Covert or Overt, That is the Question
The two primary ways that stories convey their messages — overt and covert — exist on a spectrum. On one end, there is overt, these are the really obvious messages that stand out quite clearly. There is no denying what the stories are trying to convey to the audience. For Christian media, these kinds of stories have obviously Christian characters and themes, typically not hiding much behind symbolism. They make their statement boldly, sometimes sermonizing to the point of sacrificing the good of the story.
On the other end of the spectrum is covert messaging. This kind of message is one that is usually hidden underneath layers of symbolism or metaphor and may not be apparent to the audience unless they search for it. For Christian media, it may not have many obviously Christian tells, but once the audience digs a little deeper, the message reveals itself as Biblically founded and Scripturally sound. These kinds of stories may pass through undetected as a “Christian” piece of media, which can be either a good or bad thing depending on the creator’s intent. Stealth Christian stories can be incredible valuable to an audience that has hardened its heart against anything that smacks of Christianity.
Now, while neither option is perfect, neither is one option superior over the other. There is no call for the Christian storyteller to tell only overtly Christian stories (we are called to be bold in our faith, which we can do in a variety of ways) nor is there any reason in the freedom of the Western world to only tell covert Christian stories. Both are needed and necessary for a healthy body of Christian media and both are useful in evangelism and edification. Whichever fits the story, whichever fits the purpose and message, whichever is what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do, that is the type of messaging that needs to be utilized.
A novel is not more holy because it sacrifices itself to a full-length sermon in Chapters 4 and 5. Neither is a movie more righteous because it includes “John 3:16” in every line of dialogue uttered by the lead actor. No story made by human hands is either holy or righteous, they can only be used to convey the holiness and righteousness of God as we, the creators, understand it.
On the opposite side of the coin, a comic is not a pile of slop simply because it doesn’t have an obviously Christian main character. Nor is an audiodrama unworthy to grace the ears of the Christian because it includes mayhem and murder (think of the mayhem and murder within Jesus’ parables). A lack of directly quoted Scripture doesn’t automatically make a story a heathen piece of garbage and a story that uses symbolism, metaphor, or literary parallels in order to make its Christian point can be just as valuable in reinforcing or introducing Scriptural truths to an audience as its more blunt kin.
There is no true and valuable pressure in how a Christian story must be told. As long as the creator’s theology is sound, and they are not trying intentionally to subvert Scripture with their own ideals of right and wrong, there is no reason a story must follow one messaging path or the other. There is plenty of freedom to be found in Christian storytelling!
