A+E used to be basic cable's version of PBS. Now, it's a place for people, who in the 19th century would have been larger-than-life folk heroes, to get their own reality shows.
Last night, I spent 90 minutes watching Dog the Bounty Hunter . I don't know much about Dog. He has a lot of children by different women, some of whom he employs. He's probably been to prison. And he's a Christian.
It's the Christian part that's interesting. Before he goes out on a job, he gets his employees/relatives together and prays, "Lord, thank you for this day. Protect us in apprehending X. Protect X from getting hurt. In Jesus's name. Amen." It's funny. You can see Dog get mad at guys accused of hurting women or being otherwise reprehensible. He's very glad when they're caught, even when he doesn't collar them personally. But he hopes that those he meets are just like he was, capable of redemption. He doesn't expect them to be a new creation, he just wants them to be improved one. He takes bail bonds in the hope that his bail bond service will be better keeping them on the straight and narrow, so they can stay out of jail, hold a job, and look (and be) more capable of rehabilitation to a judge. I didn't see him preach once. But the way he treats those he apprehends reminds me of what Jesus preached to the soldiers mixed with the commissions to the apostles. Do your job by the book. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
His wife does curse out people and threaten them with economic ruin. But I think there's even love in that.
2 comments:
I occasionally check in on Dog. I always find their rough-and-compassionate brand of Christianity interesting. Folks are treated with dignity and expected to change.
It's such a contrast with shows like Cops or Jail , where the law enforcement authorities clearly are trying to develop a master/servant relationship with suspects or at least treating them like little children. The suspects generally fall in line. It's "Yes, sir/ma'am etc." But it feels forced rather than full bred courtesy. But if you call Dog "sir", it's "No, I'm not sir, it's just Dog." He meets the world in friendship and true, deep friendship of a kind we generally reserve for a very few in our lives. But Dog will extend it as far as he can.
Post a Comment