Pricilia Shrier challenged followers on her blog today to pipe in their thoughts on the new Julia Roberts movie, “Eat, Pray, Love.” Christianity Today Blog, Her.meneutics, also recently posted on the controversial topic of this recent phenomenon. I’ve been curious to know what the Chrisian circles thought about it, and when or if a discussion might arise…seems like things have been mildly quiet.
~~ So I purchased the book about a month ago after all the buzz and the enticing trailers of my favorite actress riding a bike in blissful abandonment through a foreign city. I thought “Oh, yes, this is definitely going to be my next book to movie experience!” I sent out a few social messages asking for people to join my little reading adventure, with no avail. I asked a few ladies at church if they had read it and received a few raised eyebrows. But no one really warned me regarding what I was about to experience.
Because of my deep love for all things travel, I shrugged off the slight mention, and paid my $15 at Barnes and Noble, in hopes of rekindling the flames of my own world ventures. It only took reading this daunting paragraph on page 14 to have more than my eyebrows raised by by Elizabeth Gilbert’s tale:
“Culturally, though not theologically, I’m a Christian. I was born a Protestant of the white Angle-Saxon persuasion. And while I do love that great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can’t swallow the one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christ is the ‘only’ path to God. Strictly speaking, then, I cannot call myself a Christian. Most of the Christians I know accept my feelings on this with grace and open mindedness. Then again, most of the Christians i know don’ speak very strictly. To those who do speak (and think) strictly, all I can do here is offer my regrets for any hurt feelings and now excuse myself from their business.”
Yes, you read that right. Those words are enough for an entire library of discussion for me. I continued reading, all the way to page 21 with paragraphs that are steeped in her humanistic search for peace. I don’t know how this tale will end or even if I will find out. But I know what I feel in my heart. Its not as she assumes here “hurt feelings” but rather a chilling sadness – over a world that is drowning without the Truth. They are lost with out the knowledge of Jesus, the real Way, Truth, and Life. Searching in all the wrong places, misguided and failed by an empty religion.
The fact that she says she has Christian friends who are not “strict” enough to share the truth with her, just motivates me to the core to promote the real Jesus, “not just the form of Him” into my lost world.
I’ve also read in several news articles recently that Julia Roberts converted to Hinduism while filming this movie. An article that is not really shaking us up at all, because its message is not new to us any longer with so many stars turning to cults and universalistic teaching. Again, my heart is sad.
Words are Powerful indeed!! The written word, even more entangling. If we as real Christian women are filling our minds with false teaching, how will we ever be able to keep our minds, and ultimately our hearts clear with the Truth.
I believe this book, “Eat Pray Love” is more than a book, it’s more than a movie, or a simple feel good experience. It’s sneaky trickery masked in romantic notions, to diverge our eyes from the REAL GOSPEL of Salvation in John 14:6 that “No one comes to the Father but by me (Jesus Christ!)” John 14:6.
Thanks Pricilla for opening this much needed discussion~
~~Do you think its ok to immerse ourselves into books like this that promote “other world” cultures? (i.e. Harry Potter and Twilight…)
~~Do you think Julia Roberts new chosen “path” will promote a rise in Hindu thinking? Or is it simply pop culture news, here one day gone the next?
Syn-D says:
I didn’t know why I didn’t want to read this book but I just didn’t. I guess now I know it was the holy spirit nudging me in the right direction. I was told I needed to read this book a few years ago when it first came out (long before the movie) and “put it on the list” (there are many on the list that will NEVER be read) I guess now it will be taken off the list. thanks for the pre-read Jenn
As to the “other world” question, I would think that most can separate fact from fiction. “Eat, Pray, Love”, if I’m not mistaken, is a memoir and the other books you mentioned are fiction. I think it is more difficult to look at real world experiences and not say, “Look at the good that has come from this I need to change my life”. Where as with fiction you know it isn’t real and can ignore the “life changing experiences”. Look at the famous Chronicles of Narnia series, for instance, you can read this in different ways but how many lives have been changes to find Christ by it? Aslan is certainly the Christ figure offering forgiveness at his cost, death, but I wonder how many know that (outside of believers who can see the obvious). Then you take Surprised by Joy the memoir by the same author, C.S. Lewis, it has his experiences in life as a “christian” and then an atheist and finally his discovery of true JOY in Christ. There is no denying what happened, no need for interpretation like in fiction.
