The World We Have Purchased

60 years ago I was raised on TV violence.  But the violence wasn't sick, twisted, and dark.  Even the unwholesome programming was governed by moral standards.

Today's children are being mentored by Hollywood writers who compete to see who can produce the most shocking, graphic, and toxic material.  And Americans, including me and the people I sit with in church, send them money every month to finance their efforts.

Consider... In the history of mankind nothing has been more powerful and influential than theater.  And there will always be unsupervised children and adults who are unable to absorb today's amoral and violent entertainment without being damaged.

Americans have chosen and financed this environment and there will be casualties.  And when these casualties show up for their week of fame, we will wring our hands and argue about who is to blame.

It's time to be honest about the world we've purchased.  And to protect our children from the fruits of our appetites we should lock down every school and provide armed security.  It's the responsible and decent thing to do.

....

Images 

Idols, once graven images, are now digital images.  

The worship of these images is reflected in time spent with, pleasure experienced, personal identification with, and separation anxiety experienced when deprived of the images.

The nature of these images, from toxic to innocuous, are simply different shades of the same pollutant.

The principalities and powers of this world are intent upon suborning extra-Divine worship, or idolatry, in all forms, but in the electronic age, the ubiquitous and ephemeral image is the device of choice.  

Those raised in "The Faith" instinctively know they would experience greater spiritual health if they lived between the Earth and God without polluting images.  But our devotion to the digital image trumps our devotion to God.  

The image is a powerful narcotic that facilitates our absorption into the world created by our spiritual enemies.  We rest in that world as if anesthetized, to the extent that our spiritual "waking hours" are few.  

When separated from the image, its influence remains.  We remain altered, existing in, and influenced by, 'The World's" version of reality, which is the primary message of the image.

The influence of "The Image" has steadily increased over the past one hundred years.  Its stealth and the patience of its provocateurs have delivered it into the lives of the formerly faithful with such meticulous and gentle care, the spiritual transition rendered is virtually unnoticed.  The result is that while we pollute ourselves with the world, we are generally oblivious and almost never call it sin.

Today in America our determinant identity is that we are rich men living in the electronic age.  Our besetting sin is idolatry.  There is much more evidence that we love The World than that we love God.  We love and pollute ourselves with this World that the Bible tells us not to love.  Our pulpits are unconcerned, and we are unrepentant.  

 

This Post is a work in progress.