Strong, but wrong
Review by Rusty Benson

Being salt and light in the world has never been a simple task for Christians. The problem is that salt can’t act as a preserving agent unless it comes into contact with meat; and light gives no illumination if it is hidden. So being in the world, but not of the world, can be a vulnerable place.

For young Christians living at the beginning of the new millennium, resisting the lure of the world has to be a particularly difficult challenge. Every institution in our relativistic, post-modern culture seems bent on absorbing young believers into a view of life in which the creating and redeeming God is ignored.

Now comes the second coming of Rent, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical that has been adapted to the big screen. Rent, the movie, opened nationwide Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s a thoroughly urban tale of the ’90s Bohemian art culture. But young people from every strata of American life – especially aspiring thespians – are being drawn to the musical’s "no day but today" philosophy. And it’s easy to understand why.

First, there’s the music – it’s rock meets Broadway, but not the ear-splitting hard kind. The best songs boast beautiful melodies and enveloping vocal harmonies that music lovers cannot resist ("Seasons of Love," "Will I," "I’ll Cover You").

The heart-rending story follows one year in the lives of eight 20-somethings living in the East Village of New York City in 1989. Four have AIDS, two are lesbian lovers, one is an avant-garde filmmaker and the other a former friend – now landlord – who has sold out to corporate America.

Despite a strong subtext of drug use, illicite sex, acceptance of homosexuality and death, Rent fans find themselves feeling empowered by the cast’s loving bond of friendship and Bohemian lifestyle.

In the end Rent is a nihilistic celebration presented as a joyous struggle to find meaning without transcendence.

"No day but today," the movie’s tagline, is the best answer Rent has to offer. But for young Christians who are more anchored in worldly culture than in the Scripture, that deception – packaged in the pathos of beautiful music, heroic characters and an engaging, contemporary story line –might be enough to contribute to a drift away from Christ.

Christian parents, particularly those with children who are drawn to the creative arts, are advised to recognize and address the strong, but wrong, appeal of Rent.

Note: Although Rent is rated PG-13 and contains no explicit scenes of sexual relations, the musical is replete with objectionable themes and language, both in the dialogue and song lyrics.