My son, daughter-in-law, and I have just finished watching the first three seasons of Ted Lasso. I liked it a lot and am looking forward to the fourth season coming out later this month. There’s a lot of good stuff in this show. You can’t help falling in love with several of the characters. I believe these are the kind of people Jesus liked to “eat and drink with”, for which he was condemned by the Pharisees. I myself would really like hanging out with Ted, Roy, Beard, Keely, and Rebecca. I do confess, part of my motivation would be to discuss spiritual things with them, but I know I would genuinely enjoy just having a beer with them at a local pub. I wouldn’t want to force a religious conversation, but I would like to have some with them if/when the opportunity arose.
It is important to watch this series in the context of recognizing a few things going on “behind the scenes.” These are not real people; this is not a series based on a true story or a series of events that happened in real life. Someone created Ted Lasso and the others and their responses to Ted. I just feel it is important to realize and remember that this didn’t really happen. I wish it did and that the events and life changes were indeed what typically happens.
The rules have been changed. What we as followers of Jesus would recognize as sin is being presented as okay and normal, and, I might add, in a very viscerally effective way. We are moved to think, and especially feel, that all kinds of sexual behavior is really not so bad. This changing the rules is characteristic of almost all contemporary television, but the Ted Lasso series is particularly effective in subtly influencing and convincing watchers at a gut level that all sex, anytime, anywhere, with anyone is fine. I mean, how could such lovable, likeable people be wrong or sinful?
Finally, we need to recognize and understand that the deepest, most subtle, most potentially harmful, most effective message is this: We can be good people without Jesus. In the context of creating the story and changing the definition of good, the amazingly powerful subtle underlying core message of Ted Lasso is that we can be good people without Jesus. I’ve seen no other film that so skillfully, artistically, subtly, effectively communicates this message. It is a delightful heartwarming masterpiece of manipulation, and it is worth watching.
Thanks for reading,
Bruce
Bruceweatherly.com
