It was very disappointing. I wish the information I discovered was false, but it wasn’t. Some might not care at all about this person; others may have a vested interest. The problem is that I, along with many others, have been a fan of this person for several years now. In fact, he was one of the most influential reasons why I rooted for Seattle over New England in this year’s super bowl. I suppose it actually isn’t all that surprising considering this person’s profession, but he is known to be a religious person and often seems to hold high moral standards. In fact, he posts a Scripture every day on his twitter account. The person I’m referring to is Russell Wilson.
Recently, Russell Wilson went to see Fifty Shades of Grey, a movie that has been very well documented for its blatant immoral content. He tweeted out, “Thanks for the early showing of #50ShadesOfGrey late last night…great movie” (Bleacher Report). Several fans responded with shock and disapproval. One person said, “I’m more than a little confused, Russell. I thought you professed to be a Christian….” This response was echoed several times over by others. What was most disappointing was Wilson’s response to these people, “Saw a movie filmed in the town I call home. Provocative/disturbing no doubt but that does not make me less Faithful. Have a blessed day!” (ibid). How disappointing.
There is huge disconnect in our world and Wilson’s statement further pinpoints the problem. Supporting and exposing ourselves to sin most definitely makes us less faithful! It’s puzzling how anyone can claim to be faithful and support clearly identified filth. Our world doesn’t really know what it means to be faithful. Let’s go to Scripture to help understand what being faithful really means.
Being faithful means fleeing from sin (2 Timothy 2:22)
Being faithful means denying fleshly desires (Matthew 16:24).
Being faithful means living in purity (1 Thess. 4:3-5).
Being faithful means hating what is wicked and evil (Proverbs 8:13).
Being faithful means putting God first (Matthew 6:33).
Being faithful means loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27).
Being faithful means being true to God for life (Revelation 2:10).
Being faithful means becoming a true Christian in the first place (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21).
Certainly we could fill pages and pages with similar Scriptures, but all of these communicate what it really means to be faithful. If there is even the tiniest sliver of faithfulness displayed in Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s extremely well hidden by barefaced sin. It makes no sense how anyone can claim to be faithful and at the same time support such cinematic filth. Let’s not forget that faithfulness is not a permanent state, it can be lost (Galatians 5:4; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.
What we do, say, and support says a great deal about our true faithfulness to God. All of our actions will be brought to judgment (Matthew 12:36; Ecclesiastes 12:14). Let’s strive for true faithfulness, one that is comprised of unwavering love and dedication to the Lord!
–Brett Petrillo