Popular Culture: Being lulled to sleep.
I have some concerns about some elements of our pop culture today, particularly media, entertainment, and new forms of communication. Examples of these are TV, secular music, cell phones, text messaging, email, Facebook, etc. My concern is that these technologies open up little and seemingly tiny cracks for being lured to believing that somethings are OK, which are really not.
From the outset let me clear. These are my opinions for myself; my views, how I live my life, and they may or may not be for you. I put this stuff out there for fodder. It helps me process.
When it comes to these types of things (things about which, I as a Christian, have a choice) Iscripture gives much leeway to the individual–loose guidelines, if you will. Statements like “all things are permissible, but not all things are profitable” and “whatever is pure and lovely…dwell on these things” leave various shades of gray, no doubt. However, when you add to this thought process “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, MIND, and strength” then clarity begins to come. I should do only those permissible things which are profitable in helping me to love my Lord with all my heart and my neighbor..This is, in simple form, the basis of my philosophy.
I own a TV set. We do no get cable, satellite, or even local channels. That was my decision. I now wonder how I had the time to ever watch the thing. I am not a total prude, though. The kids do have a Wii and watch movies from time to time. My problem with TV is that I do not feel safe letting my kids watch even a football game for the commercials. Most of the commercials are very sexually charged, sometimes bordering on soft porn. Forget the kids, I do not need to see it. Same goes for movies. I have to be careful.
Secular music is something that I am currently wrestling with. Simply put, a house divided cannot stand and if you are not for me then you are against me. Let me say first, as one who holds a performance degree in music, that not all secular music is bad. But, and it is a big BUT, music, in my opinion is not neutral. Music is something that is eternal. There is not a subject that is more prolific in scripture . For example, Psalms is an entire book of music and lyrics. Music exists to worship God.We exist to worship. Satan hates us and God. He tries to receive worship or move it away from God. So then, if music is not drawing a person to God, not engaging our mind to worship God, not encouraging us in the Lord, should we be listening? Obviously, not enough space here to develop a good dialogue or argument. If you pray and ask God what He wants you to listen to, He will faithfully answer. Trust me, get on your knees with your favorite secular CD and ask your Lord if it honors Him. The very thought of this makes me start making excuses for what I listen to. Try it.
I am going to lump cell phones and computer communication into this last paragraph. Sometimes I like to think simply to cut through all of the chatter. Here is my simple thought. If I, being married, would not want my wife to know who I was communicating with should I being doing it? Hmmmm…? Or, if I would not allow a particular person to call my house and ask for me on my home phone (soon to be a thing from the past) should I communicate with them via cell or online? I do not think so. However, cell technology and programs such as Facebook make this behavior easy. These kind of actions seem normal–everyone is doing it, right! We are warned to not be lulled to sleep. It is so easy for me to think “oh I’m just catching up with some old friends.” That is fine and good, but one must be careful, I think. Pray about who God wants you to communicate with. Seriously, He will faithfully answer.
Being “in the world, but not of it” is a tenuous balance. Salt and light. The flavor enhancing and light giving people in a bland and dark world. I am trying to uncover how to love my Lord in this ever changing world. What can I shed to make more room? What is it that I do not need? Do I really need electronic binary bumperstickers on MySpace and Facebook? Do I really want to know that so-and-so is watching Lost on TV? Or maybe I am making an excuse for not having people physically in my living room because we are all together updating our statuses. Geez, I do not know. Something just does not sit well. It makes me uneasy.
Once again, thanks to the devoted few…
