Sitting Comfortably in this World

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him(1 John 2:15)

Last night.

I thought I had a very productive week and deserved a little entertainment. Something to wash off the stress – or was it boredom? Of course, Hollywood is always there calling. It is the go-to thing in times of boredom and even times of excitement. I still wonder how it became an ordinary part of my life. I’m still not sure if I could live without it. Even I want to, FOMO forces me not to.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good movies out there and I don’t think watching movies is a sin. But, let’s face it, the way Hollywood and 21^st century filmmaking is heading, a heaven-bound, daily Bible-consuming Christian cannot just be comfortable with it.

Last night.

I found myself running to the feet of Hollywood to escape boredom. I honestly enjoyed every minute of it. I laughed and giggled the way I haven’t in a long time. Of course, you know how these things work. I didn’t end on one movie – I watched two.

To cut the long story short, I slept really late. I didn’t even pray before I slept off. God was merciful enough to not let me have bad dreams.

This morning.

As I knelt to pray, I realized I wasn’t connecting. There was no network on the telephone to heaven.

Oh God… why aren’t you speaking to me?

Isn’t prayer supposed to be a two-way communication?

 Why am I not feeling you this morning, Lord?

Flashes of last night rushed into my thoughts.

Yes, I relished the four hours spent before my laptop last night but what does that have to do with this?

“Well, the movie you watched contained scenes of nudity, wild partying, same- sex marriage and profane language. One of the movies was particularly anti-Jesus”

“Yes, Lord, but those are not my beliefs. I was just having fun…relieving stress. God, you are not some killjoy, right?”

“The problem is not that you watched movies. It is that you didn’t feel any unease with those unwholesome scenes. They lightened up your face. A part of you wanted more. How could you sit comfortably with the world and still claim to have an undivided love for me?”

“You win, Lord. I’m sorry but what must I do?”

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I have been thinking a lot about this conversation. God was not mad because I saw movies. He was mad because I let my guards down and agreed, in my spirit, with some of the heresies that the movies promoted. How did I get here? How have I become so deconscientised?

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that I have belittled the weight of the Spirit that I carry. I have allowed the spirits that control this world to make logical sense in those hours I spent watching those movies. I have exposed my mind to unpleasant ideologies and made myself vulnerable to the insidious toxicity of Hollywood.

 Again, don’t get me wrong. There are good movies out there and Hollywood movies are just a tiny fraction of the “world”. However, film, in and of itself, is part of the new media(avenues) through which worldly ideologies and philosophies get propagated. We have a generation of people whose sense of wrong and right are shaped by what these movies preach. Families have now turned there Sundays to cinema days.

We must be vigilant and guard our hearts, lest we find ourselves agreeing in spirit – even if not in principles– with some of the blasphemies that circulate through these worldly movies.

I guess it all boils down to one thing: friendship with the world, enmity with God (James 4:4). I’m not judging anyone, but I really wonder how an incessant consumption of worldly movies is not – and does not lead to – conformity with the world.

Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God…………Roman 12:2

Of course, we still live in this world, and even contribute to making it a better place, but we are not of it (John 17–15-16). We must always live with eternity in view. That is how we don’t get soiled with the filthiness that gets packaged in many of these movies. Movies are shaping the world’s culture and values; they seem to confirm God’s word that all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of love (I John 2:16). Thank God that we are seeing more Christian filmmakers who are producing faith-based movies. We no longer have an excuse. If we feel like watching movies, there are many Christian movies that can inspire us and even help us become better Christians. We must invest in these kinds of movies and help promote them because that is what the world really needs.