Immerse? No way there is only one thing we as Christians should immerse ourselves in and that is Christ himself should we know what the world is reading and know why we aren’t reading it? Maybe, if you can read it and not be swept off your feet by it. What if our kids are reading it? We should absolutely read it and the TALK about it with them and counter whatever is said with our theology of Christ. I think that having and educated reason why you believe in Christ is imperative in this day and age. Our children should be educated Christians….OH WOW~! I went off the path here but I think I said some good things.
Till I feel like I should comment again…
LOVE YOU sister~cousin
Your blog is fantastic!
Syn-D
August 18th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Jenn Hudson says:
Thanks for the thoughts Syn-d! I remember you were one of the only ones who really explained to me about the “check” in your spirit over this particular book. But strong headed me persisted! lol. I knew the Lit. teacher would have a great response to my question about fiction tales. (oh, how I love Aslan!) you have a good point here – understanding that fiction is just a story and not allowing our heart to be swayed from being centered in Christ is the key. And non-fiction, like this can be more persuasive/dangerous reading, because it reflects real life. And I am the type that will “immerse” myself in pretty much anything I do – but thats me, and not everyone does that. And just like I have to choose my friends wisely, this is a big life lesson, that I have to choose my reading wisely too~ Thanks my sister/cousin!
August 18th, 2010 at 7:09 am
nikki says:
I was excited that Julia Roberts had a new move, watched the trailer and was very sad. I could tell from the trailer that I didn’t want to see the movie. After reading the paragraph you posted from the book, I’m really sad.
Sneaky trickery is a REALLY good way to put it. It’s so sad that so many people are being deceived.
to answer your ?’s,
1. I have watched the Twiight movies (sometimes I get sucked into all the hype), but have chosen not to read the books for the simple fact that I can’t choose to devote that much time to reading junk. I think I should spend my reading time on something more edifying.
2. I”m not sure if her new path will promote a rise in Hindu thinking. I haven’t really given it much thought to this point.
August 18th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Jennifer says:
Thanks Nikki ~ I get sucked into all the hype too….I haven’t seen Twilight (yet) but I’ve picked it up a time or two.
I really have this feeling like we are going to see a rise in things like this – maybe it won’t necessarily begin from Julia’s Hindu conversion in particular, or from Twilight, or Harry Potter. I’m like most of the church, where I’m not pitching against any of these things. Hey most of my friends are big fans! Even pastors wives! So I haven’t really spoken against any of it. But someday, i think we will see things like this and more collectively leading our generation down a dark road. I’m just thinking when is enough enough!? Its good to know I have people like you picking up the cause with me!
August 18th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Kiraa says:
Hinduism is a cult? Judgmental much?
September 19th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Jennifer says:
Thank you for reading my blog and for launching a new dialogue on this subject. I do appreciate your candid questions.
So, first of all, I did not directly reference Hinduism as a cult, if you will read back through you will see, I referenced “so many stars turning to cults and universalistic teaching.” But for the sake of fact setting, I will directly state it here: Yes, I do view Hinduism as a cult, a “false teaching or belief.”
Cults are defined as having a radical leader and strange practices. Hinduism did not originate with one clear leader but many participants do follow Hare Krishna, and radical practices. If you study the characteristics of cults you will find Hinduism, along with other false religions to be clearly defined as a cult. There has been a monumental shift in my life time during the 80′s – 90′s to retract the use of the word “cult” (proven by the wikipedia definition) and to embrace false religions, like Hinduism, as modern and acceptable. Promoting we are all one, and apart of the same consciousness, and to open our minds and beliefs that “there is no ‘one’ way to God” (Oprah). Sadly I believe the Christian church in part has accepted a watered down version of this as well, and my point in writing this article was in my own small way to expose the truth.
The bible, the all infallible word of the ONE true God says, “Jesus Chris is the way, the TRUTH and the life, no man comes to the Father (God) except through Him.” (see John 14:6) The only TRUTH, is found in Jesus Christ and is written in the BIBLE.
And as for your second statement, “Judgmental much?” I would never claim judgement in the bases for my beliefs, because I serve the only TRUE Judge, Jesus Christ. However, I would rightfully claim “truth telling” or “set the record, straight talker” in my list of personality traits.
So if you would ever wanna discuss it further, I am happy to chat more on this subject! I would love to hear your thoughts. Again, thanks for the comment ~
September 30th, 2010 at 3:03 pm