God is The Creator. The very reason we sense anything is because God decided in the beginning
to create. When God creates, good and beautiful things are made. We know this to be true to the
extent that even the Tree of Knowledge, as Eve saw it, “was a delight to the eyes.” God created
even this tree to be beautiful, producing its fruit according to its kind. We, who are made in the
image and likeness of God, desire to partake in this act of creating, of determining the good and
the beautiful. Yet, because of sin, our desire for beautiful things becomes more often a vice than
a virtue. Because of this, we must ask, is it the responsibility of the follower of Christ to build up
discernment to know how to determine what is good and what is not?
Media, regardless of its mode, always conveys a message. At times, the message is in the
forefront for all to see and know. Other times, more subtly, to the extent that we are encouraged
to create meaning for ourselves. In either confrontation of media, knowing what is honorable,
just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise is a requirement for right
thinking. In everything we lay our eyes on and open our minds to, we must be ready to determine
whether something is good or nefarious, for building up or tearing down, right or wrong. This is
not always easy. Indeed, God is not so powerless that He cannot use a sinner to convey Truth, but
one should not be so naive as to believe there exists neutrality in the heart of man. This World
will do everything to hide, distort, or snuff out the truth.
So then, is there a redeeming value in this world’s media landscape? Should we board ourselves
up in our homes and read nothing but the Bible, watch only Veggie Tales, and listen to only
Gregorian chants? I’d argue not. Practically, that which we must do is fortify our hearts and our
minds, building up our discernment to know what is true and what is not. We should be careful
not to consume that which is evil, thinking ourselves in our own might strong enough to
withstand that power of the enemy, but, more importantly, we should not shrink back from
shining Christ’s light on the darkness we encounter in the world. We must be honest when we
consume media to ask ourselves: What truth is conveyed? What lie? Does this build me up or
tear me down? How am I left feeling when the movie ends? What about when the song ends?
What about when I put down my book? When I walk away from whatever it is, is my gaze and
my heart directed to praise and glorify God first? If it’s not, I would limit my consumption of that
thing.
Yet, all things are redeemable because all things offer us the opportunity to give glory back to
God. If we encounter truth, we may praise Him for revealing truth. If we encounter lies, we can
run to Him for the truth and know He never lies. If we encounter goodness, we may praise Him
because He is the greatest good. If we encounter evil, we praise Him because He is the judge of
this world and works the evil of Man for His good purposes. In all things, we are free to give
glory and honor to God. Hollywood has no hold on us. Thank God that He does.
