On why I watch Downton Abbey.

Recently I was asked how, as a Christian woman, I could justify watching Downton Abbey when there is a very obvious, very present homosexual theme in the show. I realize that each piece of entertainment or art must needs be weighed for merit and worth on its own, so though these words and statements could be applied to other things, they are almost solely written to be applicable to this British show and perhaps only this show. 

I remember watching the first episode of Downton when it came out in the states. I thought it was boring and the characters were ugly and it was too long and it was nothing interesting. I was also extremely shocked and disgusted by many elements the writers had included. Honestly, I hated it. I hated O'Brien and her sly mouth. I hated Mary and her thin, wispy body. I hated Matthew and his obvious reluctance. I hated Edith and her whining. I hated Bates and his boringness. And I especially hated Thomas and his sin. I hated Thomas the most out of all of them.
But then there was Anna.
Anna, the little blonde housemaid with the lilting accent. Anna, the compassionate one. Anna, the incorruptible one. Anna, the kindest of them all. Anna, from downstairs. Anna, the faithful. Anna, the human.
And I loved her. I blush to admit it now, but the only reason I continued to watch Downton after that first episode was Anna. I felt guilty at first, because of all the sins and ugliness that the show emphasized. There were and have been countless instances of failings.
She slept with him. He was a homosexual. She was a liar. He was a thief. This happened, and no one told anyone. They fought. He was drunk. He should not have pursued her. She doesn't care when she should. She is cold and unfeeling. He is greedy. They were fornicating.
Truthfully, honestly, Downton Abbey is a cesspool for sin and mistakes.
And at first it caused me a lot of grief, and I almost stopped watching.
But for Anna.
But for Anna, who was always there at the right moment. She was always saying the right thing. She was always honest and true. And slowly, very slowly, but with a melody nonetheless, I began to see other glimmers of hope, maybe even the way she did. Other pretty things. Other lovely themes. Until suddenly, three seasons in, I realized that although Downton Abbey was full of the depravity of the human heart and mind, it had bloomed and flourished and blossomed into a gorgeousness that I can't really describe. After watching Anna for so long, I began to see the good things that they all did, not just their flaws. I saw the small, heartfelt moments, and the big, life-changing ones. And it all made sense.
Downton Abbey is beautiful because it is authentic and real.
The characters mess up. They are sinners and hateful and spiteful and mean-spirited. They are fleshly and earthly. But they are also hard-working and good and not easily persuaded. They are simply put, people. Human beings. Like you and me. And that is really what is so attractive about the show. They overcome things or they fail at things, just like we do.
And that is something so very lovely.

I understand that as a lover of the carpenter I have a responsibility to protect my heart and mind from the ways of the world. And it might seem contradictory since I watch and love an English broadcasting that is absolutely full of tragedies and evils, but it's not. It is okay. I won't justify the characters or their sins and mistakes. But I will tell you this, we live in the world. We're not to be of it, but in it. And I respect that we shelter our children from the storm. When I have my own darlings, I plan on doing exactly that for them. But we also need to recognize that we cannot necessitate ignorance and push for perfection. We're still humans. We still mess up. And in no way do I want my future children or other people I know to feel that grace is nonexistent and mistakes should be hidden. I have lived almost my entire life under that impression, with the weight of that on my shoulders. I hate that, that feeling and all its heaviness. I am ashamed that I still feel guilty and condemned at the slightest nod of a head.
Because you guys, you need to know, condemnation is not conviction.
There's one judge. He made you with a conscience. Listen to that.

Downton Abbey is one of the most accurate descriptions of human life out there. Honestly. You may think that statement is a bit dramatic, but I stand by it with a whole heart and utter confidence. Yes, the characters are flawed and they fail time and time again. But yes, there are beautiful moments too. There is marriage and family. There is dedication and loyalty. Relentless pursuit. Joy, there is much joy. There is forgiveness, for things that seem irreconcilable. There are struggles overcome. Passions and dreams fought for. Service to a country. Faith. Growth. There is so much beauty in the themes of Downton as well as the ugly. And I feel it would be hypocritical of me to dismiss it because it portrays content that I know is sinful. I live here, on earth, with a bunch of other sinners. I don't plan on locking myself in my house everyday for fear of seeing something that goes against my beliefs. How can we ever expect to love people, let alone preach the gospel, if we can't even recognize their sin as a real thing? I won't pretend that I am not disturbed by homosexuality. I can't pretend that, because it actually makes me very uncomfortable. But I definitely won't pretend that it doesn't exist and does not play a part in our society on a daily basis. To address a situation, you must first acknowledge it. I'm sorry, but that is the way it is. That is why Jesus sat with publicans and sinners while He was on earth. That is why Downton Abbey is more than okay.
It illustrates everything we could be, everything we are, and everything we should be.

Matthew and Mary got married in season three.
After months and years of quarreling and loving other people and even a war, they finally admitted to each other that they loved one another and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. After episodes of fans rooting for them and crying over them and wishing them together and possibly sometimes shrieking at them, they finally admitted it and we watched.
And while him proposing in the snow and asking her not to go to America was lovely, and her in the white dress while he stared was breathtaking, it was the one moment when she confessed her greatest fault to him that stood out above all.
When she told him he would despise her, and he didn't.
He forgave her instead.
That was the one most powerful redeeming moment in Downton. The one that I'll always have tucked into the back of my mind. Because it's relevant. It's applicable. It's hard to do. And it's real.
Forgiveness is so real, and it is so powerful.

One of the best things in life is to find someone who will be a Matthew to your Mary.

You can find dark elements in anything. You can also find light elements in anything. It is up to us which we will embrace while we live by grace and climb our mountains. We live in a distressing place, ridden with grief, shame, and sin. I refuse to not be salt or a city on a hill because of this fact.
Being salt and a city on a hill usually means you have to be in a place without salt or a dark, hilly place. And that is quite scary and quite lovely too.
Keep faith.
I promise, sometimes you think you're the only one. But one night while you're shining, you'll see a glimmer, an Anna, and you'll know you're not alone.

So I watch Downton Abbey. I watch Downton Abbey because even in the midst of evil, goodness still shines. I watch Downton because Mary and Matthew did what everyone wanted but no one expected. I watch Downton because I have faith that someone someday will come alongside Thomas and befriend him, truly befriend him, and then he will have hope. I watch Downton because Mr. Bates, who had his face shoved in the dirt so many times, still gets up. I watch Downton because Cora and Robert always, always manage to make up in the end. I watch Downton because Mrs. Hughes is always there. I watch Downton because Sybil was daring and Branson is perfect. I watch Downton because of the white tea cups and Daisy in the kitchen and Edith may never get a happy ending and the relationship between Carson and Lady Mary is all too wonderful.
I watch Downton Abbey because it gives me faith. Faith that even in a terrible mess like this world we live in, we can still make a difference and pursue the lovely for a carpenter.
I watch Downton Abbey because I live by grace and it's unnecessary for me to justify it.
I watch Downton Abbey because I'm a human.
I watch Downton Abbey because of Anna.

This is why I watch Downton Abbey.

Why do you?