We live in a world where entertainment has a profound influence on our
everyday lives. Entertainment almost dominates our every waking moment and large
television screens stalk us wherever we go – be it the barber shop, super
market, airport departure terminal or railway station platform. Added to this are
social media, video games, televised sports, and MP3 players – all of which have
introduced us to a culture of passive solitary consumption.
Are these healthy or unhealthy for those of us seeking to follow after
Jesus Christ?
This question is not new, but the answer is not simple either.
On one hand we need to carefully guard ourselves from becoming victims
of the seductive power of entertainment knowing that our warfare is with such ‘powers
and principalities’ (Ephesians 6:12*) and our goal is to bring every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We ought not to
allow ourselves become addicted to any form of entertainment or social media
and we should consciously refuse its constant quest for primacy in my life. (1
Corinthians 6:12)
On the other hand we should know that as people who have been set free
by the truth (John 8:32,36) we do have the permission, occasionally, to sit
back and relax, and enjoy entertainment. By doing so we may actually strip
entertainment of its dangerous aspirations to rule over us and enjoy God's
goodness and abundance.
But the long term influence of entertainment on such passive relaxed
involvement must not be trivialised. The thoughts we allow into our minds
ultimately influences our life style (Romans 12:1,2). What we believe will
ultimately determine the way we live. So
we have to evaluate all things from a perspective and value system that is from
above (Colossians 3:2).
I have never been a movie buff and can count all the movies I have
ever seen till date on my ten fingers. Yet I did see a couple of films like Gandhi and Jurassic Park multiple times. They were rich with meaning,
insight, and value for our lives. (1 Corinthians 10:23). Recently Aamir Khan in
an interview published in THE HINDU asserted that cinema can be a tool for
moral edutainment. The art-for-art’s sake school may object, and maintain that
art is a pure experience that cannot be mixed up with any agenda. But I do
believe that every piece of art comes from a particular world view, even if not
consciously acknowledged, and therefore does carry with it an agenda always.
Society is best served by artists who elevate and ennoble, rather than by those
who claim to merely entertain.
We need to shun entertainment that diminishes or denies moral values and
yet we also need to affirm entertainment that expresses or enhances true values.
But in reality, sometimes even within a single song, or movie, or media form,
we find both of these processes happening. So we have to be very discerning and
tread carefully. (1 Peter 2:16)
Facebook and Twitter have absolutely revolutionized the way we
interact socially, process news, experience live events, foster movements, and
engage in communal real-time discourse. We should learn to make our presence
there and use such media for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom
on earth. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Mathew 6:33)
Entertainment and social media can facilitate idolising people;
systems and/or material goods seeking with un-satiable thirst for more and more
worshipers or followers. But we must not resign ourselves to the idea that
entertainment is only an idol manufacturing unit. Instead, we can always work
toward re-routing entertainment and social media to point away from
itself (or oneself) by creative, thoughtful and intentional engagement. Then it
might become not be a thing to be worshipped, but an aid in our worship and
service of the Ultimate source of all things good, true, and beautiful (Philippians
4:8). If some among us find our calling with such intentional engagement in the
world of entertainment, who am I to judge? (Romans 14:4)
God wants us to be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:15,16).
He wants us to live blameless in the midst of this crooked and perverse
generation (Philippians 2:15,16).
Towards that end, may our feet point.
[* Reading the Bible references given and mediating on them in the
context of this particular topic can be a very rewarding exercise]
