Eli Stone

Chapter 6 of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy day is a call to action: get off your rear end and get out of the boat, like Peter walking on the water. There are two quotes that jumped out at me. I am going to give them to you, and then I am going to tell you why, in my opinion, the television show Eli Stone represents an important cultural milestone.

Quote One

Everything we change, changes everything.

Have you ever heard about the “Butterfly Effect?” This weather-forecasting principle states that even something as seemingly inconsequential as the flap of a butterfly’s wings can literally change a weather pattern. Faith is like that, too. Even the littlest moments of action or inaction on our part can initiate a chain of events with eternal significance.

Quote Two

Instead of complaining about the current state of affairs we need to offer better alternatives. We need to make better movies and better music. We need to write better books. We need to start better schools and better businesses.

So here is why I believe Eli Stone matters. This new television show is based on an up-and-coming lawyer suddenly seeing visions – usually of George Michael, oddly enough, singing in improbably situations. By following the impressions created by these visions, Eli alters the course of his life and the lives of people around them. He begins to fight for the underdog, create justice, and impact his world. Slowly – so slowly – Eli comes to understand that the visions are coming from God, and that he has a responsibility to act on them.

Eli Stone is one of the best examples of Hollywood treating faith with respect. Is it theologically correct? Probably not. Does it present the gospel in a four-step system? Nope. But it does represent an honest attempt to recognize that God is real, he works in this world, and he communicates to us. That makes Eli Stone a rare find indeed.

What I love about this show is that it doesn’t have the adjective “Christian” tagged on to make us watch it. It is well written, high quality, and totally entertaining. It exemplifies what Mark Batterson was saying in Quote Two above. When Christians step out and interact with culture in a meaningful way, like Paul in the marketplace of Athens, magic like Eli Stone can result. I don’t know who is behind the tv show Eli Stone. I don’t know if they are a believer or not. I do know that they have given us a great topic of discussion.