A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to interview "American Idol" season five finalist Mandisa Hundley (more commonly referred to as just "Mandisa"). I asked her about the ironic nature of someone such as herself, a staunchly devout Evangelical Christian, on a show that celebrates the concept of world-driven stardom.

The irony wasn't lost on the national recording artist. She fully understands how strange it must seem for so many Christians to be popping up all over the smash hit television show "American Idol." After all, doesn't one of those Ten Commandments expressly warn against the creation of idols?

But for the outspoken woman of faith, it all made sense once she realized just how powerful the show's reach really was.

"Every time I think about this, I think its funny-and just like the Lord that I know-that He would actually take a show like ‘American Idol' and use it as a platform for Him," Mandisa said. "That's who He is. And so I don't think it's a coincidence and I think He's up to something in our generation and He wants to let the world know that it's cool to love Jesus. I think He's using the biggest show in America to do it and I think that's true to His nature."

Take for instance Idol winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino and Carrie Underwood who are just a few contestants who got their starts in church. Studdard actually recorded a gospel album and Underwood's biggest hit to date is the faith-tinged "Jesus Take The Wheel."

Other participants such as Kimberly Locke, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Lakisha Jones, Jason Castro and George Huff have also displayed their beliefs through music and personal commentaries. The sixth season of American Idol produced perhaps one of the largest Christian contingencies with the likes of winner Jordin Sparks and finalists Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh.

Sparks has participated in various Christian talent events and has been outspoken about her beliefs on conservative issues such as abortion and abstinence. Doolittle sang backup for Martha Munizzi and Anointed and has since performed with Michael W. Smith. Stacey led worship at a church in Shawnee, Okla., and recently signed a record deal with Reunion Records. Sligh covered songs by dcTalk and Mute Math on the show and has seen great success at Christian radio with songs like "Empty Me" and "Arise."

And this year (season eight) was no different. Finalist Scott MacIntyre, the visually-impaired piano virtuoso, cut his musical teeth in the local church as did fellow finalists Michael Sarver (who led worship at Harvest Church) and Matt Giraud. Top three competitor Danny Gokey was a worship leader for Faith Builders International in Wisconsin. His on-air trip back home highlighted a strong connection to that church body.

And of course the surprise winner and proverbial underdog Kris Allen has been seen on YouTube leading worship songs such as Chris Tomlin's "God of This City."

Mandisa told me that these things are just another sign of how God is using the foolish to confound the wise-and hopefully changing lives in the process.

"Our success on [American Idol] isn't just about how we can reach the fans," she said. "This is also about reaching out to the people who are involved with the show. I can't say enough about what I hope the impact is on Paula, Simon and Randy. I think the Lord is using contestants to be his mouthpiece. I just don't think it's a coincidence."

It's a strange dynamic for sure-one that Christians usually either shun or embrace. Personally, I think having a Christian presence smack dab in the middle of a show like American Idol is nothing short of amazing.

And as long as the aforementioned believers can handle the fame and maintain their faith in God, they might just do something that Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell never intended-put the spotlight back on the Creator of all things creative.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla. He has authored several books including a four-book FCA series (Regal Books) and is the coordinating producer on a forthcoming documentary called Choosing Life.

This week I traveled to South Bend, Ind., to attend the funeral-or should I say the home-going service-of my 94-year-old grandfather. Lawrence Lowe Sr. was a spry man and as the patriarch of the Lowe clan, he possessed wisdom far beyond his years.

He stood about 5 feet 11 inches tall, but in my eyes he looked more like 6 foot 6. His ebony complexion hid the scars and hardships of growing up under the burden of racial segregation and Jim Crow laws. But he let nothing stop him from leaving his mark on the earth in his own unique way.

He spent his early years working as a farmer on his dad's farm along with his eight brothers, and as a carpenter in his latter years. His huge fists no doubt held the key to thousands of family stories that I unfortunately never got a chance to hear.

We all regret when we peer into the casket of a loved one and realize we didn't get a chance to say "I love you" one more time. But years before my grandfather slipped into eternity, I got the chance to tell him "thank you." I thanked him for giving me the man in my life-my dad.

Daniel Lowe is an awsome man! His love for me is unconditional, and his guidance is too. When I became a single mom, he stepped into my daughter's life and became a surrogate father to her. He has instilled character and integrity in me, and today I love the Lord because my earthly father made a believer out of me. It's my definition of a living legacy.

I believe love and life are the two greatest gifts we can give to one another. The Bible says for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and the Son gave His life so that we might spend eternity with Him (see John 3:16).

When we accept Jesus into our lives and live for Him, we not only secure our place in heaven, we leave behind a spiritual legacy that will never die. God's love is the gift that keeps on giving, and we must pass it on to our children's children and for generations to come.

Valerie G. Lowe is associate editor for Charisma. Check out her e-newsletters Standing With Israel and Spiritled Woman e-Magazine.

Before there was The Da Vinci Code, there was Angels & Demons. This might come as a surprise to some who thought Dan Brown's best-selling novel turned 2006's blockbuster movie was the first to center around Robert Langdon, a fictional Harvard professor of religious symbology.

In fact, Angels & Demons was written in 2000 and preceded The Da Vinci Code by three years. But Ron Howard-who returns to direct the latest intellectual thriller-decided to tackle the two projects in reverse order, presumably because of The Da Vinci Code's more scintillating story line. He also retained Tom Hanks' services as Langdon for this prequel turned sequel that hit theatres this past weekend.

An Internet search of the term “postmodernism” will reveal, among many things, an advertisement from an online book distributor stating, “Millions of titles, new and used!” Obviously an enormous amount has been written on the topic. Webster defines “postmodernism” as: “Of, relating to, or being of an era after a modern one, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism typically characterized by a return to traditional materials and forms, or being a theory that involves radical reappraisal of modern assumptions about culture, identity, history, or language.”