True Fiction vs. False Reality

As you are all aware, we are living in the age of reality television. It is one of the most popular forms of entertainment today. Millions of people tune in each week to watch their favorite "reality stars" either contend in increasingly Machiavellian competitions and/or get into fights with one another. I am not necessarily bringing this subject up to condemn all such programming, but simply to observe the way it can sometimes affect us.

When done well, art (specifically film and TV) can change us. It can make us think, bring us closer to one another or to God, or simply help us empathize with people we could have never imagined. Great art utilizes all the tools of character and conflict to put a spotlight on human interaction. Great art creates believable, interesting characters that we can see ourselves in. We can look at Harry Potter or Tony Soprano or Cinderella and put ourselves in their shoes. Whether they are heroes or villains we can recognize their hopes, dreams, and personality traits and identify with them. These characters not only reveal the humanity of the viewer but that of the artist as well. Great artists want to share stories that elevate us or challenge us to examine ourselves.

I place this in contrast to much of reality TV. Networks love these shows because they are quickly and cheaply produced. They are cranked out one after another but often feature nothing more than temporary entertainment. The process is backwards, in a sense. These shows feature "real" people in "real" situations, but these situations are still staged and edited for television. Since all entertainment is based on conflict, the show creators must strip away the slow and boring parts, creating false tension and reducing three-dimensional people into one-dimensional heroes and villains in the process.

At this point you're probably asking: "I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CHURCH BLOG! WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH JESUS?" Well, everything. The art and entertainment we consume affects our heart. It affects our view of God's people and creation.

Let's look at a recent example: John & Kate Plus 8. Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of who they are. According to various news reports, Jon and Kate Gosselin (admitted Christ-followers both) are having marital difficulties. It's all over the place: on TV, the internet, and in print media. And to make matters more complicated, people are taking sides in this very personal conflict.

I feel that as Christians we must step up and be examples. We must recognize the situation and pray for the parties involved. (Question: How often do we pray for famous people?) We must realize that we don't have all the answers to take sides, nor do we need to. After all, we are only seeing one (or several) days' worth hugs, kisses, spats, and slaps boiled down to a single episode. We are getting news from tabloid reports concerned not with the welfare of the relationship, but with selling more issues. We need to be careful with our judgements.

I'm not trying to blog about this from a self-righteous standpoint. I'm as guilty as anyone. I gossip every day, often without even being aware of it. But Jesus has put this on my heart recently. I feel we should look to art to help encourage and improve us, and use our newly-found empathy and love to help the broken-hearted and disillusioned.

Instead, the combination of fast technology and short attention spans have made it easier for us to pass judgement and condemnation in quick glances without realizing the results. Again, it is not my intention nor my place to condemn a whole section of American culture. I just fell that art and entertainment reveal a lot about the condition of our hearts, and it's important to guard them carefully.

Blogging

I've never blogged before. I think that I once commented on a blog a couple of years ago, but that's the extent of my blog-posting experience before today. It's not that I have anything against blogging, but it's more that I'm mostly indifferent to the idea. In fact, I don't have much energy for living in the virtual world of blogging, tweeting and writing on personal facebook walls.

It's not that I don't care about what is happening in the lives and thoughts of others. It's more that I don't understand the need for everyone to know everything that I think, believe or do. Who really needs to know the regularity of my bowel movements or that I know the proper use of their/they're/there? It's nouveau narcissism where everyone with a keyboard and a modem can update the world about personal trivia that others rarely want or need to know. And yet, here I am posting my own thoughts for the entire world to read. Suerly the world will rest better tonight because I have contributed a few more words into the abyss of cyberspace.

Really, though...

Why should anyone care what is happening in my world? For that matter, why should I care about what is happening outside myself?

We care because we know that while we may live by ourselves that we cannot thrive on our own. We care because deep down we know that we need the strength that comes from others.

We care because we need each other.

We're online because we're seeking something that we cannot provide ourselves. We search the internet because we need to connect to the surrounding universe that seems simultaneously so close and so distant. We reach out in hopes that something can reach back to us.

And yet we try to portray to everyone we meet that we can do it all on our own. We pretend as if there's an "S" emblazoned on our blue undershirts that enables us to be the first people in history who can fly solo through life. But just as Superman has his Kryptonite, we too have our weaknesses that we can't overcome on our own. And when we fail to seek help, we crumble emotionally, physically and spiritually.

As a community, we must hold each other accountable to living a real life with one another. Seek help when you need it. So often we do not have what we need because we do not ask. And in matters where you are doing well, offer what you can do for the rest of us.

Let's make that the blog of our Movement. Let it become the tweet of our community.

I think we'll be surprised as to who and how many people might be following our blogs. On and off line.

A Transforming Gospel

There is ultimately no justification for a private piety that doesn't work out in actual mission, just as there is ultimately not justification for people who use their activism in the social, cultural, or political sphere as a screen to prevent them from facing the same challenges wihtin their own lives--the challenge, that is, of God's kingdom, of Jesus's lordship, and of the Spirit's empowering. If the gospel isn't transforming you, how do you know that it will transform anything else?

NT Wright (Surprised by Hope, 270)

If they ask you for a sign of the Father in you, tell them it's movement, movement, movement.... and repose.

-mewithoutYou

Ideal

I think there's a tendency to sometimes romanticize new forms of church.  "If only we could get in a true community."  Or "Things would be different if we only did things this way."  If only we were in charge, we would get it right.  The grass is always greener on the other side.  The truth is we will always struggle to live faithfully, no matter how big, small, or unique one's community is.  The desire for something better is healthy, but it must take on flesh and not just words.

The problem with the church has always been the same:  it's made up of people.  People who are selfish, lazy, and sinful.  (That's pretty redundant, eh?)  The true community wars against this as a collective.  It speaks in unity against apathy and calls us to something better we are by ourselves.  If it fails to do this, it ceases to be a true community. 

May we never be so arrogant as to think we can solve all the problems.  But may we not be so foolish as to cease to push for something better than what we are now.

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Saturday, 6pm at Trinity Park for trash pick up.