TV - The beginning of the end

I’ve been challenged this week by the amount of time I allocate to television.

Normally life is full and spare time is scarce, so i don’t watch a lot. But 1 week holiday left me with 24 free hours daily for an entire week to do what i pleased as i pleased. And sadly plenty of those hours were spent in front of the TV.

The funny thing was, while sitting there I began to get angry. Firstly at the TV, Angry at its ability to entertain me in my own house by people i would never even let near the front door, let alone IN my house.

I then secondly became angry at myself; a human called to greatness, destined to redefine youth culture and create history. Yet there i sat, eyes glued and mind numbed as i watched another episode of life changing TV. (TV is literally life changing, but that is a different thought) I had once more fallen prey to temptation to breath in, tune out and relax as actors filled my mind with cheap throwaway lines while they lived a fake existence on a screen. How could I let that shape and mold my mind, heart and convictions.

Joel Houston sums it up perfectly…. – “I don’t know about you.. But if our generation is remembered for ipods, myspace, and youtube we missed it.. If history speaks of our generation as self indulgent pioneers of the digital age, reality television and purpose built celebrity we’ll have failed.. the world will change by itself.. for better or for worse.. it changes daily.. but who will be the ones to shape it.. and how will it look?”

The fact that I have been called to take, break and shape the world into something of worth and purpose, fills me with great honour, yet here I sit and allow TV to shape me. I let it define who I am and who I want to be.

The world has watered the meaning of life down enough. We are flogged with stories, slogans and t-shirts. We chose to be satisfied with sugary pop songs and popcorn munching junkets in visual indulgence, all of which are fine, Its good every now and then to tune out, but the issue is that we throw the meaning of life around. We confuse it’s definition. We belittle our understanding of God’s command.. to go into THE world, with the idea of creating A world of our own. A world of fiction and false hope played out on a big screen. We screw up the pages of destiny into small spitballs and propel them at our current circumstance, always falling short and missing target.

So is this a revolution againt the TV? No! is it a revolt against holywood? No! Rather a revolution againt self. A battle of destiny vs complacency. An inner battle to be beat the bulge of lounge living and decide to live in Gods divine purpose. Not to live in the script of a film but rather in the pages of destiny. A decision to live a life of focus and meaning, a decision to fill those around me with love and hope rather then sit and wait for the world to change.

it’s not a new concept.. it’s an eternal concept.. it’s the reason we are alive.. it’s the fundemental call of what it means to be a follower of Christ..


- Reuben Skewes