People On A Screen

It's been a while since I've stepped on some toes, so here goes nothing.

On one of my evening jogs I started counting the number of houses I passed that had these huge screens projecting images and ideas into the living rooms of my neighbors. The number, although I can't remember it now, was in the 30's. I began to imagine myself as a time-traveling citizen from the 1700 or 1800s(Come on, who doesn't imagine themselves as a time-traveling citizen from the 17-1800s from time to time?). What would someone from that era think of how we get our information or how we spend our time these days? Would there be any doubt in their minds that we are addicted to visual stimulants?

I can just imagine his time-travelers report on our day and age: "The people from the future sit and watch color screens where other, more interesting and clever people live out more fun and interesting lives."

I started looking around at just how many color screens are involved in our day to day lives. TV, computers, iphones, ipods, ipads, ithis and ithat. Now let's be clear. I'm not saying it's all bad. You can't argue with the immense productivity that comes from these devices in the world of business or personal communication. The speed with which communication happens is staggering these days, and it's just getting faster. But let's look at the other side of this.

Take me, Ryan Peck, as an example. I used to spend hours on Television in the evenings. If I was not watching television, then you could find me destroying hoards of aliens in Halo or swinging around virtual light-sabers on the Xbox. What I found was this simple fact: "This is easier then thinking". As drool met couch cushion, budgets were neglected and countless books went unread. Again, let's avoid the extreme and unbalanced view. Could I have watched a little TV and just played a little bit of Xbox here and there and still been diligent? Sure, but it was not happening. That's when I tossed out the TV. Few decisions have been smarter for me and my family as we've enjoyed the past 2 years without it's influence.

Rachel and I were just on a weekend break where our room had a TV. We were amazed at the sheer quantity of utter crap on that thing. And please, don't mistake what I'm saying for "Holier then thou" stuff, 'cause that's not where I'm at. After a two year break, TV was a headache-inducing noise box that caused more irritation then entertainment.

I grew up without TV, mainly due to parents that believed it was a brain-killing idiot box. This apple didn't fall far from that tree. Our home had books being read and Scrabble being played. My mother is a boggle shark. Don't ever agree to a game of boggle with her if you value your self-confidence. My father had a dream once when we actually had a TV in the house. In the dream, the house was surrounded by sewage but it could not get into the house. Just then, the front of the TV dropped down, like a door, and sewage started flooding the house. He awoke as we were almost out of breathable air. Needless to say, the TV left the house that morning.

Rachel and I enjoy movies on NetFlix from time to time and I still enjoy some video games on the home computer. What we've had to do is make our "color screen" entertainment the exception instead of the rule. We don't always keep it balanced because, like I said before, it's easier then thinking or engaging life. For me, it's all about what I want to produce in my family. I want teenagers who can think well and I want an open and inviting home. I can't see excessive TV or computer use being a part of that. I want books being read and Scrabble being played. I want good conversations that take hours to work out. I don't give a flying flip about what happens on some made-up show about a made-up group of people who have made-up and silly drama. No, thank you!

I say this to my Christian friends out there:
If your life is not your own, and you are to be poured out for others, how dominant is your "color screen" entertainment in your life and how does it affect your Light that should shine in the darkness?

If you watch TV or spend time on the computer, make "color screen entertainment" a small part of the large and varied puzzle that is your life and how your time is spent.

I leave you with a promise for more posts and a new project from Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George's son) and Joseph Arthur called Fistful of Mercy. Enjoy!