Formation Frame #4 - Media and the Arts
Our lives are saturated with media and the arts. We text and communicate with others through social media. We spend hours surfing the Internet or watching video clips. We watch TV and movies. And occasionally, read books! Throughout history, humankind has communicated its thoughts and beliefs through some kind of media. The reality is that media and the arts impact us in ways we may not even realize—good and bad. The question is not, “Will media and the arts shape us?” It is, “How will media and the arts shape us?”
Current research shows that the average American spends about 143 minutes (2 hours and 23 minutes) daily on social media. That's almost 2.5 hours per day spent scrolling through different platforms. If the “average person” is awake 17 hours each day (7 hours of sleep), they will spend 14% of their waking hours on social media. In addition, researchers report that 85% of Americans use the Internet daily, and the average American spends six hours and 58 minutes online every day. It doesn’t take a mathlete to realize that this means the average person spends almost half of their waking hours online. Granted, part of that time may be spent doing work, listening to educational podcasts, streaming movies, buying stuff, or writing and responding to emails. But half of every day online?
However, the main issue is not so much the time spent online, watching TV and movies, and listening to music. The issue is the spiritual impact that media and the arts have on us. How does what we see and listen to impact our relationship with God? Most of what is “out there” does not align with Jesus's character. Even certain “acceptable” venues promote thoughts counter to being a Christ Follower.
If we are not careful, media and the arts will create in us just the opposite of what it means to be God’s image bearers. What we see and hear might actually be producing the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 CSB)
Our media and art involvement could easily result in producing…
Contempt instead of love
Despair instead of joy
Anxiety instead of peace
Impatience instead of patience
Cruelty instead of kindness
Evil instead of goodness
Faithlessness instead of faithfulness
Harshness instead of gentleness
Addiction instead of self-control
But, there is also the good side of media and the arts. They can, as the Apostle Paul said, give us proper places to set our minds and hearts - “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy-dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8 CSB)
There are paintings, movies, books, and music that portray love, beauty, and goodness. Some podcasts and videos educate and enlighten. The issue is not the media; it is the content that is continually shaping us. What we watch and listen to, as Robert Mulholland Jr. states, shapes us “into either the wholeness of the image of Christ or a horribly destructive caricature of that image, destructive not only to ourselves but also to others, for we inflict our brokenness upon them.”*
Media and the arts will shape us. That is an inescapable reality. Are they shaping us to become more like Christ or less like him? Are they causing him to increase or decrease in our lives (John 3:30)? The choice is ours!
As we consider how we interact with media and the arts, we would do well to remember the prayer of King Alfred the Great of Wessex (849 – 899).
We pray to you, O Lord, who are the supreme Truth, and all truth is from you. We beseech you, O Lord, who are the highest Wisdom, and all the wise depend on you for their wisdom. You are the supreme joy, and all who are happy owe it to you. You are the highest Good, and all goodness comes from you. You are the Light of minds, and all receive their understanding from you. We love you—indeed we love you above all things. We seek you, and are prepared to serve you. We desire to dwell under your power, for you are the King of all.
Amen.
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*Robert Mullholland Jr., Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2016).