Worship is so much more than what happens on a Sunday morning. Worship in fact applies more to the non-religious than to the average religious person. As Louie Giglio puts it, we may declare that this or that takes our greatest affection, devotion and time, that we value this over that, however, actions do speak louder, and that worship is more about what we do rather that what we proclaim with our mouths. In fact, I can go as far to say that the well known slogan ‘Fact is stranger than fiction because we write fiction to suit ourselves’ is definitely true, of worship, and of the way we live our own lives. Think about it- we love to deny the revealing truth that we are all worshiping something. It happens all the time, to everyone, at concerts, at sporting events, even in the Christian circle, where some may even fall into the trap of placing godly people on the pedestal of Jesus Himself. But we all should know that in the end, we’re selling ourselves short, of something bigger that deserves our attention; that deserves our praise, our honour, our devotion. But that doesn't mean that these things that we devote our time to should be rid of. Not entirely. We are just longing as a society, as a country, and as a planet Earth; to connect, to find purpose, and our 'worship', is our way of showing the world what matters most to us personally.
In the heart of every one of us is a story to be told. Or maybe we are longing for a story to fill a gap within us. We try to identify we anyone that we can, parents, friends, heroes and idols, sporting champions, authoring greats, actors, sometimes even characters in television programs. Eventually, we can even make up stories, writing ‘fiction’ to suit ourselves, if we can't seem to find it anywhere else. That’s not to say that every book that’s ever written, every brilliant idea that has ever been thought of, every masterpiece that has ever been conceived in the realms of music, art, books, literature and the like, has all been just man’s escapism from reality, not at all. Perhaps some of the great literary works have been written by those who want to discover and uncover something in society rather than trying to conceal it up. But we need to be real here. These stories that we hear everyday, that we read in the newspapers, listen to on radio, follow on twitter, or watch on TV; all impact us in many different ways. Some are fact, some are fiction. Nevertheless, these stories are what society needs for us to start thinking of the deeper things that need to be thought about, about purpose, direction, and general clarity in life. Jesus Himself in the New Testament used stories (or parables) to describe just that; what the Kingdom of Heaven looked like. That's why every one of us are yearning for the story that will complete us. And we will not stop until one fulfills.
We need to know that we are hungry, not for a story that is just about ourselves, but a story that is fulfilling from the inside out. And we see everyone around us talking to us, advising us in different areas of our lives. It may be at home, may be at school, and we see on the TV advertisements that we need a new car, we need a new boat, we need a new TV, and then we buy them. But then after a season, something else comes that is beter, and then it's onto the new thing. That's what happens in society, and for me personally, throughout this year of 2012, one of my goals would be to not get caught up in the craze, just for the buzz of it, but I need to make a conscious decision that I need to make everyday. The thing that I am to connect with, needs to impact me to the point where I know that Jesus is speaking through this thing. If not, then...
TV provides a realm of escapism. For humans, from reality. We tell our children, we even tell ourselves, that television breeds idleness and slothfulness. But are there things that can be learnt from the humble television series that have eternal qualities? A loaded question, but I really do believe that since we are made in the image of God, and He told stories all throughout history to reflect the glory on Himself, then I truly believe that in each media outlet, whether the directors or actors are consciously knowing it or not, God is most likely working through shows, movies, even secular songs, in any way possible to draw people to Himself. Think about it. Why do you stay glued to a TV show for its entire length of its run? Because you like the 'case of the week'? Definitely not, it is the overarching themes and messages portrayed within the show that hit you to the core, and then you start to think, 'Gee, these themes are impacting me to the core! But it's just a TV show, right?' But remember, Jesus can use any medium that He chooses for you to be drawn to Him. He is God, and who are we to argue with His methods?
Just before I wrote this blog, I started to think about the impact that the television characters that I have invested in throughout my TV watching years, has had on my life. Then I roll through the ones that have finished. Adrian Monk, Erica Strange, Chuck Bartowski, Morgan Grimes, Dr. Tom, John Casey, Gene Hunt, Sarah Walker, Sam Tyler, Alex Drake. I glance at all these names that I have think, 'Has Jesus spoken to me through these 'characters'? And I really do believe so. And if you can connect the dots to the shows, 'Monk', 'Chuck', 'Life on Mars', 'Ashes to Ashes', and 'Being Erica'; and research about the shows, and have invested the time into them that I have, you'll know why. These shows have reinforced in my life that this is not our permanent home, and that Jesus will go through great lengths for us to come to Him.
