Movies+and+T.V.

=Movies and T.V. = = =

As I have discussed in the worldviews section, every single one of us has a worldview – a way of looking at the world. This worldview is shaped by a plethora of factors – family, friends, location, socio-economic status and so forth and even by media and entertainment. In short, we are all like a lump of clay that is being molded by our surroundings. Many people would not think it, or rather would deny it, that the fact is media and entertainment have a place in molding our emotions, desires and even helping shape our worldview.

The fact is movies are not just created for entertainment, they are also expressing views, emotions and beliefs of the director. All directors desire to evict from their viewers certain emotions and or feelings. If you are watching some Life Time movie about a daughter helping her cancer-ridden mother, this movie evicts a sense of sadness and even sympathy for cancer victims. Like wise, on commercials, for iPods, cell phones or car insurance, the object is to train your attention on to their product and desire it. The fact is, from reality shows, to sitcoms to movies, they all are expressing not just entertainment but they want a response from you – not just emotionally but also cognitively (getting you to think). The question then becomes, “What are we allowing ourselves to be shaped into? What are we subjecting our emotions and mind to?”

People in the Early Church were not ignorant of devoid of entertainment. The entertainment may have changed its looks but the goals are still the same. They too were surrounded by amphitheaters, races, gladiatorial sports in the Coliseum, and lots and lots of parties in the imperial palaces and religious temples. They too were faced by a tsunami of entertainment that was vying for their attention. This is why Paul told the Roman Christians:

//1I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. // //2Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. **Romans 12:1-2 (AMPL** //**//) //**

And the Roman Christians were not alone in their struggles with entertainment – so to were the Christians in the town of Ephesus. As Paul told them:

//17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. **Ephesians 4:17-24 (NKJV)** //

The key is to not allow yourself to be consumed with entertainment and media and not take the time and opportunity to fill your heart and mind with God’s truths so that you can grow in wisdom and discernment about what you are watching.



God does not want us to be bored or even unengaged in our culture. He does not want us to just withdraw from all of culture, watch no movies what so every, play no videogames what so ever – and rather set at home and look sanctimonious and proper. No, as Christians we are to engage our culture – this does not mean accept the culture but rather understand the culture, understand what makes it function, how does it correlate to what God says in His Word: in short, it is about growing in wisdom and discernment.

In Brian Godawa’s book Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment Godawa discusses how we should think about our consumption of media. We do not want to go from one extreme of denying all things in the culture (cultural anorexia); nor do we want to go to the other extreme and accept all in culture (cultural gluttony). So, we need to ask ourselves which category we see ourselves in? This is how Godawa breaks down the two:[1]


 * //Culturally Gluttonous //**
 * 1) Do you watch every movie that interests you without considering beforehand whether its subject matter is appropriate?
 * 2) Do you think movies and television are only entertainment and don’t communicate and real message?
 * 3) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">How many hours a week do you spend on entertainment? Now compare that with how many hours a week you read the Bible or other spiritual growth material.
 * 4) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">How many times have you enjoyed a movie that you later came to realize was offensive to your beliefs or worldview?


 * //<span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Culturally Anorexic //**
 * 1) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Do you generalize all movies as “worldly” or consider any depiction of sin as wrong without concern for the context?
 * 2) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Are you unable to appreciate anything good in a movie because of some bad you see in it?
 * 3) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Do you consider art and entertainment to be a waste of time and therefore spend all of your time on “spiritual” activities?
 * 4) <span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">How many times have you been incapable of interacting with those around you because you were out of touch with their cultural experience?

<span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">These are important questions to ask ourselves as we decide what entertainment to enter the gateway of our eyes and thus enter into our minds and hearts. As Christians we do not want to be either culturally anorexic or culturally gluttonous – we want to be in the “middle road governed by a biblical worldview and our individual convictions (cf. Rom. 14).”[2]

<span style="color: #494974; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Understand something very clearly, entertainment has the power to effect you emotionally. Emotions are extremely powerful and entertainment has an effect on them. Here is a note – Boys and girls, think of the movies, T.V. shows and games that have sexual innuendos in them. Then ask yourselves as you watch it, “What emotion or feelings are being triggered in what I am watching? What fantasy comes to my mind? What is the whole purpose of what I am allowing myself to watch?” Even better yet, take what you are watching and apply it to scripture and see how it lines up.

[1] Here I am quoting Godawa’s major points ** // directly // ** from: Morrow, Jonathan. // __Welcome to College: A Christ-Followers Guide for the Journey__ //. (Grand Rapids, IL: Kregel Publications, 2008). Pg 298 [2] Morrow Ibid 300