Over the past month or two, we have been watching at our house the new Battlestar Galactica, which (thankfully) bears only a passing resemblance to the 1978 series (pictured at left, along with a “futuristic” computer). The new Battlestar began in 2003 and has developed simultaneously with the Iraq war, so it isn’t surprising that it draws on images and themes from Iraq. Over the first two seasons, the writers did a subtle job of evoking current events without being (I hate to use this term) “preachy”.

But in the first episode of season three, subtlety went out the airlock (temporarily, at least). Characters started talking about “winning the hearts and minds” as the occupiers tried to recruit and train locals to run the police force, and there was an insurgency and suicide bombers. It seemed like the show’s creators were trying too hard to make their points, and it turned me off. The show righted itself and returned to subtlety by episode 3, so I’m still watching.

I recently visited a Knoxville business where the owner is exceptionally up front about Jesus - Scriptures on the wall, Christian music on the speakers, staff telling me to “have a blessed day”. I always have two concerns about such an obvious joining of faith and business:

1. Will it scare non-Christians away? What seems godly to us may look cultish to them.
2. Is Christ being used to market a product? If so, the Gospel is cheapened. Besides, people who market with the name of Jesus tend to be judged more strictly (”How can you call yourself a Christian and not fix my brakes for 25 cents?”) Churches and pastors get hit all the time with such Spirit-filled marketing. A college friend of mine recently posted this blog entry on the topic.

I’m all for living our faith publicly, but I wonder if subtlety might be the way to go? (I DON’T mean in the Genesis 3:1 KJV sense ). Battlestar is at its best when it raises tough issues without telling me what to think. Maybe witnessing should at least begin the same way.