At the end of Monk, Adrian fulfils his lifelong dream of catching his wife's killer, thereby reuniting with his step-daughter, and continues on with life as normal as he can with his OCD. I am constantly reminded by this show that even though when Monk solved the murder of his wife, he was truly not satisfied. It was only until he reunited with his step-daughter, that he could find peace. And that is what life is all about. If our passions, what we're good at, define us and shape our identity, no matter how many 'murders' we solve, like Monk, we will still feel empty. The relationships, with God and with each other, are the accomplishments throughout our lives that will stand the test of time. Life can go back to normal, and just like Monk, we can 'sleep in the middle of the bed', not because of what we have done or what we've accomplished, but rather what was done for us. Even though this world is not our home, and that we are destined for the next life, because we have Jesus living in us, heaven can start on Earth, and we can live with the full confidence of knowing that no matter what happens, Jesus will never leave us.
The series of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes was a tear jerker. It was revealed that Gene Hunt was an 'angel', keeper of the gate, between the gates of hell and heaven, and that Alex Drake and Sam Tyler, both cops from present day, were in fact dead, rather than the 'time traveller' theory that held so true for the majority of the series; and they both had to let go of their 'sins', like purgotary, before they could enter 'the pub', heaven. This series should stir up a lot of religious discussion for those who have watched the series. An excellent series and one of my favourite, it is clear that though I believe the creators of this series may not be Christians, God is still working through them to create thought-provoking series that will challenge your mind and maybe even draw even the hardest of hearts to the possibility of the existence of God.
'Chuck' just ended today, and is also one of my favourite shows of all time. Throughout the five seasons of the Chuck and Sarah 'to and fro', and the marriage and potential idea of quitting the spy life; Sarah lost 5 years of her life, through a malfunction in the intersect that was in her brain. The end of the series shows Chuck and Sarah sitting on a beach, with Chuck saying to Sarah what Sarah told Chuck at the end of the pilot episode that aired in 2007 (said on that same beach!), that everything will be ok and that he will always be with her, no matter what. If you know the series inside out, then you know that this closing scene is the perfect example of what unconditional love is, that God is continually pursuing us, and no matter what, He will always be there, wooing us to Himself. Everything will be ok, because Jesus is with us. Because He did come down in a manger, because He was fully God and fully man, because He knew and understood the pain that us humans feel. No matter what, Jesus will always be there to be our source of strength, our well that we draw inspiration and hope from.
Being Erica is a very quirky relevant series. One of the most ingenious ones ever, dealing with the r word on everyone's lips. Regrets. We all have them. Even though we are told that we shouldn't, we do. What if we did this, or that, then our lives would be different. Right? Erica Strange, a thirty-two year old single woman, is stuck in her life. Filled with tones of regrets, she meets Dr Tom, who sends her back in time to relive her times when she wished things were differently, to choose a different path, and therefore see what could happen, and therefore learn a lession from has occured. Being Erica, even more popular than Doctor Who when it comes to overseas sales by the BBC to all the corners of the globe; it is a very relevant and very eye-opening series, that will definitely force us to look inside ourselves, and think; do we have regrets? Yes, of course we do! But what do we do with them? We work it out. I know we can't go back in time, but we need to know. If we were to go back in time, would we choose the same choices? Do our choices that we make define us? Many do believe so, but in my mind, I know that they shouldn't. Jesus has died so that we may live, and so we are children of God, and therefore not the sum of our choices. We are more than the sum of our fears, our inadequacies, our hardships and failures, and we are more than our hopes, desires, loves, and successes, because of what Christ has done in us!
I don't know if you have seen these TV shows that I have described, but you must know that God can speak through anything, even TV. We just need to filter and discern, and the Lord will tell you whether to give it your time and affection. We need to know that spending time in TV doesn't make it what we worship, like how temptation doesn't mean that we are sinning. But rather, we need to make sure that our TV doesn't become our life, doesn't become the well in which we draw wisdom and hope from. Because if that is what happens, then we are drawing from a well that will not satisfy. We are worshipping something that we know will leave us empty. Just the other day, my family went to a Christian concert, where the lead singer, Mark Hall (from the Christian group, Casting Crowns), spoke and reminded us that we need to draw from the well which is Jesus, the source of all things. Not songs, not mission trips, not TV, not even the news! Jesus is the only one that will satisfy us, and yes He will speak through songs, film, other people for us to receive what He wants to tell us; but at the end of the day, we should always go back to Him in whatever we do.
There is a line from a song that was sung of the night that sticks out to me; the world will try but it can never fill, so leave it all behind, and come to the well. The world will try to receive our attention, but it will always come out short. It will still leave us yearning for more. Jesus will fill that gap. But only if you take the first step, and come to the well!
Until the next blog,
Jon
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