Hollywood is a Foreign Land
When Israel was allowed into exile by the God they chose to disobey in their idolatry and other sins, God sent them a word through His prophet, Jeremiah. He told them: “Build houses and live in them: plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
They were told they would be in exile for 70 years. That’s a long time, at least two generations. The Lord, who promised them a land of their own, was telling them to not expect going to that home any time soon. Their God was telling them to settle in, to marry and make families among the people, and to seek out the success of the land for their own success. And of course, to pray for that city He had exiled them to.
It is not the same thing to say that we are exiled in Hollywood. Israel was carried away into exile. But many like me have chosen to come here, or some would even say they were called here.
It is not the same thing to say that we are exiled in Hollywood. Israel was carried away into exile. But many like me have chosen to come here, or some would even say they were called here. We came to be content creators because we understand the power of storytelling. And what better place to influence culture than the epicenter of where it is sent out to the rest of the world? But the Lord does not change, and His character is the same throughout all time and places. The Lord told His people in the same chapter of Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (vv11-13). Often misapplied to all Christians throughout all times and places, the Lord is clearly telling the specific people of Israel this message. However, God’s character is constant, and He is in some ways speaking to us in His Word about the type of God and Father He is to His people. And that does not change throughout all times and places.
Hollywood has its own language, culture, idols (think both statues and celebrities), and religion-of-sorts in the worldview that is embraced by mainstream entertainment.
Hollywood is a foreign land. It is a mission field like no other. I learned to think of it this way when I heard a presentation from Hollywood Prayer Network founder Karen Covell. Hollywood has its own language, culture, idols (think both statues and celebrities), and religion-of-sorts in the worldview that is embraced by mainstream entertainment. Though I don’t believe we can win the culture wars (the Bible is clear that this world will continue to descend into godless chaos until His coming), we are here to be salt and light. Salt is as much a preservative as it is a flavor, slowing down the decay of culture that would otherwise implode from its post-truth absurdity. And light, even the smallest flicker, reaches far in the darkest places. We can be a voice in the moral ambiguity of writers rooms, write screenplays with a gospel perspective, and, maybe most importantly, be Jesus to our coworkers on set and in the studios for those who may never otherwise encounter Him.
With no intention to rewrite Scripture, and again emphasizing that being exiled to Babylon as a punishment is not the same as going willingly into a new land where we feel called, we might try to think of the Jeremiah passage for ourselves like the following: Find an overpriced apartment in L.A. and live there; frequent local businesses and there invest your dollars and relationships. Raise your families in Hollywood as much as you can stand it, together with other like-minded families who love Me, and don’t move away without good cause as hard as it might be to bring up your children in a post-truth culture. If you spread out in numbers as salt and light throughout Hollywood, and pray for it, you will not only benefit the industry, but also you, My church, there and throughout the world.
If you spread out in numbers as salt and light throughout Hollywood, and pray for it, you will not only benefit the industry, but also you, My church, there and throughout the world.
The Lord exiled Israel as a punishment for them turning from their One True God. Perhaps we can see ourselves who are called, or just happen to be, in Hollywood as missionaries, trying to remind His people to turn back to their One True God.