Why I think Christians should watch the Oscars and the movies celebrated by the Oscars

So, below is my last response to a line of commenting on a friend's status on Facebook. The interesting thing is that he was watching the Oscars because he likes them... but some of his friends were commenting on his status, one saying something to the effect, that the Oscars were just celebrating a "movie star's" perspective on the world.

While, yes, I agree it really can be and the whole red carpet stuff with the judging of dresses, etc. can really be just a bunch of crap, I feel like for the first time in a while the awards are about honoring the art of truly great story telling and individual's gifts, abilities and tremendous talents at telling those stories, bringing to life the stories of others. 

Here is my comment: 
"exactly Mark! you can't avoid the oscars and still understand the influencers of mass culture. these are some of the greatest stories being told out there. that doesn't mean that they are all stories that we have to agree with or believe in but they are windows to the human condition and teach us how and where God is leading, asking and encouraging us to deal with His world and each other. i do feel like we have the responsibility as Christ-followers to see all these movies and understand why they are significant so we can be people others trust in to understand the things that they hope for, long for, question and are confused on. only then, when we understand what shapes people and their stories, will they be able to hear the love, word and truth of God. the oscars are a symbol of all of this... at least to me... "

I trust that few of us understand the true work, the deep art of the creative minds that come up with new, innovative and deeply invoking ways to tell stories, stories that connect, stories that share love, life, glory, honor, sorrow, peace, pain, laughter, happiness but most of all truth and hope. But, Jesus Christ did. How many times did he tell a story that was truly something that connected so deep, so very deep to the honesty and reality of our humanity, so much so as to relate to us intimately enough to change our soul's course and change us into all we have been created to be. I almost can see my Lord telling these stories with great animation, smiling as He felt people connecting with the story and hearing it as their own. I can see Him really deeply longing to tell a story with enough quality, connection and conviction that each and everyone would find their way home. 

Jesus uses stories to work His way into our hearts and tell us of who He is, what He loves, how come He cares for us and how His heart and HIS condition will connect with and change the world. Just for this very reason we have to, we must know and trust ourselves to understand the joy and importance of story telling. Its our way of connecting with others, of connecting with ourselves, of exploring our hearts and understanding the Human Condition to which Jesus Christ came to exist within, connect with and understand. 

As Christ-followers, if we are to trust His work in the world and actively engage in what He is already doing, we cannot exclude Hollywood nor can we exclude the stories or the story telling of the Oscars. We just have to actively choose to trust He will teach us through these stories, teach us to love His people and teach us to understand how He is working through this world and where/how we are to engage with Him. 

Just love others through story. Love others through trusting that a story will help people connect with one another and create a space for us to discuss what matters most in this world. But with this, we cannot watch a story blindly, nor without an educated heart. An educated heart, trust in humanity and trusts that when given the chance to discuss what is going on in the story good will come to the surface, true love will be seen and a healthy direction for our souls will be seen, heard and hopefully embraced. 

Stories link us to God, to each other, to history and to eternity.