Angels - Martha Williamson + Roma Downey

1955– 1960–

It’s commonplace to complain about the decadence of TV shows, but these two women did something about it. Individually and together, they have offered some bright spots in bleak lineups. Martha Williamson and Roma Downey have reminded Hollywood that there’s still a substantial market for wholesome entertainment.

Martha was a TV writer and producer, mostly in comedy, when CBS brought her in to work with a troubled project, Touched by an Angel. She had earned a reputation as a script doctor, someone who could breathe new life into a flawed story. That’s what happened with Angel in 1994. Martha, a Christian, became executive producer of that new show, which ran for nine very successful seasons.

The program was consistently positive and inspirational, depicting angels sent by God to redeem bad situations and offer messages of hope. It was not aggressively evangelistic, but it was generically spiritual. The goal, expressed often by Martha and the show’s breakout star, Roma Downey, was to share God’s love. The series also featured Della Reese, another active Christian.

Martha and Roma both went on to produce other programs with spiritual and explicitly Christian messages. Along with her husband, Mark Burnett, Roma produced The Bible miniseries for the History Channel; it aired in 2013. In it, she played Mary, Jesus’ mother. The series was a stunning success, with a reported viewership of more than 100 million.

Jesus told his disciples they were “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Ever since then, Christians have tried to find ways to season and enlighten their society. How are you doing that? Are you bringing flavor to your workplace through your God-given joy and creativity? Is your home a beacon of caring and compassion in your community?

You don’t have to be a TV star to do any of that. But you can have a major effect on your Facebook friends and Twitter followers and even your next-door neighbors—not by telling them how wrong they are, but by touching their hearts with a word of hope.

You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:13-14