I have a new reason to love the ABC sitcom “The Middle.” Besides being true to life in that it depicts a REAL modern family who’s father is in charge and a little gruff at times, a mother who’s trying to hold things together in a not always perfect way and teenager antics so real they are funny, the star is a Christian. [NOTE: If you’ve never seen the episode with the church youth group holy hay ride and the alternative new year’s party you need to find it and watch it as soon as possible].
In a 2006 Christianity Today Post interview Paticia Heaton said
“There’s a need for Christians to stop being portrayed in our industry as crazies,” she said. “Christians….have just been stereotyped to death. You try to be a model of kindness and love and forgiveness to all those around you, because you have received kindness and love and forgiveness from God through Christ. That’s what Christianity is.” (Lee Warren“Patricia Heaton Says her Politics have Cost Her Possible Roles” Christian Post May 21, 2011
Agreed. Take her final sentence and place it in your life. If you are one of those crazy Christians who make it easy for the entertainment industry to stereotype us you will be better suited to practice kindness, love, and forgiveness instead.
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:7-8, New International Version)
Photo by Matt (originally posted to Flickr as Patricia Heaton) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
