A Discernment...

I have been thinking a lot lately about Christian discernment, particularly as it relates to the media. American pop culture adopted, long ago, the "Oprah Winfrey" view of life and faith, i.e. "all roads lead to Heaven." Celebrities have become increasingly more infamous, garnering news features and front page spots for their more amoral acts, NOT moral ones. Men and women are singled out as "important" based on the car they drive, the purse they carry, the neighborhood they live in, or the clothes they wear. Character, honor, and modesty--these words are facing death under the ever-building popularity of others: money, beauty, and fame.

So what are Christians to do in the face of this? Interesting question. It might be easier to answer this by pointing out the responses that, I believe, are the wrong ones.

1) The Rejection: Many Christians take one look at our media, the Hollywood scene, and the film/television industry, and completely reject all of it. "There is no redemptive value in the media arts" or "God left Hollywood a long time ago" are common phrases amongst many believers. I cannot agree with this. God's perfect creation has fallen into sin, yes, but we often forget how big He is. While I do believe that much of the media is speeding away from anything of redemptive value, I know and trust that God is still at work there. Though they represent an almost invisible fraction of the industry, there are Christian artists seeking to reflect the Lord in their work. And perhaps more poignantly, God works to use non-believers as well. Look at films like The Kite Runner, The Painted Veil, or Gran Turino. Christian works of art? No. But the powerful stories of redemption within, touched by His gift of common grace, may be leading countless people to search for the true Redeemer. So let us never throw the baby out with the bath water; God DOES work in mysterious ways.

2) The Acceptance: More Christians fall into this category, I believe, than the former. Instead of carefully evaluating our media world with wisdom and discernment, many Christians simply accept the popular trends as "inevitable," or worse, look for ways to justify said trends through a "Christian" lens. The result is a "Christian-lite" view of reality, which is worse in my mind then atheism. Why? God demands TOTAL recognition, glory, and worship; to accept anything besides that, or along with that, is to lessen what is rightly due unto Him. This is, simply put, dangerous and wrong. The Oprah Winfrey all-paths-lead-to-Heaven mentality is VERY appealing, but what it invites is self-absorption, pride, and ignorance. And despite a common misguidance that is particularly rampant among younger Christians: it is NOT wrong to speak out against people who worship the creation rather than the Creator. Otherwise, how do we expect to gain any ground through evangelism? There has to be a right and a wrong.

Speaking with regards to recent history, I have noticed two prevalent examples of this "acceptance" view: 1) Obama's presidency and 2) Michael Jackson's legacy.

1) Obama's Presidency: I will not speak to party politics or debate the wisdom in voting for Obama. I will say, however, that I've been disappointed by people who follow this man based on what he SAYS alone. How long will it take men and women to recognize that words are deceitful, and it is ACTIONS that tell the truth? Satan had a lot of "convincing" things to say in the Garden of Eden, but his actions encouraged rebellion against God. I'm not calling President Obama Satan, of course, but I am asking men and women to get smart: a man's words mean only as much as the actions he chooses to support them. When the two do not match, it is time to be cautious. And no one can deny that we have seen this disjunction between words and actions from our President. So be careful.

2) Michael Jackson's legacy: I will be the first to say that Michael Jackson was an incredibly gifted artist. His talent for singing and dancing was (and is) unmatched. I will not, however, follow the hordes of men and women who are deifying this man based on his celebrity. We have lost the art of discerning where true value and admiration should be placed. Michael Jackson was hugely talented, but he was not honorable. No one can argue with this; look at the man's life. A series of tragedies that was marked by a selfish desire to attain worldly gratification and success; a goal that he achieved. But to what end? Did Michael Jackson seem or appear to be fulfilled, joyful, or at peace? No. It is important, therefore, that we distinguish between those we appreciate, and those we respect. A real hero is one who seeks fulfillment outside of himself, who worships the Creator (not the creation), and whose LIFE is carried out with dignity and honor. And Christians ought to be the FIRST to recognize this.

Of course, by recognizing that some people appear to be leading lives outside of God's grace, Christians are called judgmental and heartless. This should not deter us from telling the truth, however: God has told us what we need to know. Am I better then others, for knowing this truth? Of course not. I have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But we're still called to evangelize, which naturally means that there are MANY outside of the faith who need to hear God's Word. I cannot pass judgment on a person's heart of hearts, or claim to know who is truly saved or not. But again, actions are rather telling. If someone claims to have God's truth but is acting in direct opposition to it, then we can make the case that they are not following the Lord at all. Sadly, this does appear to be the case Michael Jackson. I cannot, therefore, support him as a man worthy of the glory or honor he is receiving, though I do enjoy his musical gifts.

All in all, I think Christians in this category would be well served by remembering Matthew 10: 16: "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." That says it all.