideas.
Last summer the National Geographic Channel
in Canada ran a one day special on the Da Vinci Code. Before they ran it they
took a survey to see how people were responding to the book. 34% of
those who read the book believed the things it said about the Bible, Jesus,
Mary and the church were all true, as opposed to what the Bible says about
them.
But most of all, I’m preaching on the Da
Vinci Code because it isn’t “just a story.” Dan Brown tries to have his cake
and eat it too. He says that the book is fiction, “just a made up story,” but
he also claims that all his research is true and that he actually believes the
things his characters say in the book.
He goes so far as to include a page at the very beginning that begins with the word “Fact” and lists what he calls “facts.” It’s actually a series of blanket statements about something called the Priory of Sion, which he claims included a number of famous people, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo and Leonardo da Vinci; about Opus Dei, which he describes as having “been the topic of recent controversy”; and then a catch-all statement—“All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Although the statement is pretty vague the intention is clear. We are to trust him and accept what he says as the factual truth, even if it is presented in novel form.
When a book makes claims like this and
sells millions of copies, it ceases to be “just a story.”
Who has heard of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin?”
What was it about? (Slavery in the south –
helped fuel the push for the abolition of slavery. Just a story? It changed the
face of the United States.)
What about “Black Beauty?”
It led to significant changes in the way
that horses were treated in Victorian England and helped the growth of the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
And Charles Dicken’s books “A Christmas
Carol” and “The Chimes” shocked England with their portrayal of the kind of
poverty that existed there and they helped fuel social reform.
These are all “made up stories,” but they
changed the way that people thought and behaved.
Even more to the point, the finest teacher
that ever walked the earth taught with stories. That’s what parables are, “made
up stories” that clearly intend to make you change your mind about something
and live differently. Jesus was a masterful teacher and he knew that when you
hear a well told story you enter into it and become part of it yourself.
Dan Brown is not a great writer, but
he does know how to write a best seller and he is a decent story teller. I
won’t tell you the plot of the story, except that it starts with a murder and
that the story follows the main character as he tries to prove his innocence.
Brown draws you into his story so you want the hero and heroine to
succeed and find the proof of their innocence.
In my opinion the last third of the book is
the best because in the first 2/3 the action often stops Browns main characters
spend pages giving what amounts to lectures on his alternative views of the
Bible, Jesus and the church. These are the things that we, as Christians, need
to be prepared to respond to.
So how should we respond?
The reading we had earlier was from Acts
chapter 4 where Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin. That event is a
model for how we should engage with people about Jesus. I think Peter had these
kinds of situations in mind when he wrote in 1 Peter 3:15,16:
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping
a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good
behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
He says…
We don’t engage in discussions with others
about Jesus, the Bible, or anything else so we can win arguments.
We don’t do it to show off how smart we
are.
We don’t do it to prove we’re right and
they’re wrong.
That’s not the point.
We take part in the conversation because
Jesus Christ is Lord of our hearts.
[Story of meeting with an Afghan and the
question, “Why do you do this?” Because Jesus said…]
Our motive for taking part in this
conversation is because Jesus is our Lord.
Kids in the school yard understand this. If
you’re in a group of kids who start slagging your friend and you don’t speak up
and defend them, then you’re not much of a friend. If we call Jesus our Lord we
need to be willing to be known as his.
You may be afraid that you’ll lose an
argument. Winning or losing isn’t the point. The point is that we speak up for
the one we love and who loves us and gave himself for us.
So, once we have our motives right, Peter
says…
There are three things here and I’m briefly
going to take them in reverse order.
I conducted Bill Turner’s funeral last
week. It is always much easier to conduct the funeral of a believer that you
know has put their hope in Jesus. They’re sad, but also joyful affairs.
We have hope, “a confident expectation of
good,” for the future because of Jesus.
This why we can get involved in the
conversation and give an answer. The Greek word for “answer” is apologia.
It’s where we get the English word “apology,” and this whole area of debate
with others about our faith is called “apologetics.” That doesn’t mean that
we’re apologizing for being Christians. It simply means that we are answering
challenges and accusations that others make concerning our faith.
When I was in the dentist’s office I was
taken a bit by surprise when those two women raved about the Da Vinci Code and
I mumbled something or other. I wasn’t prepared, and that’s what Peter
says, to be prepared. Next time that situation comes up I think I would ask a
question, “What did you find good about the book?” (Marilyn, my wonderful
counsellor wife, is teaching me how to get better at asking open ended questions.)
Over the next three weeks we will look at
the major challenges that Dan Brown brings to our Christian faith and,
hopefully, we will be better prepared to answer them in conversation with our
friends and family. That way we will be less likely to freeze or clam up when
the issue is raised.
[That is why firemen practice so much, so
that when the crisis comes they know what to do. Discussing things like The
Da Vinci Code isn’t life threatening but it can be a bit scarey. Being
prepared reduces the fear factor.]
So we’ve dealt with why we should
get involved in this conversation (our motives) – because Jesus is our Lord.
And we’ve dealt with what we should do – be prepared to give an answer.
Now we’ll deal with how we do that. Peter says…
[When I was younger there were two
Christian scholars who were famous for debating non-Christians. John Warwick
Montgomery has a mind like a razor and can think and talk rings round most
people. He has multiple degrees, speaks multiple languages and is both a
theologian and lawyer. Unfortunately, he demolishes his opponents so well that,
although he may win the argument, the audience often sides with his opponent
out of sympathy.
Francis Schaeffer, on the other hand, even
though he was every bit as good at arguing as Montgomery, often won over the
audience by his gracious and gentle approach. I have books by both on my
bookshelf, but if I wanted to sit down and have a conversation I would choose
Francis Schaeffer over Montgomery any day.]
When he stood before the elders in Acts 4
Peter respected them – he addressed them as “rulers and elders of the people.”
It does no good to call people names or to suggest they have evil motives for
what they say or do.
I have included a pamphlet about the Da
Vinci Code in the bulletin, not only because I want to give you some resources
in terms of the issues the book raises, but because it models a gracious and
respectful way of engaging those issues.
And the purpose of all this Peter says is…
… so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
It is unfortunate, but many people will
read the Da Vinci Code and come to the conclusion that Christians are
narrow-minded, nasty people who want to cover up the truth so they can control
other people’s lives. That accusation needs to be responded to.
[There was a writer by the name of James Michener
who wrote a number of historical novels. “Tales of the South Pacific” became
the basis for the musical “South Pacific.” His novel “Hawaii” was made into a
movie in the sixties. It portrayed missionaries as arrogant, racist and
power-hungry destroyers of culture. Missionaries have been dealing with the
fallout from that one ever since.
When I was doing my undergraduate degree in
Anthropology at Mac I met a young man who was doing his PhD on Tonga, another
South Pacific island. Even though he was a scholar, he had gone out with the
standard view derived from books like Hawaii, that missionaries were destroyers
of culture. He came back from his field research with the realisation that that
simply wasn’t true, and a little ashamed that, as a scholar, he had just
believed a novelist’s ideas.]
Our goal is not to shame people, but to
help them understand that Dan Brown’s pictures of the church, of Jesus, of the
Bible are simply not true.
Over the next three weeks we will be
looking at the three main questions that Dan Brown’s book raises; “Who was
Jesus?”, “How did the New Testament come into existence?”, And we’ll begin next
week with, “Who was Mary Magdalene and what is the place of women in the
church?” These are great questions and they deserve answers. Over the next
three weeks, in the messages, and in the talk-back sessions afterwards, we’ll
seek to come up with some good answers.