I've noticed over the span of a few years, that there is one area that is the greatest cause of contention and judgement in the church. No, it's not the issue of homosexuality. It's the media. Nothing can divide people like a different taste, standard, or theology on film, music, literature, and games. The subject of media can easily cause two families sitting across from each other to enter into an uncomfortable silence, each entertaining thoughts such as, "I can't believe they allow/don't allow that into their home." "I can't believe they listen/don't listen to that type of music." "How can be they so apathetic/uptight about that content in films/games." I've seen it time and again, in myself, and in the church as a whole. Why is media such a hot-button, contentious topic? Believe me, I've wracked my brains for an answer other than legalism (on both ends of the spectrum) and have come up with nothing.
This is the one subject that I have heard INCREDIBLY strong opinions on from various people and factions within the church. It is responsible for a great amount of doubt pertaining to someone's salvation in Christ (for example, "he can't sing that type of music and still call himself a christian! I mean, listen to those drums and guitars!" "how can you call yourself a christian and watch a film that has that junk in it. You just need to get right with God.") It's the cause for a great deal of the fights between church members. Some debates I've heard can get pretty heated. And again, I have no idea why! And since I have no answer to that question, I will instead try to ask a different one.
Why are we so concerned about this? It's entertainment. Yes, I do believe that God can use media in great ways, but so often we fight over it as if it were the ONLY way He works.
We call Christians to support a certain company/artist/or particular art style in media all in the name of God and being His hands and feet. The truth is, our support of media--of entertainment--is not being the hands and feet. It's being the eyes and ears. It doesn't take all that much to support a music artist. All it takes nowadays is to whip out the phone, punch a button, and boom, you have now supported the artist. Again, don't get me wrong. I am in no way disregarding the wonderful work these artists are doing for Christ. I myself am a huge fan of and have a passion for media. I just believe we put too much into entertainment--not talking about quality here, but rather heart. I fear our heart is too deep into entertainment.
Here's an example. I've seen, first and foremost in myself and in others, the eager willingness to pour money into cds, books, and such, especially in the Christian media realm. We'll run to the store, plunk down sixty bucks on the counter, take our new purchases and leave happy. But then here comes that ragged man with the cardboard sign on the side of the road. Oh, gosh, now I gotta pray about whether or not to give that man a twenty... Here, Christian book store, take my forty for these three cds. Heavenly Father, these missionaries are doing a great work in Africa for You, if it is Your will, please speak to my heart if I'm supposed to give them financial aid...
And we say buying stuff makes us the hands and feet of God? Being Christ-like is listening exclusively to christian music and supporting it like crazy? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I thought Jesus had His hands in dirt more often than He had His ears around music, or His eyes around plays and paintings.
Jesus, first of all, was born in dirt and the muck of animals living in a small, confined quarter. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:1-2). I imagine it wasn't too clean out there. Most likely (and this is just speculation) he slept on the ground, which incidentally, is made up of dirt and foliage--sometimes sand, rocks, and mud. And bugs. He touched a leper to heal him (Matt. 8:1-3). You only need to look up the disease to know how nasty that must have been. Many of His parables included figures whose hands were in contact with dirt: the sower (Matt.13:1-9), another parable with a sower (Matt. 13:24-30), yet another man sowing in dirt (Matt 13:31-32), yet another parable of workers in a vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16,and a treasure in a field which a man dug around in the dirt to find (Matt. 13:44). Jesus took little children into His arms (Matt. 19:13-15). If you don't think that's less than an ideal hygienic situation, remember: mothers back then didn't have hand sanitizer with them at all times. He touched two blind guys' eyeballs (Matt. 20:29-34). He fell on His face in prayer in a garden(Matt. 26:39), which I repeat, is a lot of dirt and foliage. These are all examples taken from the book of Matthew alone! I didn't even get to that time he made mud by scooping up a handful of dirt, spat in it, and rubbed it in a blind man's eyes to heal him...
So then this begs some new questions. What were the hands and feet of Christ doing then? What are they doing now? What did Christ do in His time here on Earth? What are we doing with our time here?
Being the hands and feet of Christ is not staying home and being patrons of the christian arts. It is more often than not, going outside our own little worlds and getting down in the dirt, foliage, and germs to not just show Christ to others, but to be Christ to others.
