Seeing Through the Eyes of Tammy Faye

 What lurked beyond the overdone makeup and emotional singing - beyond the plastic smile and over-flowing tears may have been a hidden message of compassion and care; a message of tolerance and understanding; a message of love.  Recently my wife and I sat down to watch the 2021 movie, The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker.  Most of us are familiar with the story - after all, it was lived out on cable television and most major news networks.

From humble beginnings, Tammy Faye makes her way to a conservative Bible college where she meets Jim Bakker.  The two fall in love, drop out of college, get married and start their ministry - Jim preaching and Tammy Faye singing and doing puppet ministry with the children.  This catches the attention of Pat Robertson and his Christian Broadcasting Network and just like that, the Bakker’s Bible thumping star is on the rise.  All of a sudden this humble couple is exposed to excess and wealth that they could never imagine.  But they want more - they deserve more - God wants them to have more!  After all, God loves them and wants them to be happy.  And alas, the rise and fall of Jim and Tammy would be a fine movie in and of itself.  Greed, financial mismanagement, temptation, infidelity - more than enough to fill a two hour block of time to entertain the masses.  And what makes matters even better:  It was all true!  The rise and fall of a snake-oil salesman and his wife all in the name of Jesus.

But what if during this movie there was something also important to be gleaned - through and from “the eyes” of Tammy Faye?  What if behind the gaudy makeup, over-the-top singing, and fall into infidelity, there was an awareness and warning for Christians in the future?  What if there was a message that the Christian Church needs to be reminded of today?  

Through “the eyes” of Tammy Faye the church was  about one central message:  The Love of Jesus.  Confessing and absolving, caring and demonstrating compassion, loving and blessing those in need - no matter their circumstances.  However, this places a challenge before the church:  To remain faithful to that mission or give in to the lure of power and influence by saddling itself to one political party or another.  The church is supposed to be about the love of Jesus and not political influence.  In her encounter with Jerry Falwell (played by Vincent D’Onofrio) she is quick to dismiss his politicization of faith as contrary to the Christian message.  The movie presents the battle line that is drawn - does the church have a voice and place ministering in the midst of the AIDS epidemic or not?  And to carry that one step further:  What voice does the church have in the midst of the LGBTQ+ conversation today?  

Tammy Faye would demonstrate her commitment to the ministry of love.  She would become a voice of compassion and care to those dying of AIDS.  She would draw the ire of Jerry Falwell when she interviewed Pastor Steve Pieters (played by Randy Havens), a pastor dying of AIDS…and oh, by the way, a homosexual.  For Falwell AIDS was the “gay plague” and this was proof of God’s judgment.  No room for compassion, care, or concern.  The blight of homosexuality was a mighty club Falwell would wield all in the name of Jesus…and, of course, political affiliation.  For Tammy Faye AIDS had become an entry point for compassion and care to those who were suffering; it was a place to demonstrate what the love of Jesus was all about. 

Although Tammy Faye’s life would unravel and suffer a spectacular crash, at the heart and center of her being remained a fearless commitment to the truth of the love of Jesus.  She didn’t only want to tell people about the love of Jesus, she wanted to show it.  Broken, fallen, fractured, and wounded, it is easy to dismiss Tammy Faye…in fact, who wouldn’t?!  Financial excess and abuse, a flirtatious eye, and an outward appearance that seemed so phony.  And yet, in the midst of the storm this movie reminds us that there is something behind “the eyes of Tammy Faye.”  There was a simple faith that loved Jesus and loved other people - especially those who are suffering.  

The movie was a box office bomb (only making $2.7 million).  And yet it still drew the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences winning two awards (Best Actress for Jessica Chastain and Best Makeup - what a surprise…well, not really!).  Maybe, just maybe you should check this movie out.  Put your opinions and thoughts about the Bakker’s aside and meet Tammy Faye anew.  And then look for the good - the loving - the caring - the compassionate voice of Jesus.  Our world needs a lot more of that these days.  The church needs to be what we are called to be - not a tool of a political party but the loving hands and feet of Jesus.  So take a moment and see the world through “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”