I’ve now been to several tapings of “Beyond A.D.,” the Web companion series to NBC’s “A.D.: The Bible Continues” — which is produced in the auditorium at an ultra-modern Evangelical community north of Los Angeles (whose headquarters is almost entirely devoid of any overtly Christian symbolism) — and I’ve seen Christian actors, musicians, “faith leaders” and pastors.
What I have yet to see on the show is a Catholic priest or deacon, or anyone who has strongly identified as a faithful Catholic (a couple of the actors were raised Catholic, but I don’t know their current situation regarding the Faith).
It’s never a bad thing to hear believers talking about Jesus, the Gospels and Christianity, but we know what Church was being founded in “A.D.” One could still appear, I suppose, but it’s unfortunate and incomplete.
(UPDATE: After addressing this issue with executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, I’m told there should be some Catholics on upcoming episodes — and one of them could very well be me.)
I have noticed that several of the pastors, etc., who’ve appeared on the show are friends or acquaintances of “Beyond A.D.” host and E! News personality Jason Kennedy, a passionate and outspoken Christian. The most recent is Miami, Florida, preacher Rich Wilkerson Jr., who apparently went to high school with Kennedy. He’s featured in the episode that became available online today, Sunday, May 31.
Wilkerson hit the news in a big way when he officiated at the wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West (who, interestingly, later went to Jerusalem to baptize their daughter into the Armenian Apostolic Church).
As an outgrowth of this, Oxygen TV has announced it’s developing a show called “The Wilkersons,” focusing on the young-adult ministry run by the preacher and his wife. The cable network has also has “Preachers of L.A,” a spin-off of “Preachers of Detroit” (yeah, no Catholics here, either, especially considering one of the polls on the show’s official Website asks, “Should Preachers Remain Abstinent?”).
I sat down with Wilkerson, and one of the things we discussed is the hazards of fame (seen most recently in the decision of the Duggar parents to put their already troubled family on TV.)
“The downside of celebrity is,” Wilkerson said, “any time that we think we are our own answer … with the celebrity generation that we live in now, people start worshiping each other. You worship a person, and the person who sees that type of worship, at times, they start to think they are the answer to their own problems, that they are the answer to everything.
“We know that’s what C.S. Lewis called the great sin of pride. That’s always the biggest issue. We could talk about all kinds of practical things, but the big issue comes down to pride. For a preacher, for anyone, it’s a sin.”
But fame can also be used in a positive way, as Wilkerson noted, “The Gospels is the greatest message ever told, and it hits everybody. Whether you’re a celebrity, whether you’re famous or you’re nameless, this is what’s powerful right where you are.
“I get excited about seeing celebrities — I don’t like that word — people who are in the spotlight, if they start to give glory to Jesus, how that can impact other people. It can have a ripple effect, and it’s potentially to be excited about.”
Regarding Kardashian and West, it’s a puzzling situation. Evidently, they’re believers, but sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the chief object of their worship is Christ or themselves. But Wilkerson is giving them the benefit of the doubt.
“They’re good friends of mine,” he said. “I preached last Wednesday at a little church. They both came to church, and we had a beautiful talk afterwards. They are on the journey, and I respect people who are on the journey.
“They are friends of mine. I love them; I believe in them. What I’ve learned in my life — I was raised by really great parents. You don’t have to agree with someone to accept them, so that’s something the church is learning. It’s not our job to change people. It’s actually our job to preach Jesus, and Jesus does some amazing work.”
These days, a lot of Christians are simultaneously upset at the negative portrayals of the faith in the mainstream media, while turning their backs on participating in the mainstream media. But it doesn’t have to be that way. For every Catholic-bashing comedy “The Real O’Neals” from ABC, there could be “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” TVLand’s upcoming show from the faithful Catholic comedian.
But it means standing up for what you believe in a world that’s hostile to the message.
“Whatever we avoid,” Wilkerson said, “the Devil tends to invade. We have to be strategic, out of love, out of respect. We have to be careful not to be offended for Jesus. Sometimes we’re offended, and so, where we get complicated, is we start talking about rights, and we’re offended for Christ.
“I don’t think Jesus needs to be defended. He needs to be preached, to be proclaimed, and we need to do that with grace and humility. I understand that people are living in uncertain times. We need to have an offense.
“We have to make sure that we’re bold in what we believe, why we believe it, and that we share that with real determination.”
Image: Courtesy the Facebook page of Rich Wilkerson Jr.
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