the hidden cost of television

Let's talk about watching television. Why? Television is something most people enjoy. You can learn how to cook or see the world with it. And, well shucks, it can be wildly entertaining. Often, after a long day at work, I'd unwind with an episode of Frasier or the Office. I’m sure people got along fine before the days of tv, but now that I have this stuff, I can’t see myself going without tv (movies, youtube, and hulu included I guess). I know, pathetic isn’t it?

Ok, so this week’s chapter isn’t really about television. As a matter of fact, there really isn’t much mention of tv at all in the chapter. In this week’s chapter of Why Guys Need God, we arrive at the topic of purity. Of course, any book aimed at a guy’s walk with God needs to address purity, and this one is no exception. Putting our thoughts under Christ’s lordship is something that will be a lifelong discipline, regardless of how our walk is going with God. Struggling with purity issues is something that affects all guys (I’m sure girls too); the impurity just manifests itself in different ways.

Trying to walk in purity requires some tough decisions on my part in how I conduct relationships, how I spend my free time, and yes, even what tv shows I’ll watch (or not watch). I think when John said Do not love the world or anything in the world in 1 John 2:15, he didn’t anticipate the kind of stuff we encounter in the 21st century. These days, we have the internet, print media, movies, and even tv barraging us with a deluge of worldly attitudes and values. In my mind, I sometimes will act as if I have a subconscious threshold of what’s acceptable in the things I watch. If Frasier’s trying to hook up with the neighbor in his building, well… I know he’ll fail so it’s ok to watch. If he engages in an adulterous affair, well then I’ll turn the tv off. The danger of having that subconscious threshold isn’t that this is would let in a one-time exposure to sin. The frequent exposure is what can deaden our hearts to sin. This is why purity is such a serious issue. The worldly definition of what is ok is a fluid concept, changing with every generation and never in line with what God wants for us. For us, keeping guard of our hearts and what we consume is critical to our fight for purity. It’s important to remember Matt. 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

I close with a story from this past weekend. My fraternity’s Davis chapter turned 20 this weekend, and we had a bunch of alumni in town to celebrate at First Baptist Church out in west davis. I was surprised to see my friend Colin, who I did accountability with back in college, but had since lost touch with, at the event. The thing that struck me the most when I ran into him was the roman collar he was wearing. I knew he was a devout catholic, but it had never occurred to me that he was in the process of becoming a priest (in my mind priests were all old geezers). We caught up, talking about old times and what we’re doing now (I guess for him it’s kind of obvious). We chatted about the state of the church now, talked a little about spiritual walks and yes, we even discussed tv shows. Like me, he grew up with tv so I’m sure he probably couldn’t really give it up either. Admittedly, with the way tv morals are these days, there’s very little that he can watch on tv. A lot of shows can be pretty raunchy, and rather than give in to temptation, he would rather limit what he watches to shows he considers safe and fairly clean. “So, what do you watch these days?” I asked. He thinks for a second and replies: Storage Wars.