Christian Media: Who is she?

This week I've spent a lot of time being brought face-to-face with what Christian media is and what Christian media could be. On the one hand, I heard Christian media described as a middle-aged, conservative white man who lives in a white picket fence world, drives a Merc, gives his wife money to shop overseas and uses a bible like a cowboy wields a gun.

Now I work in Christian media and when I heard that I breathed a sigh of relief that the focus group I was listening to wasn't describing the company I work for but the competition. When they described the company I worked for, they described it much the same way William P. Young, described God, in his book, In the Shack, as a middle-aged black woman. In this case, Christian media, was Mam' Albertina Sisulu. She was the kind of woman who was nurturing, trustworthy, lives out her beliefs on a daily basis who would let you smoke in front of her without making you feel judged. She is the kind of woman you would share your secrets with.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard that because I think Jesus is a lot more like the fictional woman the focus group described than the made up old man. I was glad that on some level the company I work for was putting across a Jesus who likes people rather than one who makes people feel judged. All of this personifying of Christian media got me thinking, if your ideal christian media had to knock on the door, and be invited in for coffee, who would you be sharing coffee with?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...