Ignorant Historian

I’m a reader.

In part because I was raised a reader (thanks, Mom!).  In part because I love learning.  And in part because I enjoy spending the time alone.

I feel very blessed with knowing how to read.  Whole worlds are open to me, only because I can make sense of the symbols on a page.  I’ve learned and been challenged in what I believe because I can read.

So you know what really bugs me?

When people choose not to read.

I don’t mean those that can’t read, whether from lack of opportunities to learn, lack of material to read, or learning disabilities.  And I don’t mean those who are in a time of life where they can’t read what they want, like young mothers or students (though anyone can find a few minutes to read here and there…it took me 6 months to read Gone with the Wind in college, but I did it).

I mean those who were taught how to read, but haven’t taken advantage of it.

It’s worse than being given a driver’s license and the keys to a Maserati and shrugging at the opportunity in order to go to bed early.

I just don’t get it.  Sure, not everyone is going to read as much as me.  But reading even one book a month only requires reading about 10 pages a day.  That’s 15-30 minutes for most people.  Of course, it’s hard to stop after only 10 pages…

There’s all sorts of things to read.

Fiction of all sorts: from adventure or romance to fantasy and science fiction.

Non-fiction of all sorts too: politics, mechanics, travel, memoirs, parenting, and personal growth.

What do you like to read?  If you’re numbered among the intentionally illiterate, what would get you to read?

Photo by Stuck in Customs

One of my favorite things about reading books and watching movies is analyzing the worldview presented (yes, I’m one of those people).  Most are easily placed in their time period based on this alone (though I always cheat and look at the publication date because it helps to interpret what the author/director is saying).

And increasingly I’ve noticed books and movies point to the fact that our culture idolizes happiness.  Elizabeth Gilbert admits as much in Committed that she forsook her first wedding vows simply because she was unhappy.  And most people would not fault her for it.

But God would.  I don’t mean to bash Elizabeth Gilbert; God is the judge and she has obviously not the only one at fault for our happiness idol.  In fact, I’m more than willing to admit that I fall on the “guilty” side in this matter: way too often my decisions (both immediate and long-term: what to do next, what to eat, where to live, etc.) are ruled by what I want simply because it’s what I want.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying we should don hairshirts or polar bear swim in the Atlantic.  The answer is not to avoid happiness and pleasure as has been a historical Christian misinterpretation.  Rather, the answer is to put happiness in it’s place.

Happiness is good and a blessing.  But it’s not more important than loving God and loving others.

Thanks for reading this…I know that I needed this reminder once again.

Photo by CarbonNYC

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed (okay, I’m sure you have), but our society is obsessed with sex.  Sex sells.  ”Adult” content primarily means sex, as if that’s what it means to be an adult.  Even children’s movies can’t seem to stay away from a little sexual innuendo or suggestive content.  Showing two people having sex or implying it is often the easy way out for movie directors, as it allows them to show a connection between the characters without having to work out another way to get that point across.

Of course, one of the main problems with this presentation of sexuality is that by-and-large, what is presented and promoted is sinful: sex outside of marriage, lusting, etc.  Not that that isn’t bad enough in and of itself, but there’s a greater issue.

The problem with this message isn’t just that it is fuels lust, but that it gives a false picture of what matters.  Believe it or not, life’s not about sex.  I’m sure sex is great and all (don’t confuse being a virgin with being asexual), but it’s not the end-all be-all even in it’s proper context, marriage. No wonder there are more and more people that are addicted to pornography.  They’ve been sold the idea that the good life=sex and they’ve bought it.

My message quite simply is, life is not about sex.

Photo by mikebaird

I hinted at this post in the comments section a couple of weeks ago, but now I’m diving in.

I don’t like the adjective “Christian.”

[Take a deep breath.]

No, I’m not one of those who wants to throw out the term “Christian” altogether.  It’s in the Bible, and I think it’s a great term.  Sure it’s been misused, and that’s why I often identify myself as a “follower of Christ,” but I don’t think we should give it up.  After all who wouldn’t want to be called after the name of their Lord and Savior?

I just wish that we wouldn’t use it as an adjective, or at least not use it so indiscriminately.  For those who hate grammar, I’m saying that I’m fine with sentences like “He is a Christian” but don’t like phrases that begin with “Christian”: Christian music, Christian fiction, Christian bookstores, etc.

There’s two major problems I’ve seen with using “Christian” this way.  First of all–and most seriously–we risk labeling something Christian that is not godly, or at least that we haven’t taken the time to determine if it is godly.  Here are a couple quotes that I think bring this point home:

“The danger of labeling things ‘Christian’ is that it can lead to our blindly consuming things we have been told are safe and acceptable.  When we turn off this discernment radar, dangerous things can happen.” – Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, p. 86

“In short, we are easily deceived by cultural values painted in Christian veneers (or clothed in Isaiah 40:31 T-shirts).” – “The Gospel and the Gosselins” by Julie Vermeer Elliott in Christianity Today

Just because something is labeled “Christian,” does not mean it is in line with the teachings of that term’s namesake.  I’ve read many a Christian book, heard many a Christian song, watched many a Christian video (okay, only a few, because I haven’t seen that many) that has made me cringe because of the poor teaching it was presenting, everything from the misguided to the blasphemous.

As a Christian, I’m called to be discerning in every choice I make, from the type of entertainment I imbibe to the type of thoughts I intake and make my own.  In a way, God’s asking that we never turn off our brains.  Every moment requires active attention.  We should be asking questions like,

What is this author really saying?

How do these lyrics affect my view of myself, others, and God?

What view of the Word of God does this video present?

While many Christians are quick to point out that which clearly is not biblical (e.g. Playboy or Phillip Pullman’s novels), we forget that the most dangerous untruths often present themselves as half-truths.  Things that present themselves in Christian clothing often demand the most scrutiny.

So that’s the first danger, passively taking in as good that which we haven’t determined that is good.  Secondly, we risk labeling something Christian that  is simply of poor quality. 

This is clearly the less substantial danger of the two, but it’s something to consider.  Let’s face it, your average piece of “Christian fiction” is of lower quality than your average piece of fiction.  There’s a big market for things with the word “Christian” on them, and publishers and companies are more than willing to cater to the demand if it’ll gain them an extra buck or two.  Sure, there’s some good stuff out there with the “Christian” label, but it’s not all good.  By allowing this stuff to masquerade around as “Christian” we’re allowing the world to continue to view us stereotypically as uneducated simpletons.

I’m not seeking to throw out the baby with the bath water, but I am urging my fellow Christians to be discerning.  If you’d like a great resource on where to get started, I couldn’t recommend something better than Tim Challies’s The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.  It’s not a book of rules, but rather a look at what the Bible has to say about discernment.

One of the main reasons I don’t like watching TV is the commercials. I could be watching a perfectly innocent show, and a commercial comes on with scantily clad actresses shimmying around on camera (or it might be for something like ED medication, as was one commercial that came on when I was watching Survivorman with one of the boys I babysit). Of course, it doesn’t just come from the TV, does it? There are ads on most websites, everywhere I look when I’m driving home from work, on the radio, in the mail, and even inside my home.

Regardless, commercials are always trying to sell something. They try to play my emotions, tell me I NEED this product, and tell me that if I was popular/normal I would be using their product. Sorry, but I don’t need that type of message. I don’t want the messages I hear to come from some advertising agency somewhere. I don’t want them coming from my culture. I want them coming from the Lord. And commercials often contain many voices that fight against the Message.

It’d be interesting to take a survey of all the different advertising I come in contact with in one day, and what types of ways they contradict God’s Message. That would take a lot of energy, time, and patience!