After admitting that I enjoy two pretty cheesy shows, I had a great conversation with a mentor of mine last night.
What is the Christian assessment of entertainment?
Entertainment is probably the biggest idol in our culture (pun somewhat intended), and I'm afraid that I buy into it a lot, and I don't really like to think about that.
I could sit down and watch 3 NFL games in a row EASY. I could play Halo for 6 consecutive hours EASY (and, last week, I might have come close!). But then I talk about not being to find time for people like my mentor, or I talk about how worn out I am, or I talk about how it's difficult to find time to devote to prayer and study.
That's crap, I just choose having fun over doing stuff that matters!
So there we have sort of the first principal in the question, how do we balance work and entertainment?
The second, and I think more difficult question, is what sort of things are innappropriate to be entertained by? If I believe that war is wrong, should I really be spending hours shooting at pretend spacemen on Halo? If I believe that marriage should be the context in which two people become one through sex, is it wrong to watch The Office; where Michael Scott and Jan have a sexual relationship outside of marriage? Am I in a really small way, lending support to these views that are not what I say I believe? Am I being honest with myself in saying that I enjoy the commradery of playing online with my bros, and love the witty humor in the office apart from the afforementioned issues? Or is that like the classic: "I don't listen to the words, just the beat" that no body ever believes?
Worst of all, I feel like such an old fogey saying all this!!!! Help!
3 comments:
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This is quite the dilemma. I think that you can watch these shows of you are responsible enough to know the difference between the right and the wrong. And you should also realize that personally, you need to make time for the things that are important to you. If talking to certain people and prayer is important to you, you will find a way to make time for that. And it may be difficult at first, but soon it will make you feel better. I found out that I had to do stuff I think is important on purpose. I can't accidentally find myself at the gym. My fiance wants to talk to me sometimes instead of workout, but I realize I will have the rest of my life to talk with him and we talk all the time as it is. So it's just a question of what YOU want and how can you balance your activities. But also, can you handle the images that confront you responsibly. Sorry so long...hope that helped a little!
Discernment. Now there is a scary word, but I think it applies to looking at entertainment. We need to recharge and watch TV, see a movie, read a book, go camping, watch a ballgame, play video games, have a good conversation. But the thing to me is what you think about it. Is it bad to like the Office because of the affair, or put it in context and laugh about the show? My favorite guitar player is Frank Zappa. I love his jazz music and even think some of his songs are funny or right on target in their criticism. But he was an avowed atheist. Do I overlook his crude humor and his views that do not agree with mine? I guess I do. But I also tend to enjoy his music where he breaks away from all of the noise and just plays or runs his incredible bands through very difficult pieces. Like any human endeavor, you take the good with the bad.
However, I also have blamed Pastor Laura for sparking a knack for finding the "holy in the secular" where I will catch myself seeing things as an allegory or as a statement that viewed from a Christian perspective, totally resonates with things Christ said.
Drives my lovely wife nuts...
So let's sit down sometime and pick apart a TV show or a movie.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
I would talk about work, but I am too lazy right now.
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