You may have been surprised to watch Survivor last night (Sept. 26) and hear a contestant speaking in “tongues.” Roxy Morris, a seminary student from Brooklyn, in a private moment on the beach, began to pray “in the Spirit,” using what is commonly referred to as glossolalia or “speaking in tongues.”
It surprised me, as I’m sure it did other Christians and also viewers who’d never heard it before. Within seconds, Roxy identified herself as a Bible-believing Pentecostal Christian and my first reaction was concern. What would the other contestants think? What would viewers think? What if she didn’t live up to the marks of a Christian? (Like all the rest of us always do 🙂
Some concerns were well-founded as Roxy found herself on the outside of her tribemates during the final vote. However, even after all was said and done, Roxy may have appeared a little conniving, but she did not intentionally alienate others because of her faith. She was overheard on the beach praying; she didn’t announce it as others in past seasons have. I may play the game differently if I were over to participate (which I wouldn’t), but drawing attention to the weaknesses of others is unfortunately a big part of the strategy. Ultimately, I’m glad there were Christians being represented on the show (Mike Skupin and Lisa Whelchel are also Christians, although apparently flying farther under the radar).
Around the world, there are 279 million Pentecostals, roughly 4% of the world population. They are one of the fastest rising groups in Christianity. Even some outside evangelical leaders who who don’t adhere to the Pentecostal creeds have advised, “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. It’s working.” With 4% of the world believing in tongues and gifts of the Spirit, why should it be a shock to our system to see a devotee on television? If television reflects society, why shouldn’t we see more of them? Or, for that matter, Christians in general?
In 2005, there were 2.1 billion Christians worldwide, roughly 34% of the world population. That means one out of every three people is a Christian. Do you see that reflected in television programming? In recent years, it has become apparent that the most visible representatives of Christianity on mainstream television are not found on scripted shows and dramas but on reality television. Sure, there are pockets of faith found in shows like Blue Bloods, but for the most part, Christianity is either ignored or maligned by television networks (GCB, anyone?).
When the cameras turn to the average person, whether they’re lining up for a talent show such as American Idol, The Voice or America’s Got Talent, a competition such as Amazing Race or Survivor or even some of the home-based such as 19 Kids and Counting, there’s no getting around that there are devout Christians who integrate faith into every part of their lives. Whether or not the networks even understand or accept that faith and integrate it accurately into their scripted programming, as long as regular people are participating in reality television, there will be Christians, even Pentecostals, in the mix.
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