Adam Sandler vs. Johnny Depp

As an actor, I've played a lot of characters. Funny ones, sad ones. Ones that are very much like me, and some that are a stretch. Some are easy to play, and some are more difficult. That's kind of the fun of acting.

If you boil it down (way, way down) there are two ways to look at a character: you can find ways the character is like yourself and make it a part of you; or you can make yourself more like the character.



Examples:

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler is the former. Every Adam Sandler character is pretty much like Adam Sandler. There's nothing inherently wrong with that. I mean, he's a funny guy. People like him. I like him. But he does what works. His characters are always, well, him. Or pretty close to it.

The latter is Johnny Depp. The man disappears into his roles; the only thing recognizable about him is his face (and sometimes not even that). He does a lot of research and throws himself into his characters. His mannerisms, his speech—everything changes to truly become the character.

Johnny Depp

So many people want Christ to conform to them. They ask questions like, "How can I fit him into my life without changing much about who I am?" They see the pieces of God they want to see; they see ones they like and feel like that's good enough. It's working; why change it?

They're Adam Sandler Christians.

(And I realize that's kind of a funny statement, since Adam Sandler's Jewish. But I'm sure he'd understand the point.)

We should strive to be Johnny Depp Christians. (Again, probably a funny statement without knowing him.) We should look at the character of Christ—who he is, what he did, how he behaved—and do our best to conform to him. We need to throw ourselves into the character of Christ and be like him in every way.

Although, you know, I'm not growing a beard or anything.

Christ wants us to get to the heart of who he is. We need to do a real character study—how he spoke, how he acted, his mannerisms—and transform ourselves into true Christians. We have to be willing to leave our old ways behind and embrace an entirely new character. We won't lose what was truly core to our spirit; God created each of us as a unique individual. But we will become holier by putting on the person of Christ.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  

1 Peter 1:14-16

So—are you an Adam Sandler or a Johnny Depp?