And so, in ending, I'd like to say: to the many musicians, filmmakers, authors, and artists in the ministry. Keep blessing, encouraging, and admonishing the saints to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the farmers, programmers, cashiers, waitresses, and pizza delivery guys. Keep working hard in society to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the missionaries, bible translators, volunteers to help the sick and elderly, and soup kitchen workers. Keep ministering to those in need and spreading the gospel throughout the world to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. And to the ones who have been locked inside their comfortable prisons for too long, who have been afraid of stepping out in faith, afraid of what they might lose. The rich young ruler lost the greatest opportunity to be with Jesus, to perhaps be one of His close disciples, because he too, feared the same things. Trust me, there is much more to gain than what there is to lose. Step out, bend down, and get your hands dirty, showing His love for the world around you to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God.
Why are we so concerned about this? It's entertainment. Yes, I do believe that God can use media in great ways, but so often we fight over it as if it were the ONLY way He works.
We call Christians to support a certain company/artist/or particular art style in media all in the name of God and being His hands and feet. The truth is, our support of media--of entertainment--is not being the hands and feet. It's being the eyes and ears. It doesn't take all that much to support a music artist. All it takes nowadays is to whip out the phone, punch a button, and boom, you have now supported the artist. Again, don't get me wrong. I am in no way disregarding the wonderful work these artists are doing for Christ. I myself am a huge fan of and have a passion for media. I just believe we put too much into entertainment--not talking about quality here, but rather heart. I fear our heart is too deep into entertainment.
Here's an example. I've seen, first and foremost in myself and in others, the eager willingness to pour money into cds, books, and such, especially in the Christian media realm. We'll run to the store, plunk down sixty bucks on the counter, take our new purchases and leave happy. But then here comes that ragged man with the cardboard sign on the side of the road. Oh, gosh, now I gotta pray about whether or not to give that man a twenty... Here, Christian book store, take my forty for these three cds. Heavenly Father, these missionaries are doing a great work in Africa for You, if it is Your will, please speak to my heart if I'm supposed to give them financial aid...
And we say buying stuff makes us the hands and feet of God? Being Christ-like is listening exclusively to christian music and supporting it like crazy? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I thought Jesus had His hands in dirt more often than He had His ears around music, or His eyes around plays and paintings.
Jesus, first of all, was born in dirt and the muck of animals living in a small, confined quarter. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:1-2). I imagine it wasn't too clean out there. Most likely (and this is just speculation) he slept on the ground, which incidentally, is made up of dirt and foliage--sometimes sand, rocks, and mud. And bugs. He touched a leper to heal him (Matt. 8:1-3). You only need to look up the disease to know how nasty that must have been. Many of His parables included figures whose hands were in contact with dirt: the sower (Matt.13:1-9), another parable with a sower (Matt. 13:24-30), yet another man sowing in dirt (Matt 13:31-32), yet another parable of workers in a vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16,and a treasure in a field which a man dug around in the dirt to find (Matt. 13:44). Jesus took little children into His arms (Matt. 19:13-15). If you don't think that's less than an ideal hygienic situation, remember: mothers back then didn't have hand sanitizer with them at all times. He touched two blind guys' eyeballs (Matt. 20:29-34). He fell on His face in prayer in a garden(Matt. 26:39), which I repeat, is a lot of dirt and foliage. These are all examples taken from the book of Matthew alone! I didn't even get to that time he made mud by scooping up a handful of dirt, spat in it, and rubbed it in a blind man's eyes to heal him...
So then this begs some new questions. What were the hands and feet of Christ doing then? What are they doing now? What did Christ do in His time here on Earth? What are we doing with our time here?
Being the hands and feet of Christ is not staying home and being patrons of the christian arts. It is more often than not, going outside our own little worlds and getting down in the dirt, foliage, and germs to not just show Christ to others, but to be Christ to others.
And so, in ending, I'd like to say: to the many musicians, filmmakers, authors, and artists in the ministry. Keep blessing, encouraging, and admonishing the saints to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the farmers, programmers, cashiers, waitresses, and pizza delivery guys. Keep working hard in society to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the missionaries, bible translators, volunteers to help the sick and elderly, and soup kitchen workers. Keep ministering to those in need and spreading the gospel throughout the world to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. And to the ones who have been locked inside their comfortable prisons for too long, who have been afraid of stepping out in faith, afraid of what they might lose. The rich young ruler lost the greatest opportunity to be with Jesus, to perhaps be one of His close disciples, because he too, feared the same things. Trust me, there is much more to gain than what there is to lose. Step out, bend down, and get your hands dirty, showing His love for the world around you to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God.
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