Wow, I woke up early this morning and as I was reading through my Facebook newsfeed to see what is going on in the world, as usual I was shocked and saddened. It seems that there has been another police shooting, the President of the Cub Scouts came out supporting homosexual leaders and Josh Duggar did something?
Just some thoughts that passed through my head as I wondered how did we as a society get to this morning’s news?
I think that I will tackle the “Reality TV Star” situation first.
As a society we have begun to worship false reality through our TV screens. We see a portrayed view of people as we watch them supposedly being real, but with a camera watching their every move. Along with that you have editors and directors and sound people and don’t forget make up and special effects.
The truth is that nothing on TV is real. So the problem that we have is, because we are all looking at some level to find people we can identify with, we end up following reality TV, because it helps us to believe that our life either isn’t really that bad (16 and pregnant and other disturbing things), or the wholesome stuff like (19 and Counting).
For me it is the “Waltons”, I enjoy watching the struggles in their life and seeing how it always draws them closer together. It gives me hope that the world is still an okay place for my kids and I to live.
Here is the problem however. Many of the actors that were in the Waltons, and remember they are actors, went through all kinds of struggles with different life situations. The reality of “Reality TV” is that it is not real, and I don’t really know the people involved other than the parts they want me to see.
This brings me to the next point which is Television and News in particular.
When we were in the Philippines one of the most interesting things to me was to watch the news about what was going on in the USA. This was during the Baltimore riot which was a non-stop news event in the US. However, in the Philippines it got about 30 seconds of coverage. Not because it was any less important but instead, because Manny Pacquiao was fighting. Then the whole shoulder thing, which you may not have even heard about here, came out and the news hour was full. See in the Philippines Manny is a hero, so the coverage while we were there was about him. All day, every day—non-stop Paccy news.
The news in the US has discovered that if you create events, then you get viewers, and viewers are what brings advertisers, and advertisers are what pays the bills. So they report just enough to get everyone fired up, or at least the group that will come unglued, because again the event (riots) they create sells more news. There is nothing better than an officer involved shooting, with a white man and a black man on the 5 o’clock slot. Who cares if the news report leaves some facts out, or implies some things to make it look a little more scandalous than it really is.
The real question that has to be asked to get to an honest answer is; why do we consume what the world is putting out? Why are we so consumed by everyone else’s struggles, and why are we as a supposedly Christian believing culture, so absorbed with other people’s lives?
Here is the answer!!!
WE HAVE FAR TO MUCH FREE TIME!!!!!
The United States of America has become so abundant that we no longer have to really struggle. After seeing the lifestyle that I witnessed in the Philippines I was again reminded of what God said in Deuteronomy 8:11; “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.” This is really the core of every problem in America.
Churches, all the way to the people who attend them have life so easy that we have lost our way, and the reality that there is a REAL struggle going on. I find it in my own life all the time as I go about my day, I complain and whine about things, that in the reality of others struggles for basic needs, are so ridiculous only a person with too much time could possibly come up with them.
We have taken the verse about “Idle hands” as being just people out of work. However Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 5:11-13 that younger widows should not be getting assistance for long. Because they will become lazy and spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in others business. This is because, as we see today, people with too much time often fall away from God and lose sight of reality.
We have become a society that is consumed with self-indulgence, consuming anything and everything we can get our hands on. We believe that taking on debt is okay, and we buy things, and do things that cause our lives to become slaves to our stuff and the debt that our self-indulgence creates.
Most of all, as I was awakened to on our trip, I become self-focused and self-absorbed and don’t even realize it. After I become self-absorbed the process to get me into trouble is really easy.
So that is one of the ways that we have gotten to our troubles of today. As a society we have taken our eyes off of the Lord and forgotten in our plenty, the plights and struggles of those that have not. We have become detached from the command again and again to “Remember to take care of the poor.” And instead become a people that just worry about taking care of ourselves.
Here is a really great test to see where you are on the scale of following God or self-absorption.
What is the first thing you think about when you wake up?
How much time do you spend reading your Bible and praying, and how much time do you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, watching TV?
How much debt do you have and how much of it is on things that are not basic needs (Food, Clothing, Shelter)?
If God asked you to give up your favorite thing would you be willing or would you resist and disobey?
This is what the world is hungry for, a group of people, the Church, to rise up and show them that there is more to life than what the world is showing!
Rise up and throw off the TV shows and luxury items that are binding you. You don’t have to live in poverty but living in a generous and loving way, brings life and life more abundant.
If you don’t believe me, come and let’s talk. I will tell you what we are finding as we live a new way, and follow Christ in a way that seems too often go against even mainstream American Christian teaching.
We don’t have it all figured out but we are figuring it ou,t and man is it good!
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