Sex and the City

Off the Map is one of the newest additions to the ABC line-up of dramatic medical sagas. While practicing medicine in the nowheres of South America presents an edge that sets this show apart from others, there is one predictable element that it shares with the rest of them. Yep, you guessed it: sex. Everyone on the show is having sex. Doctors are sleeping with other doctors, patients, members of the community, and even fleeing criminals. They should consider renaming the series Sex and the Jungle (pun intended). While disappointing, this theme is no different from that of any other show in syndication right now. Why? Because sex sells. There’s no longer a distinction between MTV, CBS and HBO.

Even worse, the prevalence of sex in our society is creating colossal desensitization. The idea of sex as a sacred and enjoyable act between two partners in marriage has been reduced to the acceptance of sex as a series of awkward encounters following one night stands. In last night’s episode, one of the sex-crazed characters even finished off her statement regarding a patient with the tagline “…and I say that as a Christian.” Where is the line drawn? If professing Christians – or at least, characters portrayed as such – are not living Christ-filled lives how can we expect non-Christians to be interested in the message of the Gospel? Galatians 2:14 (HCSB) matches this concept by gut-checking Peter: “…If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?” Good question, Paul. Good freaking question.

The error we commonly make is in confusing the brazenness of the sins we commit to be new. These sins are not new; they have only become more excessive. We often put people who lived in historically biblical times up on a pedestal, failing to consider the countless immoralities present in each of the sixty-six books. This idea of pitting saints of the Bible against sinners of the current millennium can be extremely dangerous. When we start thinking this way, it creates a dissociation that prevents us from realizing that we worship the same majestic God Moses worshipped and we are forgiven by the same merciful God who forgave Judas.

This past weekend, Senior Pastor Jim White focuses his message on a Samaritan woman who had no clue that the destructive lifestyle she was living was preventing her from receiving full abundance in Christ. John 4:1-26 chronicles Jesus’ interaction with this Samaritan woman, an interaction that was forbidden by proper Jewish rules and customs. Jesus intentionally contradicted every rule set in place to make a point that He loves all, even a woman shunned by her neighbors and townspeople because of her promiscuity.

The spoken message last weekend included the truth that Jesus loves all sinners no matter how far we distance ourselves from Him, and He will go to great lengths to make sure we know it. However, let’s not miss the underlying message that Jesus also uses all sinners. He used His conversation with the Samaritan woman not only to soften her heart to allow her to experience the message of grace and redemption, but He also used her to spread His word. By all accounts as a woman who had been married five times (a big no-no in that culture) and was currently living in sin with a sixth man, she was considered a most unlikely source to proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ to the people of her town. Jesus knew that and He chose her to share the good news, and through this many other Samaritans came to believe: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony…” (John 4:39, NIV)

Whether you feel alone because the choices you have made seem to make everyone turn away from you or you have withdrawn your support from others because you don’t approve of their behavior, God loves you. And He’ll break any and all rules to get you to understand that.