Why Jack Bauer Isn’t My Hero

Posted by Scott McClellan on March 16th, 2009 at 10:13 am

About a month ago, Stephen King wrote a column for EW about 24 and its hero that got me thinking. Eventually, I realized that Jack Bauer isn’t my hero. I don’t look up to Jack Bauer and the reason is simple–I don’t think the ends justify the means. Every day I become more convinced of that point of view–the ends don’t justify the means. But for Jack Bauer, the ends do justify the means. That means he makes the decision to become a monster in order to stop a monster. He inflicts pain to prevent pain. (The Dark Knight featured an interesting exploration of this same idea: Would Batman go so far as to commit murder in order to stop a murderer?)

But, honestly, this post isn’t about 24 or politics or torture in times of war.

As the Church, we’re called to be something different, something holy and set apart, something other. When we allow ourselves to believe that the ends justify the means, we unknowingly compromise our identity despite our best intentions. We become corporations in an attempt to save the business-minded generation. We become slogans on billboards in an attempt to save the commuting-to-work generation. We become MTV in an attempt to save the MTV generation. We digitize the gospel in an attempt to save the online generation.

Somewhere in there, we become a version of the world in an attempt to save the world. I’m afraid that the result is a two-dimensional, compressed gospel presented by people who largely look and act exactly like the people they’re trying to reach. That’s not what we want, right? I think avoiding that scenario requires that 1) we never lose sight of our identity as the Church and 2) we never believe that compromising that identity is OK because we might reach some people in the process.

My apologies if you love Jack Bauer. But what about this “the ends justify the means” idea? Where do you stand?

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13 Responses to “Why Jack Bauer Isn’t My Hero”

As much as I love 24, and I think it is the best show on right now, I have to agree with you. We have to have integrity in our process of evangelism and discipleship in the local church. Shortcuts are simply not an option.

I have also struggled with the quote that many churches use, “we will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ” While I think this is a true statement, because if we disobey what God wants for our church, we are sinning, I’m still afraid that many use this type of statement to “justify” their actions, just as Jack would.

Thanks for the good post, it made me think this morning.

posted at 10:29 am on March 16th, 2009 by faithengineer

I agree. Though it would definitely be a boring show if that wasn’t Jack’s belief. And as much as I love 24 (what a sad last episode with Jack’s-and our-loss) my favorite show is and always will be LOST!

posted at 11:00 am on March 16th, 2009 by Cam Cheline

Brilliant. That is all. It has always worried me that as much as I want, like Paul, to be “all the things to all people” so that by all means I might save some, there has to be a point where we’ve stripped so much context out (or recontextualized so aggressively) that it simply doesn’t mean the same thing … Definitely worth pondering

posted at 1:13 pm on March 16th, 2009 by Nick Charalambous

While I agree that Jack should not be a “hero” when he becomes monster to catch a monster, I do not necessarily agree with your point about being the world to win the world being wrong. That is actually all over the Bible. Paul talked directly about being like those he was trying to reach for the gospel in 1 Cor. 9:19-23. I do not think it is license to water down the gospel, or not be bound by God’s law (which Paul talks about), but I do think that we should follow the model of Jesus himself when he used examples that the people he was trying to reach understood so that he could make his point. Our job as disciples is to go into the world and make disciples. Why not use what they understand and find familiar to reach them?

posted at 1:23 pm on March 16th, 2009 by Jan

The movie “Watchmen” asks a very similar question. Is it okay to murder millions of people to save potentially more in the end? Because of the violence, sexuality, and dark content, I won’t see this movie; however the mainstream culture is watching the movie and talked about it.

posted at 2:53 pm on March 16th, 2009 by Marc

1 Cor. 9:19-23, Romans 12:2
I think between these two passages is a tension that the church must always be dealing with. Some will take one verse or the other as their mantra, ignore the other verse, and will go to an extreme that God never intended. I like what one of the other commentors said about “shortcuts.” I think that’s what we’re doing when we take one of these verses to the extreme without considering the other verse. We’re trying to simplify so that we don’t have to ask the hard questions about motive and “best” vs “OK.” Yes, we must be culturally relevant. Yes, we must reach unbelievers on their own turf. But we can’t mimic the world, or immerse ourselves in it. We are different, we are set apart. Therefore, even when we are culturally relevant, there will be a different flavor about us. A purity that the world doesn’t have, an authenticity – not a facade, a hope that the world can never offer. But we must always be cautious not to let our “apartness” become self-righteousness or exclusiveness. We must be vigilant not to create a “Christian bubble” that keeps us from reaching out, and keeps others from getting in.

posted at 3:15 pm on March 16th, 2009 by stevi

Jan,

Yes, Paul talked about becoming like those he wanted to reach. But he had limits, right? He didn’t become a idol-worshiping Greek to reach Greeks, nor did he become a self-righteous Pharisee to reach self-righteous Pharisees. Paul was trying to call them out of those behaviors, so he didn’t mimic them. I guess one of the points I’m trying to make is that we can’t become that which we are calling people out of (disconnected, self-serving, materialist, celebrity worshiping, etc.).

posted at 3:59 pm on March 16th, 2009 by Scott McClellan

great thoughts, scott. I think i agree completely – sometimes we “lose sight” of our means b/c we’re engrossed in the “end.”

posted at 6:21 pm on March 16th, 2009 by Aaron Alexander

A real simple thing that I learned from a youth pastor has always stuck with me – it’s been a guiding light for me…

“it’s never right – to do wrong – to do right”

That’s it…
Simple – but powerful…

posted at 6:46 pm on March 17th, 2009 by Mike

Good clarification Scott. “We can’t become that which we are calling people out of” Right on

posted at 8:09 pm on March 17th, 2009 by Cam Cheline

[...] ‘We become a version of the world in an attempt to save the world’ March 18, 2009 COLLIDE’s Scott McClellan: ‘Why Jack Bauer Isn’t My Hero’ [...]

posted at 7:28 am on March 18th, 2009 by ‘We become a version of the world in an attempt to save the world’ : The Daily Scroll

Awesome site, I just came across you guys site and I am happy I did. Nice to see uncompromising articles. God Bless.

posted at 9:20 am on March 18th, 2009 by Rasheed

I agree. I wrote a blog entry myself that is similar in nature, about how we are continually becoming more and more OF the world. It saddens me.
http://jessicafrog.blogspot.com/2009/01/weve-been-that-time-for-awhile-now.html

posted at 9:14 am on March 23rd, 2009 by Jessica

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