There is so much to unpack in Station Eleven. For a critic like me, the 10-episode HBO Max series (not to mention the spectacular 2015 novel from which the show is adapted) is a goldmine of inspiration. It’s the sort of thing I relish writing about. But why spend hours writing a 1,200-word essay about a TV show, for a website devoted to the gospel? How is this relevant for Christian life and mission? In the scheme of things, why should Christians care about television, movies, and the arts, let alone what critics have to say about these things?

I’ve written longer answers to these questions in various places (the chapter on beauty in my book The Wisdom Pyramid is a good place to start). But here’s one short answer for why it matters.

The narratives and artistic expressions of a culture reveal society’s questions, preoccupations, idols, heresies, hopes, and fears. They reveal the meaning humans make—and the imperfect answers they find—in a world of chaos. They often reveal what we believe, want to believe, or refuse to believe about God. They are thus inherently theological, and inherently important for Christians seeking to love our neighbors in the direction of truth.

Station Eleven is an especially good example of art that opens up avenues for theological conversation. God and the Christian gospel aren’t explicitly there in the story, but the story is haunted by both. So much of pop culture today is God-haunted. Do we have eyes to spot these spectres and help people connect the dots between pop culture’s questions, insufficient answers, and biblical truth? I hope so. In a post-Christian world where the echoes of religion in pop culture are perhaps more approachable to people than the institutions of religion, this kind of work (some call it cultural apologetics) is a great missional opportunity.