Music Spectrum: SPECIAL FEATURE REPRINTED FROM THE MANITOWOC HERALD-TIMES REPORTER:<br>CSI: Jesus Christ

We interrupt this music review Website with a word about television. . .

With the fall television season beginning, remember that God knows you like one of scientist heroes on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Numb3rs.

In this month’s The Atlantic, Virginia Postrel says these television crime shows have made juries expect real-life crime investigators to be as capable about discovering the truth.

Postrel quotes Larry from a Numb3rs episode talking about how sabermatics (baseball math) proved that “Shoeless” Joe Jackson didn’t throw any of the games in the 1919 ‘Black Sox’ series. Larry says, “Math restored a man's good name and reputation after 70 years. I find that rather beautiful.” Postrel continues, “Science, these shows promise, will see you—innocent or guilty—for who you really are.”

That’s the kind of promise we’ve usually left for divine beings to make. We are intrigued by stories about astrologers, psychics, and mediums who are able to see the truth through some sort of supernatural power. Now, though, the CSI-effect means that we are intrigued by investigators touched by scientific powers.

My favorite CSI hero is Lieutenant Horatio Caine (CSI: Miami). With his signature cocked head, he can look a criminal in the eye and say, “Here’s what I think,” and then lay out how the crime really happened. We don’t see Horatio doing the scientific experiments; he leaves that to his crack staff. However, when they bring new evidence to his attention, Horatio reacts as if he knew that answer all along. He has so absorbed the scientific method that he can process the answers in his mind.

More than the cocked-head, cocky surety of Horatio, Jesus comes to us saying, “Here’s what I think,” and then lays out our entire life of sin, pursuing our own thoughts and desires, and committing the crime of setting aside God’s Law. Horatio shows care for victims, a long list of people he promises to watch, but Jesus cares for us, the criminals.

When Jesus sees our sin, He doesn’t send us to jail with a witty one-liner. He offers forgiveness, love, and His Spirit. He offers us the full Truth of the cross and resurrection, death and new life, judgment for sin and forgiveness. He sees us for who we really are, but He says, “Here’s what I think. I think that you are guilty but innocent in my sight. I think you deserve eternal death, but I will make sure that you life forever in peace with God.”