WWSBD – What Would Shepherd Book Do

I’m a huge fan of the TV Show Firefly (and the follow up movie Serenity). For the uninitiated Firefly is a Science Fiction set in a time when humans have had to leave the solar system and settle on new worlds.

O.K now stay with me…

It’s not just a Science Fiction, it’s also a bit of a Western as in these new worlds pioneers struggle to survive much like a stylized old American West with gunfights and lots of drinking. There is also a lot of other influence (Asian language, Zombie Horror, etc.) making it a truly multilayered feast.

It’s o.k. just keep reading…

There is a character in Firefly called Shepherd Book. He is a monastic figure in a future version of traditional Christianity. For some reason he gets the idea to leave the safety of his abbey and go visit the frontier. He takes passage on a spaceship called ‘Serenity’ which, unknown to him, is crewed by smugglers and thieves. His fellow passengers are fugitives from a tyrannical government and working out of the ships shuttle is a ‘companion’ – future-speak for prostitute.

He soon finds himself in the middle of these people’s trials and tribulations. In a memorable moment between gun battles and thieving he remarks to the companion,

“I think I’m on the wrong ship”

She disagrees telling him he might just be on the right one. From that moment Shepherd Book takes on the task of loving the people on Serenity. He becomes Christ to the ship’s community. In the climactic movie ‘Serenity’ he has moved on to a new community likewise in need of a Christ like figure, here he dies defending his flock, with his last breath he exhorts the ‘hero’ Mal to find something to believe in, something he ultimately does. There is so much more to this story and I recommend grabbing the DVDs.

Shepard Book is a wonderfully missional figure, there is more to him than is reveled in the TV show (which was cut short) or movie, but what we see confirms he is missional.

He embraces the call to God’s mission in this world (Missio Dei) he clearly sees beyond the titles smuggler, thief and whore and recognises the fingerprint of God in peoples lives (Imago Dei) and seeks to find where Jesus is already at work and dares to step into that context and work with him (Participatus Christo). He moves outside his comfort zone and finds Proximity with those he seeks to serve and love. He clearly seeks to practices the presence of Christ in the midst of serenity’s crew, living as he believes Jesus would aboard the ship. He embraces material and temporal powerlessness although there is an indication that he had the potential it come among these people from a position of power he instead came as one of them and as a servant. Finally he does in key moments embrace proclamation, he becomes the voice of God in situations far removed from the church.

I’m not suggesting Book is the best model of Christ following or even the best missional roll model but he is missional. What attracts me to him is that the character was created by a self confessed atheist and absurdist, Joss Wedon. I see Joss (alongside the likes of Kevin Smith and Larry and Andy Wachowski) as a key voice for a group of subcultures that I have a massive heart for. To me Shepard Book is a call to the church from those subcultures about the kind of people they wish we were. To put it simply – They like Shepherd Book but not the Church and I think that means they wish the church was missional.

This is what attracts me to missional. The fact that it might just be the kind of Christianity people have been waiting for. I don’t mean to say ‘if we do this or that then people will all start falling all over themselves to sign up’, but maybe we might just start living up to the image of Christ a bit more and they will not have cause to doubt we really are his disciples. In the end Book has his flaws but the things that are good about him are the things that are Christlike.


This post is part of a missional Syncroblog on the question 'why am I missional' the participants are:


Jonathan Brink - Why I Am Missional

Jeromy Johnson - 3 Reasons

Bryan Riley - Jesus Is The Way And He Was Missional

Blake Huggins - Why I Am Missional

Alan Knox - Demonstrating The Heart Of God

Tim Jones - Participation or Observation?



Ben Wheatley - What Would Shepherd Book Do


I should add that Darran at digitalorthodoxy has been working his way though Firefly and making a study series on some of the themes from the show.